Decline In Newsprint Consumption Slows

By: Jim Rosenberg U.S. Daily Newspapers consumed 725,000 metric tons of newsprint in April, 2.7% less than a year earlier, according to revised figures released by the Newspaper Association of America.

Preliminary data for May show a year-to-year decline of only 0.7%. The spring figures follow the upward trend in use this year, which began with a 7.4% drop in consumption.

Publishers' end-of-month April newsprint inventories totaled 871,000 tons, representing a 36-day supply, a 20.5% decline from the 1.095 million tons (44 days) in April 2001. The NAA projects stocks in May fell 18.4%, from 1.05 million tons (45 days) to 857,000 tons (37 days).