Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing in Australia - Market Research Report (2014-2029)
Melbourne, Australia
Last Updated: May 2024
ANZSIC C1510Revenue
$3.2bn
Past 5-Year Growth
Profit
$XXX.Xm
Employees
3,068
Businesses
117
Wages
$XXX.Xm
Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing in Australia industry analysis
Manufacturers in the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry have encountered tough conditions in recent years. Falling demand from significant downstream markets has dragged down manufacturers’ earnings. The most notable revenue decline has come from the newspaper and print media publishing sphere. To cope, manufacturers have initiated measures aimed at cost control, featuring staff layoffs and the closure of unprofitable production mills to minimise unused capacity. However, there’s been a silver lining in the rise of demand from online retailers and food manufacturers, which has boosted the need for industry-manufactured products like local paperboard. Despite that fact, industry revenue is projected to contract at an annualised 3.3% over the five years through 2023-24, bottoming out at $3.2 billion. This trend includes an estimated rise of 4.3% in 2023-24, as manufacturers who export are set to benefit from international demand because of a weak dollar and enhancements in supply chains following the pandemic.
Trends and Insights
- High import penetration is hurting market performance. Lower compliance costs and more lenient environmental regulations enhance foreign competitors' ability to syphon demand away from the market with economically priced pulp, paper and paperboard products.
- Manufacturers in the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry produce finished and intermediate goods for downstream industries, with each product's contribution to revenue defining its segment size. Despite limited innovation, these segments remain established.
- Access to resources helps to determine business location. A majority of mills are restricted to states with access to large quantities of resources – namely forestry – including Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria.
- The Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry has high entry barriers and primarily competes on price, quality of goods and delivery reliability. Increased consciousness towards environmental impact also makes recyclable and energy-efficient products more competitive.
Industry Overview
Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)
Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 3.3 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $3.2bn in 2024.
Trends and Insights
The digital media shift has greatly challenged manufacturers
- In the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry, consumers’ continuing transition from printed materials to digital media, particularly in sectors like newsprint, books and magazines, has reduced demand and increased per-unit production costs.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2024-2029)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Digitalisation will prompt a shift in focus towards non-traditional markets like packaging and construction.
- With increased digitalisation, traditional downstream markets for the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry, including publishing, are set to wane in the coming years.
Biggest companies in the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing in Australia
| Company | Market Share (%)
2024 | Revenue ($m)
2024 |
|---|---|---|
Visy | 955.0 | |
Opal | 817.1 | |
Norske Skog Industries Australia | 313.6 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 3 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Treated paper and paperboard, Newsprint and Pulp and paper stock. Treated paper and paperboard is the largest segment of the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing in Australia.
Trends and Insights
Treated paper and paperboard are in high demand for packaging purposes
- Treated paper and paperboard refer to products that have undergone some kind of value-add process, like bleaching, coating or colouring.
- More insights available in the full report
Widen you competitive advantage with related industries
Competitors
- Plastic Bag and Film Manufacturing in Australia
- Plastic Pipe and Plastic Packaging Material Manufacturing in Australia
Complementors
- Paperboard Container Manufacturing in Australia
- Corrugated Paperboard Container Manufacturing in Australia
- Paper Bag and Other Paper Product Manufacturing in Australia
- Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing in Australia
- Paper Stationery Manufacturing in Australia
- Paper Product Wholesaling in Australia
International industries
- Global Paper & Pulp Mills
- Wood Pulp Mills in the US
- Paper Mills in the US
- Coated & Laminated Paper Manufacturing in the US
- Paper Mills in Canada
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
Industry businesses mainly manufacture pulp, paper or paperboard from a variety of inputs, including woodchips, clay, lime, dyes, chemical resins and recycled paper.
What's included in this industry?
Treated paper and paperboardNewsprintPulp and paper stockUncoated paper and paperboard Commission production paperCompanies
VisyOpalNorske Skog Industries AustraliaPurchase this report to view all 3 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
COATED PAPERNEWSPRINTWOOD PULPIndustry Code
ANZSIC 1510 - Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing in Australia
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
High import penetration is hurting market performance. Lower compliance costs and more lenient environmental regulations enhance foreign competitors' ability to syphon demand...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Manufacturers in the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry produce finished and intermediate goods for downstream industries, with each product's contribution to r...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
- International Trade
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2024
- Product innovation level
- Total imports, level and trend
- Total exports, level and trend
- Trade Balance
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2024
- Major market segmentation in 2024
- International trade, including imports by country and exports by country
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
- Recent trends in import and export volumes, country of origin or destination, and expected future trends
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
Access to resources helps to determine business location. A majority of mills are restricted to states with access to large quantities of resources – namely forestry – includ...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
The Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry has high entry barriers and primarily competes on price, quality of goods and delivery reliability. Increased consciousn...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
The Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry is dominated by three major entities: Visy, Opal and Norske Skog. Other companies in the market play a relatively minor ...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
- Overview of Visy's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Opal's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Norske Skog Industries Australia's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Visy, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Opal, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Norske Skog Industries Australia, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
The Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry is subject to strict environmental regulations, including the EPBC Act 1999 and State and Territory Environmental Protect...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
Manufacturers’ cost structures are influenced by manufacturing processes and automation levels. Because of moderate industry concentration, major firms significantly impact t...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
- Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Average Wage (2014-2029)
- Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
- Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2014-2029)
- IVA (2014-2029)
- Establishments (2014-2029)
- Enterprises (2014-2029)
- Employment (2014-2029)
- Exports (2014-2029)
- Imports (2014-2029)
- Wages (2014-2029)
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in Australia include:
- Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Australian Taxation Office
- Australian Securities & Investments Commission
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry in Australia in 2024?
The market size of the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry in Australia is $3.2bn in 2024.
How many businesses are there in the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing in Australia industry in 2024?
There are 117 businesses in the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry in Australia, which has declined at a CAGR of 4.1 % between 2019 and 2024.
Has the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry in Australia grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry in Australia has been declining at a CAGR of 3.3 % between 2019 and 2024.
What is the forecast growth of the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry in Australia over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry in Australia is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing market in Australia?
The biggest companies operating in the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing market in Australia are Visy, Opal and Norske Skog Industries Australia
What does the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing in Australia include?
Treated paper and paperboard and Newsprint are part of the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing in Australia?
The company holding the most market share in Australia is Visy.
How competitive is the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry in Australia?
The level of competition is moderate and steady in the Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing industry in Australia.
