Cepi has released its preliminary statistics report for 2025, which shows a 1.5% decrease in European paper and board production compared to 2024, reflecting the issues of ‘rising costs, geopolitical challenges and rising trade tensions’ over the last 5 years.
According to the report, graphic paper production decreased by 7.2% in 2025. Focusing on packaging paper and board (+0,1%), tissue paper (-0.8%) and other paper and board (+0.4%), European production looked relatively stable in 2025, but was still 6.8% below the record level registered in 2021.
The performance of the European pulp and paper sector in 2025 contrasts with that of global competitors, as global paper and board production remained unchanged (-0.3%). Cepi states that the United States, Japan, Canada and South Korea recorded a decline of their production (-1.9% to -5.7%). Exceptions are Brazil (+0.1%), an important pulp exporter to Europe, and China (+2.9%), which has accelerated paper and board production since 2020.
The trade balance of paper and board decreased by 4.4% for the Cepi area compared to 2024, but ‘remains largely positive’. The confederation adds that, estimated on the most recent Eurostat data (11 months), EU paper and board exports have declined by 2.2% while imports are estimated to have increased by 1.4% in 2025.
However, Cepi highlights recent figures published by Deloitte which show that Europe is ‘unmatched’ in biomass flows directed to biomaterials and circular material use rates, mainly driven by the EU’s paper and board sector.
Amidst ongoing political tensions between the EU and the United States, Cepi recently encouraged the European Parliament to ratify a trade agreement set to eliminate tariffs from the Mercosur trade bloc and mandate deforestation efforts. Under the proposed EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement (EMPA), Cepi believes that tariffs would be removed on over 90% of goods imported and exported between the EU and Mercosur countries – including tariffs on 85% of pulp and 90% of EU paper and board exported to Mercosur.
Towards the end of 2025, Eurosac and Cepi Eurokraft announced a joint project to develop a net zero roadmap for the paper sack and sack kraft paper industries, leading up to climate neutrality by 2050. The roadmap will utilize the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and Science-Based Targets initiative to identify the main contributors to the industry’s overall carbon footprint, beyond just the product level.
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