Official Board Markets articles from July 2008

Official Board Markets archives from July 2008

Diversification is key to survival.(AT AICC REGION 7 MEETING)
July 5, 2008... The theme of the Association of Independent Corrugated Converters' (AICC) Region 7 Meeting was a simple one: How to survive. One box maker's way? Diversify. Jerry Frisch, president of Wasatch Container, told approximately 100 box makers...

Transacted containerboard prices.
July 5, 2008... Transacted Containerboard Prices Average transacted price levels are tabulated by obtaining paid prices from Independent converters purchasing linerboard and medium. All prices are intended as a reference standard only. Transactions may...

Boxboard mill could face closure.
July 5, 2008... In the next three to four weeks recycled boxboard mill closures could occur due to surging energy and transport costs, says Mark Wilde, paper industry analyst, Deutsche Bank (DB), New York City. The closures would be centered on uncoated...

SSCC will close medium mill.(IN SNOWFLAKE, ARIZ.)
July 5, 2008... Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. (SSCC), Chicago, will cease operations of its corrugating medium machine at the Snowflake, Ariz., mill no later than Oct. 15. This mill includes two newsprint machines owned by Catalyst Paper Corp. and one...

Triumph Pkg buys Oracle carton plant.(IN THOMASTON, GA.)
July 5, 2008... Last month Triumph Packaging Group, Bolingbrook, Ill., bought Oracle Packaging Co.'s folding carton plant in Thomaston, Ga., for a little less than $10 million, reports The Thomaston Times. The fate of the 54 Oracle employees at the plant...

Newark Group to raise prices.(ALL GRADES AFFECTED)
July 5, 2008... The paperboard mill division of The Newark Group will increase its prices on all grades of recycled paperboard to $50 per ton, effective with shipments July 28. The reason the company gives for the increase is cost pressures in production and...

Norampac to close Toronto mill.(140 EMPLOYEES TO LOSE JOBS)
July 5, 2008... The Norampac division of Cascades Canada Inc. is closing its Toronto boxboard mill indefinitely. The closure will affect 140 employees, The Canadian Press reports. The company says the shutdown is "due to unfavorable factors" including rising...

Economist gives his take on Midwest manufacturing.
July 5, 2008... With his "tell it like it is" style, Midwest box makers got an earful at the AICC region 7 meeting in South Bend, Ind., last week when an economic analyst told them point blank, "People who want to see change leave this part of the country."...

Can you develop new supply?(RECOVERED PAPER)
July 5, 2008... Very few board mills are really good at developing new sources for recovered paper supply, says Bill Moore, president, Moore & Associates, Atlanta. At Recycling Today's Paper Recycling Conference & Trade Show, held last month in Chicago,...

IFPC ranks high on exporter list.(MOVES UP 60 POSITIONS)
July 5, 2008... International Forest Products Corp. (IFPC), Foxborough, Mass., has moved up 60 positions in the past six years and now ranks 40th on the list of the top 100 exporters by the Journal of Commerce. IFPC is the only Massachusetts-based company to...

Sonoco to add energy surcharge.(TO OFFSET COSTS)
July 5, 2008... Sonoco will implement a $40 per ton average energy surcharge for its uncoated recycled paperboard products in the U.S. and Canada. The surcharge will be added as a separate line item to all invoices for shipments on or after July 14. The...

Recycled board mill to be built.(IN U.K.)
July 5, 2008... A recycled board mill is to be built in Manchester, England, by Spanish paper and packaging company SAICA. The mill will use recovered paper and is expected to produce 400,000 metric tons of lightweight, 100 percent recycled paper annually for...

IRS withdraws netting rule.(TAX CREDIT)
July 5, 2008... The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is withdrawing a netting rule that restricted tax credits for energy generated by open-loop biomass--the method used by wood and paper mills. Congress amended Section 45 of the Internal Revenue Code in...

Fitch affirms SSCC ratings.(OUTLOOK NEGATIVE)
July 5, 2008... Fitch Ratings has affirmed the ratings of Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. (SSCC) as follows: Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'B+'; Secured bank debt at 'BB+/RR1'; Senior unsecured debt at 'B+/RR4'; Preferred stock at 'B-/RR6'. The rating outlook...

