Production of pulp. Sulphite pulp is the most important product of the Swedish industry; in terms of quantity, it has accounted for about 45 percent of the total output in recent years. From 20 to 25 percent of the sulphite pulp produced is bleached. Since 1930 the production of sulphate has exceeded that of ground wood, in both quantity and value. Bleached sulphate was first produced in 1931; in 1935 about 6 percent of the output of sulphate was bleached. Table 42 shows the production of wood pulp in Sweden by kinds from 1929 to 1935. As the official statistics give part of the output in wet weight and part in dry weight, to obtain comparative figures the original data given in wet weight were converted into dry weight on the assumption that the wet pulp was approximately 50 percent air-dry. It should be noted that the variations in the values of the output, expressed in terms of dollars, are in part attributable to the variations in the rates of exchange of the Swedish currency for the dollar. Beginning in the latter part of 1931 the Swedish currency followed the downward course of the British pound. The devaluation of the dollar in 1933 restored approximately the relationship between the two currencies which had existed before 1931. TABLE 42.-Wood pulp: Production in Sweden, by kinds Source: For 1929, World Wood Pulp Statistics, 1926-36, U. S. Pulp Producers Association. For 1930-35, Sveriges Industriella Produktion, Stockholm Kommerskollegium. Weights converted at rate of 2,204.6 pounds to the metric ton; values converted at current rates of exchange for years indicated: 1929, 26.784; 1930, 26.854; 1931, 25.254; 1932, 18.471; 1933, 22.032; 1934, 25.982; 1935, 25.271; 1936, 25.626. Consumption and exports of pulp. Official Swedish statistics furnish no information as to the consumption of pulp within the country, but apparent consumption may be estimated by deducting reported exports from reported production. On such basis, from 25 to 30 percent of the output of pulp in Sweden in recent years was further processed there, although the proportions varied greatly as between the several kinds of pulp. The larger fraction of the resulting paper and board is exported. Practically all of the bleached sulphate was exported as such, but about 50 percent of the ground wood was further processed in Swedish mills. About 80 percent of the production of bleached sulphite was exported, as was 75 percent of the unbleached sulphite, and from 70 to 85 percent of the unbleached sulphate. For all kinds of Swedish pulp taken as a whole, the United States is the most important foreign market, the United Kingdom, France, and Spain ranking second, third, and fourth, respectively. From 1929 to 1935 the United States took, chiefly in the form of unbleached sulphite and unbleached sulphate, from 36 to 43 percent of the total output of Swedish pulp. In addition to the countries named, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands have in recent years each taken substantial quantities of Swedish pulp. Belgium has taken unbleached sulphite, and Germany unbleached sulphate. Since 1933 Japan has imported increasing quantities of unbleached sulphite and sulphate from Sweden. The Swedish pulp mills are located in the southern third of the country and in a coastal strip 50 to 60 miles wide stretching north to the Bysko River, and hence are within easy reach of ocean transportation to foreign countries. Table 43 shows exports of pulp from Sweden by kinds and by principal countries of destination from 1929 to 1935. TABLE 43.-Wood pulp: Exports from Sweden, by kinds TABLE 43.-Wood pulp: Exports from Sweden, by kinds—Continued Source: Handel av Kommerskollegium, Sveriges Officiella Statistik. The quantity of pulp exported from Sweden in further advanced forms, such as paper or board, cannot be precisely determined, chiefly because of the varying pulp content of different kinds of paper. However, on the basis of a comparison between the apparent domestic consumption of pulp and exports of paper and paper products, it is likely that about two-thirds of the pulp converted in Sweden into advanced products is exported. Thus, total exports of pulp in all forms probably approximate 90 percent of the pulp produced in Sweden. Exports of paper and board from Sweden to the United States are much less important than those of pulp. NORWAY The Norwegian wood-pulp industry began about 1865. At present there are 69 pulp mills in operation, with a total annual capacity of 780,000 short tons of ground wood, 560,000 tons of sulphite, and 100,000 tons of sulphate. No information is available as to the importance of the industry in the economic structure of the country. Resources, consumption, imports, and exports of pulpwood. The total forest area of Norway is approximately 18,000,000 acres, consisting of about 70 percent pine and spruce, the former being by far