Robert Eastment, Ausnewz manager, says, “The 2003 URS Forestry/Ausnewz Pulp and Paper Yearbook contains the latest annual information available on the industry in Australian and New Zealand, together with income elasticity-based forecasts of consumption for the next five years”.

According to the yearbook, in 2002/0, the global production of pulp and paper grew by 1.4 per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively, which is a reversal of the trend experienced in the previous year. However, pricing has remained competitive due to oversupply.

Industry growth has been influenced by both the US and Japan as both markets have stalled, with a recovery unlikely in the near future. The Middle East conflict has also hampered recovery. Despite this, the Australian market has experienced sustained growth and is expected to grow by more than three per cent per year for the next four years.

The yearbook covers such items as wood resource and supply, pulpwood exports, fibre furnish, the pulp market, paper and board consumption and distribution, as well as forecasts to 2007, manufacturing localities and capacities, major company strategies, and pulping and papermaking technical information.

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