Arbor acquires Midland Container.(MANAGEMENT TEAM TO STAY)(Arbor Investments of Chicago)(Brief article)
July 5, 2008... Arbor Investments of Chicago has acquired Midland Container Corp., a Franksville, Wis.-based maker of corrugated packaging and display products. Financial terms were not disclosed. As part of the transaction, Arbor operating partner Sieg Buck...

Caraustar to increase prices.(EFFECTIVE JULY 17)
July 5, 2008... Caraustar Industries, Inc. will increase prices by at least $40 per ton for all uncoated recycled paperboard grades, as well as make certain adjustments for freight allowances effective with shipments on and after July 17. These increases are...

MWV mill sale completed.(KRAFT PAPER)
July 5, 2008... MeadWestvaco Corp. has completed the sale of its kraft paper mill in Noah Charleston, S.C., and related assets to KapStone Paper and Packaging Corp. for $485 million in cash, subject to post-closing adjustments. KapStone acquired MWV's kraft...

Chesapeake designs new Whisky carton.(FSC CERTIFIED)
July 5, 2008... Chesapeake Corp.'s new carton for the launch of The Black Grouse Scotch Whisky from The Edrington Group combines FSC certified board with five-color printing, a satin finish, gold foil stamping, detailed embossing. It also includes spot gloss...

Study shows need for pallets in 2012.(REFURBISHING STIFLES GROWTH)
July 5, 2008... A study released by The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based industry market research firm, reports that U.S. demand for pallets is projected to advance more than one percent annually through 2012 to 1.5 billion pallets valued at $16.8 billion....

'Super' early bird registration extended for SuperCorrExpo.(UNTIL JULY 11)
July 5, 2008... The first early bird registration deadline for SuperCorrExpo 2008, the Association of Independent Corrugated Converters (AICC) 2008 Annual Meeting and the 2008 TAPPI Corrugated Packaging Conference has been extended to July 11. For full...

RECYL names PPCTS U.S. distributor.(INK CLEANING SOLUTIONS)(PPC Technologies & Solutions)(Brief article)
July 5, 2008... RECYL has named PPC Technologies & Solutions (PPCTS), Pewaukee, Wis., as the U.S. market distributor for its complete line of ink cleaning solutions and cleaning systems. All of the RECYL products are readily available from PPCTS. In...

Greif joins WBC.(FOR CEOS)(World Business Council for Sustainable Development)(Brief article)
July 5, 2008... Greif, Inc., Delaware, Ohio, has accepted an invitation to join the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Michael Gasser is chairman and ceo of Greif. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the council is an association of the chief...

OCC prices level off.(MARKET REPORT)
July 5, 2008... The shutdown of Weyerhaeuser's Cedar Rapids, Iowa, containerboard mill last month (because of nearby flooding) has caused OCC to pile up in Chicago. The mill should be starting up again this July 4th weekend but it will be at least a week or...

Transacted paper stock prices--low grades.
July 5, 2008... Transacted Paper Stock Prices - Low Grades Chicago Mixed Boxboard News Paper Cuttings (6) (1) (4) ...

Transacted paper stock prices--high grades.
July 5, 2008... Transacted Paper Stock Prices--High Grades For detailed chart explanation, see page 11 Coated New DLK White News Soft Wht. Cuttings ...

Golf outing planned for August.(FORMAT TBA)
July 5, 2008... A golf outing for the paper industry is scheduled for Aug. 4 at Westchester Hills Golf Club, White Plains, N.Y. The golf format will be announced that day. Lunch is at 11:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Dinner and cocktails are at 6 p.m....

Santel 180-H.(Product Update)(Brief article)
July 5, 2008... Aqua Based[TM] Technologies offers a water-based resin coating and ink vehicle, Santel 180-H, which provides high adhesion levels to a variety of porous and non-porous surfaces, including paper and board. It can be used as a clear, glossy...

The Montalvo Corp., international specialists in industrial web control systems, has named MetSource as its sales representative for Kansas, Missouri and part of western Kentucky.(People Update)
July 5, 2008... The Montalvo Corp., international specialists in industrial web control systems, has named MetSource as its sales representative for Kansas, Missouri and part of western Kentucky. The principal there is John Meyer. Meyer holds a degree in...

