Pulp and paper industry in the United States
The United States is one of the biggest paper consumers in the world. Between 1990 and 2002, paper consumption in the United States increased from 84.9 million tons to 97.3 million tons.
| Number of employees | Total payroll | Total cost of materials | Total cost of shipments | |
| Pulp mills | 7,218 | 414,452 | 1,847,086 | 3,238,832 |
| Paper mills | 114,670 | 6,162,914 | 22,108,471 | 46,852,538 |
| Paperboard mills | 48,773 | 2,601,324 | 10,915,434 | 21,895,908 |
In 2006, there are approximately 450 paper mills in the United States, accounting for $68 billion.
Leading companies
The top 10 forest and paper products companies in net sales in the United States in 2012 were:| Rank | Company | 2012 Net Sales | 2012 Net Income |
| 1 | International Paper | 21,833 | 799 |
| 2 | Kimberly-Clark | 21,063 | 1,750 |
| 3 | RockTenn | 9,208 | 249 |
| 4 | Weyerhaeuser | 6,221 | 385 |
| 5 | MeadWestvaco | 5,459 | 205 |
| 6 | Sonoco | 4786 | 196 |
| 7 | Graphic Packaging | 4,337 | 123 |
| 8 | NewPage | 3,131 | 1258 |
| 9 | Packaging Corporation of America | 2,844 | 164 |
| 10 | Boise Cascade | 2,779 | 41 |
Exports
| Product | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
| Pulp, Paper & Paperboard Mill Products | 9,752 | 8,947 | 8,850 | 10,276 | 8,849 | 7,809 |
| Converted Paper Products | 4,842 | 4,873 | 5,281 | 5,702 | 5,647 | 6,299 |