Swedish Pulp Industry Faces Weak Start in 2025 Despite Strong Export Growth

The Swedish pulp and paper industry has experienced a challenging start in 2025, continuing a weak trend after better signals in 2024, according to a recent Swedish Forest Industries Federation report. Production of pulp and paper during the first seven months dropped by 2.5% compared to the same period in 2024. Domestic consumption of Swedish pulp also declined by 2.4%, while sales to independent Swedish mills saw a sharp 13% drop. Despite this, exports of Swedish market pulp rose by 4.7%, buoyed by increased shipments to China and the US. These record-high exports over the past decade have helped partially cushion the industry's downturn, though currency headwinds were noted. The export surge is attributed to inventory shifts and speculative buying, especially from China. However, the export increase is insufficient to fully offset the overall drop in domestic production, signaling ongoing challenges for the Swedish pulp sector.