Hagadone Printing honored by Hawaii.(GOVERNOR INNOVATION AWARD)(Brief article)
July 5, 2008... Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle recognized Erwin Hudelist, president of folding carton converter and commercial printer Hagadone Printing, with the Governor's Innovation Awards for his ingenuity and commitment to developing creative ways to...

Bobst introduces "The next generation" of folding carton: four levels of technology.(Product Update)
July 5, 2008... Bobst introduces "The next generation" of folding carton: four levels of technology. Demonstrated at drupa, the Bobst brand of production machinery now has enhanced ergonomics and is better for the environment. The next generation of Bobst...

European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (FEFCO).(People Update)
July 5, 2008... John Williams is appointed the new president of the European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (FEFCO). Williams was unanimously chosen by the general assembly. He replaces Dermot Smurfit, who served as president for the last four...

TAPPI.(People Update)(Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry)(Edward Robie)(Brief article)
July 5, 2008... Edward Robie, a long-time TAPPI employee who retired in 2006, has returned to TAPPI on a part-time basis in TAPPI's events department. Robie has more than 30 years of meeting management experience. TAPPI has employed Robie on a contractual...

Transacted boxboard prices.
July 5, 2008... Transacted Boxboard Prices The prices tabulated here are intended only as a reference standard to the current levels commonly prevailing in a representative proportion of the U.S. contract transactions. The prices listed do not connote...

Carded Graphics installs Speedmaster XL.(DOUBLING CAPABILITIES)
July 5, 2008... Carded Graphics, Staunton, Va., has installed one of the first Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 105 presses available with hybrid UV capability in the U.S. The company recently moved to a 60,000 sq ft facility to make room for the upgraded press,...

CorrPak 2008 still accepting entries.(BI-ANNUAL COMPETITION)
July 5, 2008... TAPPI's corrugated packaging division is still accepting entries for CorrPak 2008, its hi-annual competition. The deadline for entry submission is Aug. 25. The CorrPak competition provides a platform for converters to showcase their creativity,...

Impressions Inc.(People Update)(appointment of Eric Jorgensen and Jenna Hazaert )(Brief article)
July 5, 2008... Eric Jorgensen and Jenna Hazaert are the newest members of the St. Paul, Minn.-based Impressions Inc. team. Jorgensen will focus on the implementation of a new software program. Hazaert is working on marketing and promotion of the printing and...

Alliance and STI pool resources.(MAKING IN-STORE DISPLAYS)
July 12, 2008... The Alliance Division of Rock-Tram Co., Winston-Salem, N.C., has entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with STI Group. STI is a leading European display and packaging manufacturer headquartered in Lauterbach, Germany. Alliance says...

Transacted containerboard prices.
July 12, 2008... Transacted Containerboard Prices Average transacted price levels are tabulated by obtaining paid prices from independent converters purchasing linerboard and medium. All prices are intended as a reference standard only. Transactions may...

Pratt charges 'abuse of power'.(Richard Pratt )(Brief article)
July 12, 2008... Last week lawyers for Australian billionaire box maker Richard Pratt slammed the competition watchdog's decision to file criminal charges against him, saying the allegations that he lied to regulators were an abuse of power against an "honored...

Newark Group to close board mills.(IN MASS. AND N.Y.)(Brief article)
July 12, 2008... The Newark Group, Cranford, N.J., is closing two of its three paperboard mills in the Northeast next month due to escalating energy and freight costs, reports Forestweb. Haverhill Paperboard in Bradford, Mass., will close on Aug. 29 and...

Geo. Martin acquires Systematic.(ENJOY LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP)(Systematic Machinery LLC)(Brief article)
July 12, 2008... The Geo. M. Martin Co., Emeryville, Calif., has purchased Systematic Machinery LLC, Spokane, Wash. Terms weren't disclosed. All of Systematic's assets, including the designs of its line of material handling solutions, were bought. "This...

