Falling cardboard demand in US casts shadow on holiday sales.

Shipments of corrugated packaging in the United States have dropped to their lowest levels in a decade, prompting speculation that the upcoming holiday season could prove weaker than expected for retailers. According to recent figures from the Fibre Box Association (FBA), U.S. corrugated box shipments in the third quarter of 2025 fell to their lowest third-quarter reading since 2015.

Typically, box shipments climb during the third quarter as retailers ramp up for holiday displays and stock. Yet this year several packaging firms have reported that orders during October were flat or below normal levels. The decline in shipments is widely viewed as a demand indicator for consumer goods and retail supply-chains. Less demand for boxes may point towards muted retailer expectations or consumer spending.

For the packaging industry, the slump in box shipments is a warning signal. Reduced orders mean lower utilization and higher pressure on margins and capacity planning. Some mills and converting plants have already announced closures or cutbacks in response to sustained weak demand. From a retail perspective, the weakness in corrugated box volumes suggests that the forthcoming holiday shopping season may not deliver the same volume of goods movement seen in prior years.

Because many seasonal displays and shipping boxes are ordered late during Q3 into October, the low volumes raise questions about the scale of inventory build-up and promotional programs. For global packaging professionals, the current trend underscores growing emphasis on right-sizing, alternative fulfillment formats and more efficient packaging design to adapt to shifting demand. The fall-off in traditional corrugated box shipments may accelerate innovations in sustainable and flexible packaging options. Source: packaging-gateway.com

美國紙板需求下降，假日銷售前景堪憂。美國瓦楞紙包裝的出貨量已降至十年來的最低水平，引發了人們對即將到來的假日季零售商銷售業績可能低於預期的猜測。根據纖維包裝盒協會 (FBA) 的最新數據，2025 年第三季美國瓦楞紙箱出貨量降至 2015 年以來的最低水準。

通常情況下，隨著零售商為假日陳列和庫存增加備貨，紙箱出貨量會在第三季攀升。然而，今年多家包裝公司報告稱，10 月的訂單量持平或低於正常水平。出貨量下降被廣泛視為消費品和零售供應鏈的需求指標。紙箱需求減少可能預示著零售商或消費者的預期較為疲軟。

對於包裝產業而言，紙箱出貨量的暴跌是一個警訊。訂單減少意味著產能利用率降低，利潤率和產能規劃將面臨更大的壓力。由於需求持續疲軟，一些工廠和加工廠已經宣布關閉或減產。從零售角度來看，瓦楞紙箱銷量的疲軟表明，即將到來的假日購物季的商品流通量可能無法達到往年的水平。

由於許多季節性展示用品和運輸包裝箱的訂單都是在第三季末期甚至10月份才下單，因此低銷售引發了人們對庫存規模和促銷活動的擔憂。對於全球包裝專業人士而言，目前的趨勢凸顯了對合理包裝規模、替代性物流模式和更有效率的包裝設計日益增長的重視，以適應不斷變化的需求。傳統瓦楞紙箱出貨量的下降可能會加速永續和靈活包裝方案的創新。