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US NAICS 32229b | Industry Report

Paper Product Manufacturing in the US Industry Data and Analysis

SL
Seth Lee
Analyst New York, United States May 2025

The industry has faced a challenging environment recently, with shifting consumer demands and evolving retail landscapes. While sustainability continues to influence a significant segment of buyers, growth has been shaped by where consumers shop. Private-label brands in grocery outlets have become increasingly prominent, offering affordable paper products that often outperform branded alternatives on price and perceived quality. This trend has proven favorable for smaller manufacturers but compresses profit, as companies must sell at lower prices to compete. Similarly, supplying large fast-food establishments with molded pulp solutions has created a new avenue for growth, but has exposed limitations in production capacity. Large-scale clients require higher outputs, straining supply chains competing with cardboard producers for recycled fiber. Constraints in recycled material availability have forced manufacturers to source more expensive inputs, passing along higher operational costs while serving primarily cost-sensitive food service distributors, further limiting profit.

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What's included in this industry analysis

IBISWorld's research coverage on the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released May 2025.

About this industry

What's this industry report about?

The Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States operates under the NAICS industry code 32229b. Operators in this industry convert purchased paper and paperboard into a variety of products, including playing cards, wrapping paper, cigarette papers, paper filters, paper novelties, die-cut paper shapes and recycled paper insulation. Industry manufacturers also mold purchased pulp into egg cartons, food trays, cups and dishes, florists’ pots and other products. The industry generally produces all the products that are not included in the other paper-converting industries. Related terms covered in the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States include pulp, cellulose insulation, die-cut paper and molded pulp.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States include Molded pulp goods, Party supplies and holiday goods and accessories and Packaging and paperboard.

What companies are included in this industry?

Companies covered in the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States include Huhtamaki Group, Reynolds Group Holdings Inc. and The Jim Pattison Group.

Performance

What's included in the Performance chapter?

The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States.

Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.

Products & Markets

What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?

The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed product and service segmentation, analysis of major markets and international trade data for the for the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States.

Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.

Geographic Breakdown

What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?

The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States.

Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.

Competitive Forces

What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?

The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.

Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.

Companies

What's included in the Companies chapter?

The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.

Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.

External Environment

What's included in the External Environment chapter?

The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.

Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.

Financial Benchmarks

What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?

The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.

Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.

Industry Data

What's included in the Industry Data chapter?

The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the market size of the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States in 2026?

The market size of the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States is $5.4bn in 2026.

How many businesses are there in the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States in 2025?

There are 295 businesses in the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.5 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States?

The Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States is likely to be significantly impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a high share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States?

The Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States is likely to be significantly impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a high share of industry revenue.

Has the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States has been declining at a CAGR of 3.8 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States?

The biggest companies operating in the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States are Huhtamaki Group, Reynolds Group Holdings Inc. and The Jim Pattison Group

What does the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States include?

Molding pulp into products (e.g. egg cartons, food trays, cups and plates) and Converting purchased paper into cigarette papers, party supplies, insulation and other paper products are part of the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States?

The company holding the most market share in the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States is Huhtamaki Group.

How competitive is the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Paper Product Manufacturing industry in the United States.

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