Flint Group to implement price increases.(SURCHARGES, TOO)(Brief article)
July 12, 2008... Flint Group will implement price increases and surcharges on all packaging and commercial inks sold in North America, effective on all products billed on or after July 21. The company says the increases and surcharges are due to unprecedented...

CEP lashes out at Norampac.(BOXBOARD MILL CLOSURE)(Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union )(Brief article)
July 12, 2008... The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP), Canada's largest union of forestry workers, is "outraged" that Norampac Cascades was not sincere from the outset about its plans to close its Toronto boxboard mill, says Bob Huget,...

Graphic Packaging to raise prices.(INCREASE ON URB AND CRB)
July 12, 2008... Graphic Packaging International, Inc., Marietta, Ga., will increase its prices $50 per ton on coated recycled board (CRB) and uncoated recycled board (URB) to partially offset increased input costs for fiber, energy and chemicals. As a result...

China's containerboard sector weakens.(HIT BY RISING MATERIAL COSTS)
July 12, 2008... Because of rising raw material costs, Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Ltd.'s gross profit has declined on the Hong Kong stock market, leaving the company performing below market expectations, reports ChinaPaperOnline.com. Its share price fell by...

GBP fine reduced by OSHA.(DOWN TO $23,000)
July 12, 2008... Green Bay Packaging Inc.'s (GBP) Arkansas Kraft Division, Morrilton, Ark., recently reached a settlement agreement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that reduced a proposed $132,000 fine to $23,000. The settlement...

Manroland holds open house.(DEMONSTRATIONS GIVEN)
July 12, 2008... The large format open house on June 24 at manroland corporate headquarters in Westmont, Ill., featured the Print Tcchnology Center's ROLAND 906LV press. The ROLAND 906LV and ROLAND 706LV with inline foiler Prindor were involved in six...

Republic and allied waste merger approved.(HEADQUARTERED IN PHOENIX)
July 12, 2008... The boards of directors at Republic Services, Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Phoenix-based Allied Waste Industries, Inc., have approved a merger. The newly formed company will be called Republic Services and will be based in Phoenix. The...

SSCC Hodge mill achieves 3 million safe hours.(ACCORDING TO OSHA)
July 12, 2008... Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.'s (SSCC) kraft linerboard mill in Hodge, La., has become the first mill ha company history to achieve 3 million hours worked without a recordable accident, according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration...

Caraustar to increase prices.(ECONOMIC PRESSURES)
July 12, 2008... Caraustar Industries, Inc., Atlanta, will increase prices by $50 per ton for all coated recycled paperboard grades and implement freight surcharges to customers, effective with shipments beginning July 28. It will also increase prices on all...

Sun Chemical to add ink surcharges.(10-CENT-PER-POUND)
July 12, 2008... Sun Chemical North America, Parsippany, N.J., will implement energy and material surcharges on inks, effective July 14. A 10-cent-per-pound surcharge will be applied to news inks, directory inks, coldset, heatset, publication gravure, solvent...

Total board inventories keep falling.(AF&PA REVEALS)
July 12, 2008... Total containerboard inventories (includes mills and box plants) fell 2 percent between the end of April and the end of May, the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) reports. Specifically, they went from 2.397 million tons at the end of...

Sonoco to close Montreal mill.(SEVERANCE OFFERED)
July 12, 2008... Sonoco will permanently close its Montreal, Quebec, uncoated recycled paperboard mill, effective Aug. 27. The mill has the capacity to produce 48,000 tons annually of primarily heavyweight coreboard, which has been principally used for the...

Equipment interest rate index.
July 12, 2008... Equipment Interest Rate Index Current monthly payments for 100 percent financing for 84 months on $1.0 million range from $14,538 to $15,250 depending on credit strength and equipment being purchased [GRAPHIC OMITTED]

Paperboard mill performance.
July 12, 2008... Paperboard Mill Performance U.S. paperboard production by furnish, current and cumulative totals in 1000 short tons, as reported by the American Forest & Paper Association. Unbleached ...

Producer price indexes--1982=100.(Statistical table)(Brief article)
July 12, 2008... Producer Price Indexes--1982=100 Year Mar Apr 2006/2007 2008 2008 Total Paperboard 192.0/201.7 209.7 209.5 Total Paper & Paperboard...

