After a year of low activity and massive destocking in 2023, the French paper industry began to recover in the first half of 2024. Although this recovery is positive, it has not yet succeeded in restoring previous production levels, particularly in relation to 2022.
Overall growth in paper production
French paper production rose by 9.5% in the first six months of 2024, reaching 3,343 million tonnes. This increase, while encouraging, remains below the 3,765 Mt recorded over the same period in 2022. This increase is due to a general rise in several industry segments, with particularly noteworthy performances in pulp production (+15.8%) and packaging paper and board (+11.6%).
Divergence in production segments
The upturn in paper business in 2024 was marked by disparities between the various segments. Graphic papers, for example, recorded modest growth of 2.8%, while the uncoated woodfree paper segment grew by 9.5%. However, in comparison with 2022, production of these graphic papers remains significantly down, by almost 41%. This reflects a continuing contraction in demand, particularly as digital technology takes over from traditional paper media.
Packaging: a resilient sector
In contrast to graphic papers, the packaging sector continues to show resilience. Production of corrugated base paper rose by 11.5% in the first half of 2024 compared with 2023, while flexible packaging saw an impressive 28.6% increase. In contrast, folding carton production, which is more sensitive to economic variations, posted growth of 6%, underlining the diversity of dynamics within the packaging sector.
Analysis compared with pre-pandemic levels
Compared with the first half of 2019, overall tonnage of paper and cardboard produced in France fell by 11.5%. This drop was mainly due to the collapse of graphic papers, whose production fell by around 55%, a direct consequence of the increased digitization of communication media. By contrast, packaging paper and board showed a slight increase (+4.5%), indicating a shift in demand towards consumer and logistics products.
The French paper industry is showing signs of recovery, but production levels remain below previous years, particularly for graphic papers. The packaging sector, on the other hand, continues to grow, driven by consumer dynamics and increased demand for sustainable solutions. These trends point to a possible restructuring of the sector, with greater concentration on growth segments, notably packaging.
