Production Figures

>Canadian newsprint mills operated at 81 percent of capacity in October, compared to 91 percent for the same month in 1997. Labor disruptions at several Abitibi-Consolidated mills largely explain this low operating rate, as well as the 9.9 percent year-over-year drop in total shipments. On a regional basis, deliveries declined by 0.4 percent in Canada, dropped 8.5 percent in the U.S. and 17.9 percent in overseas markets.
    At the end of the month, Canadian producers had 329,000 metric tons of newsprint in inventory, down 2,000 metric tons from the end of September. Total newsprint consumption in the U.S. decreased by 0.5 percent over October 1997, despite a 1.3 percent increase in dailies use which represent 80 percent of total consumption. Stocks held by U.S. consumers were registered at 1.274 million metric tons at the end of October, down 103,000 metric tons over the previous month. . .
   Canadian market pulp production declined 4 percent for November from figures the same time last year, according to the Canadian Pulp and Paper Association.
   For November, production stands at 668,000 metric tons, bringing the 11-month total to 7.374 million metric tons, a 5 percent drop from the total for the same time last year.
   The operating rate at Canadian pulp mills stood at 87 percent of capacity during November, compared to the previous November's figure of 91 percent of capacity. Capacity figures for the first 11 months stand at 86 percent of capacity, compared to 1997's 11-month total of 91 percent of capacity. . .
   The shipment of market pulp moved up 9 percent for November to 660,000 metric tons. The improvement was led by increases in shipments to Canadian sources, up 31 percent; Western Europe, up 5 percent; and sources outside the U.S. and Japan, up 74 percent.
    Shipments of Canadian market pulp to the United States dropped 3 percent to 232,000 metric tons for November, as well as 3 percent for the first 11 months to 2.626 million metric tons.
    For the first 11 months of the year, however, shipments dipped 4 percent to 7.470 million metric tons. . .