Transacted paper stock prices--low grades.
July 12, 2008... Transacted Paper Stock Prices--Low Grades Mixed Boxboard Paper Cuttings News (1) (4) (6) Chicago $80-85 (0) ...

American box makers study at drupa.(ORGANIZED BY ARCH)
July 12, 2008... A group of 17 corrugated box making industry professionals from America recently participated in the 4th ARCH/drupa Study Tour, organized and hosted by Chris Heusch, president of ARCH, Inc. A week of activities included a three-day equipment...

Michelman will raise prices.(HIGHER COSTS FOR AMERICAS)
July 12, 2008... Michelman, Cincinnati, will increase its prices on coatings and additives across all product categories in the Americas by 15-25 percent, effective July 14. The company says increases in the cost of raw materials, energy, and transportation...

RTC installs SCRAP TRAKKER at Freedom Corrugated.(NEW AUTOMATED SYSTEM)
July 12, 2008... RTC Technologies, Inc., Kenosha, Wis., installs its SCRAP TRAKKER[R] system at Freedom Corrugated, Hazleton, Pa. SCRAP TRAKKER is a data collection and reporting system designed specifically to help corrugated box plants take better control of...

How MRFs vary by region.(COLLECTING WASTE)
July 12, 2008... A materials recovery facility (MRF) serving a growing Texas city probably won't have a lot in common with one serving a seasonal resort region in Colorado. In an operations workshop at Recycling Today's Recycling Conference and Trade Show,...

Transacted paper stock prices--high grades.
July 12, 2008... Transacted Paper Stock Prices--High Grades White Coated New DLK News Soft Wht. Cuttings Blanks Shavings (13)...

Catalyst to close containerboard mill.(REMOVING CAPACITY)
July 12, 2008... Catalyst Paper will permanently close its containerboard and sawdust pulp mill on Nov. 30 at its Elk Falls Division in Campbell River, British Columbia. Closure of the Elk Falls mill will remove 131,000 metric tons of annual containerboard...

Pratt plans price increase.(ON ALL CORRUGATED PACKAGING)
July 12, 2008... Pratt Industries, Cowers, Ga., is notifying customers in North America of its plans to increase prices on all corrugated packaging. An 11 percent increase on corrugated packaging and 12 percent increase on corrugated sheets will take effect ha...

Five SSCC operations receive PPSA honors.(SAFETY ASSOCIATION)
July 12, 2008... Five Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. (SSCC) facilities received top honors and a total of 30 were recognized for outstanding safety achievements at the Pulp & Paper Safety Association's (PPSA) 65th annual Safety and Health Conference. ...

Menasha Packaging.(People Updates)
July 12, 2008... Dennis Bonn joins Menasha Packaging, Neenah, Wis., as vice president of marketing. He spent the last eight years at Alcan Packaging where he was vice president of marketing for Food and Specialty Flexibles. He also held marketing and...

International Paper.(People Updates)
July 12, 2008... Stacey Mobley has been elected to the board of directors of International Paper, Memphis, Tenn. Mobley, 62, is the retried senior vice president, general counsel and chief administrative officer of DuPont, a global science company. He joined...

FiberMark acquires BSPP.(PORTFOLIO INTEGRATION)
July 12, 2008... Brattleboro, Vt.-based FiberMark, which produces specialty covering materials, has acquired the pressboard business of Brownville Specialty Paper Products (BSPP), based in Brownville, N.Y. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. BSPP...

FFTA Fall Conference will explore packaging premedia.(TO BE HELD IN INDIANAPOLIS)(Conference news)
July 12, 2008... The Foundation of Flexographic Technical Association (FFTA) annual Fall Conference & Tabletop Exhibit will occur on Oct. 5-7 at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis in Indianapolis. This year's theme is "Packaging Premedia: Navigating the Shifting...

Copar completes Weyerhaeuser orders.(PLANTS IN U.S. AND MEXICO)
July 12, 2008... Copar Corp., Burbank, Ill., has completed two orders totaling 29 complete corrugator control systems for Weyerhaeuser box plants in the U.S. and Mexico. The final turnkey start-ups will be completed next month.

