North American newsprint demand grew 3.8 percent in March compared with a year ago, according to the latest industry statistics released by the Pulp and Paper Products Council.

Newsprint consumption by all U.S. daily newspapers has not yet been released.

In February, U.S. dailies’ consumption declined 0.6 percent year-over-year. February’s decline in consumption followed two months of increases year-over-year, 2.8 percent in January and 1.2 percent in December.

North American producers operated at 91 percent capacity in March producing 1.16 million tons of newsprint, up 5.8 percent from one year ago. North American mill stocks dropped 18 percent year-over-year, but grew 5,000 tons from February to end the month at 396,000 tons. Stocks at Canadian newsprint mills increased 2,000 tons from February to March, according to the PPPC.

Canadian newsprint producers operated at 95 percent capacity in March and produced 741,000 tons, an increase of 5.3 percent. Canadian shipments of newsprint to the United States were up 6 percent to 452,000 tons.

In the U.S., newsprint demand grew 3.1 percent to a preliminary number of 843,000 tons. U.S. newsprint producers operated at 85 percent capacity, compared to 78 percent last March.

March’s newsprint statistics come just as North American newsprint producers are in the midst of implementing a proposed $50-per-ton price increase.

To date, producers have been able to implement half of the increase, raising the price of newsprint 9.9 percent, year-over-year.