the most important, and about 30 percent hardwoods, such as birch, beech, elm, and oak. Spruce is the principal wood used for pulp. The average timber stand per acre in the productive forests is estimated to be from 8 to 9 cords and the average annual increment about 3,000,000 cords, or about one-sixth cord per acre. The average annual cut for all purposes amounts to about 5,500,000 cords, of which about 1,600,000, or more than one-fourth, is for conversion into pulp. Control of forests is not as complete in Norway as in other northern European countries. It is not likely that the Norwegian pulp industry will expand materially, because such expansion would necessitate an increased importation of pulpwood, resort to less economical stands of timber, or an increased utilization of sawmill waste. Imports and exports of pulpwood are not reported in Norwegian statistics, but are known to be insignificant, especially in recent years. Production of wood pulp. In terms of quantity, ground wood was from 1925 to 1934 the most important product of the Norwegian pulp industry, having represented more than one-half of the total output of pulp in each year. In 1935 and 1936 the output of ground wood was equaled by that of sulphite. In 1935 bleached sulphite alone represented nearly 30 percent of the Norwegian tonnage. In terms of value, bleached sulphite is much the most important product, with ground wood and unbleached sulphite following in that order. About 70 percent of the ground wood, 90 percent of the bleached sulphite, over 80 percent of the unbleached sulphite, and 30 percent of the sulphate produced is for sale, principally in export markets. During the years of depression the production of wood pulp in Norway declined sharply; the total output in 1931 was about 60 percent of that of 1929. The recovery, however, was rapid, and the production of almost 1,100,000 tons in 1934 exceeded the output of 1929 but was followed by a recession in the production of ground wood in 1935 and 1936. The decrease from 1929 to 1931 was about the same in all kinds of pulp produced, but the recovery was greater in ground wood and bleached sulphite than in unbleached sulphite and sulphate; the production of the latter two and of ground wood in 1935 was still below the 1929 level. The production of different kinds of wood pulp, by quantity and in terms of dollar value, from 1929 to 1936 is shown in table 44. The variations in the dollar values of Norwegian pulp production are in part attributable to variations in the rates of exchange of the Norwegian currency and the dollar. Since 1931, as in the case of the Swedish currency, the dollar value of the Norwegian currency has varied closely in accordance with that of the British pound. TABLE 44.-Wood pulp: Production in Norway, by kinds 1 Weights converted on the basis of 2,204.6 pounds to the metric ton; values converted at the average rate of exchange for the years indicated: 1929, 26.683; 1930, 26.760; 1931, 25.055; 1932, 18.004; 1933, 21.429; 1934, 25.316; 1935, 24.627; 1936, 24.974. 2 Not available. Source: 1929-35, Norges Offisielle Statistikk, Norges Statistiske Centralbyrå; 1936, preliminary figures from U. S. Department of Commerce. Consumption and exports of pulp. No information is available with regard to the consumption of pulp in Norway; domestic production of paper and exports of pulp indicate that about 65 percent of the total output of pulp is exported in that form, making the Norwegian industry largely dependent on foreign markets. The proportion sold abroad is highest in the case of ground wood and bleached sulphite; about one-half of the unbleached sulphite and three-fourths of the sulphate are further processed in Norway. The United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, and France are the most important markets for Norwegian pulp. For a number of years the United Kingdom has taken, chiefly in the form of ground wood, about one-half of the total Norwegian exports of pulp. In addition to these countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and several other countries, take smaller quantities. The share of Norwegian exports taken by the United States has not varied greatly from year to year, except that it was unusually low in 1931; in 1935 the proportion was about one-sixth. Precise data are not available as to the quantities of pulp exported from Norway in such advanced forms as paper and board, but it is estimated that about 30 percent of the total output of pulp is thus exported. This, in addition to the 65 percent exported as pulp, leaves about 5 percent of the total for domestic use. United States imports of Norwegian pulp in advanced form probably do not exceed 3 percent of the total Norwegian production of pulp. Exports of wood pulp from Norway by kinds from 1929 to 1936 are shown in table 45. TABLE 45.-Wood pulp: Exports from Norway, by kinds |