Two new box sizes.(Product Update)
July 12, 2008... Corporate Express Ltd. introduces two new box sizes into its delivery operations. In addition to the current small, medium and large boxes and biodegradable jiffy bags for smaller orders, it is adding two corrugated board boxes that are the...

Quincy acquires Central States Fiber.(RECYCLERS POOL KNOWLEDGE)
July 12, 2008... Quincy Recycle Paper, Quincy, Ill., has acquired paper recycling firm Central States Fiber (CSF), Shelbyville, Ind. Financial terms of the deal were not made public. Quincy specializes in niche markets and specialty grades but does deal in...

New CD Series teaches sales techniques.(PRICING ISSUES)
July 12, 2008... Tom Reilly has released a CD Series, Crush Price Objections, to help salespeople sell more profitably and confidently. He has spent the last year researching, developing and recording this information into 3-CDs. CD 1 explores "How To Avoid...

KBA North America.(People Update)
July 12, 2008... KBA North America promotes Lawrence Robinson from Canadian district sales manager to vice president of sales in Canada. In addition, the firm has named Wolfgang Gunther as the new vice president of service and operations for the Canadian...

China's economy isn't invincible.(IMPACT ON RECOVERED PAPER NEEDS?)
July 19, 2008... While China's overall economy looks good, growth is now slower, says Byron Luo, purchasing manager, Ralison International Inc., Diamond Bar, Calif. Ralison purchases recovered paper for one of the two containerboard producing giants in China,...

Transacted containerboard prices.
July 19, 2008... Average transacted price levels are tabulated by obtaining paid prices from independent converters purchasing linerboard and medium. All prices are intended as a reference standard only. Transactions may be concluded at any time at any...

Free shuttle service offered at SuperCorrExpo.
July 19, 2008... Free shuttle service will be provided during SuperCorrExpo 2008, Sept. 22-26 in Atlanta. The service will operate between the participating downtown hotels and the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC). The service is free to all registered...

GP to expand Mich. carton plant.($27 MILLION INVESTMENT)
July 19, 2008... Graphic Packaging Holding Co. (GP), Marietta, Ga., plans to invest $27 million to expand its Kalamazoo, Mich., folding carton plant, the Kalamazoo Gazette reports. The expansion is expected to create 160 new jobs. The state is offering a...

Maintenance change means more jobs.(AT IP BOARD MILL)
July 19, 2008... A change with the on-site maintenance contractor at International Paper's (IP) largest containerboard manufacturing mill located Mansfield, La., will mean additional jobs. In addition to switching maintenance providers, IP is re-introducing its...

AF&PA applauds offshore drilling ban lift.(PUSHING FOR MORE)
July 19, 2008... President Bush's lift on the ban on offshore energy exploration is being commended by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA). The organization is urging Congress to remove the remaining obstacles to access offshore. Energy is the third...

Fire crews extinguish Weyerhaeuser blaze.(ORIGINATED IN TRAILER)
July 19, 2008... Fire crews quickly put out a fire at Weyerhaeuser Co.'s containerboard packaging mill in Lynchburg, Va., early July 16, reports WSET-TV. The fire originated in a trailer attached to the loading dock located in the back of the mill, WSET-TV...

SSCC partners with Advanced Disposal.(AT MRF FACILITY)
July 19, 2008... Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.'s (SSCC) recycling division has partnered with Advanced Disposal Services Inc., to operate Advanced's materials recycling facility (MRF) in Jacksonville, Fla. SSCC is one of the industry's largest paper recyclers...

AICC to host Sustainability Webinar.(ABOUT PAPER CERTIFICATIONS)
July 19, 2008... The Association of Independent Corrugated Converters (AICC) is offering its first Sustainability Webinar on Aug. 13 at noon. The webinar will provide information on the various paper certifications that paper suppliers have. The information...

China's production tops consumption.(PAPER AND BOARD)
July 19, 2008... For the first time in history, production of paper and board in China went beyond consumption, reports ChinaPaperOnline.com. According to the 2007 annual report of the China Paper Association, the country produced 73.5 million metric tons of...