As International Paper mills shutter, coastal Georgia families pay the price
By the end of September, about 1,100 workers in Savannah and Riceboro will lose their jobs when International Paper closes two historic mills.
For nearly a century, the Savannah mill has anchored local families, small businesses, timber growers and loggers, and their closures will send shock waves through every corner of our region.
These closures aren’t just corporate cost-cutting. They are an economic crisis. Timber growers will lose contracts. Truckers and heavy-equipment operators will lose hauling routes. Chatham and Liberty counties stand to lose millions in tax revenue and utility fees.
In 2022, Georgia’s forest industry generated roughly $42 billion in total economic activity and supported more than 140,000 jobs statewide, including in the 1st Congressional District, according to a Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation report.
These numbers represent the livelihoods of neighbors, friends, and parents who have raised their families and built their lives here.
U.S. imports pulp, paper as domestic operations suffer
So why is this happening?
This crisis has more than one cause. Automation has eliminated jobs, while cheap pulp and paper from Canada, China, Brazil and Mexico flood our market and undercut American workers. At the same time, demand for traditional products, like newsprint and copier paper, is shrinking. On Aug. 28, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution announced it will go online-only after Dec. 31.
In 2024, the United States imported nearly $20 billion worth of pulp and paper products, with Canada and Mexico together accounting for about 40% of the total. Yet, at the same time, legacy mills in places like Savannah are being shut down, leaving working families behind and communities deeply affected.
Georgia leaders have moved quickly to help. Gov. Brian Kemp activated state agencies for worker retraining and job support. Speaker Jon Burns and local officials pledged to strengthen the timber industry. Savannah, Liberty County and Riceboro leaders are organizing job fairs and relief efforts. These are critical steps, but local and state leaders cannot do this alone.
What’s missing is action from Washington. To date, there have been no Congressional hearings focused on the wave of paper mill closures happening in America. While committees have turned their attention to wildfire prevention and forest management, they have ignored the economic upheaval caused by these closures. That must change.
Congress must seek to rebuild timber industry
Congress should hold immediate hearings on the future of the U.S. timber and paper industries.
Lawmakers must also investigate foreign subsidies and dumping practices that undercut American producers.
They should create tax incentives for mills to retool and invest in new products, such as mass timber, biodegradable packaging and biofuels. Just as important, Congress must strengthen “Buy American” standards for federal paper and packaging contracts.
Georgia grows 53% more timber than it harvests, and we have great assets: skilled workforce, forest land and deep-water ports. What we lack is a level playing field and a national strategy to protect critical American jobs.
In Savannah, the mills have always been more than factories. They have been partners in our community, sources of good-paying jobs and proud symbols of our history. Now, with families facing pink slips and uncertainty, we have a choice: watch an industry fade away or fight to secure its future.
Let’s make Savannah the starting point for a national conversation about rebuilding American timber, protecting Americans jobs and ensuring that no workers are left behind.
Brian Montgomery is a Republican candidate for Congress in Georgia’s 1st District. A retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and Savannah resident, he is a husband, father and advocate for protecting American jobs and families.
