Monthly Archives: May 2017
Pulp firm Mercer reviews Q1/17 market: “steady rise in Q1 pulp prices; strong demand”
(Calgary, Canada, April 28, 2017) "In term of the pulp markets, demand has been strong through April. Prices have risen steadily in China in Q1 to the point that our March list price was $670 per ton, up $70 from September or up $100 since November of 2016."
[Extracts from Q1 2017 Financial Report & Conference Call dated April 28, 2017] Mr. David M. Gandossi – Chief Executive Officer, Mercer International, discusses the Q1/17 pulp & paper market and the Read More...
Andritz starts up twelfth tissue machine for Hengan Group
(Graz, Austria, May 05, 2017) Andritz has successfully started up the tissue machine supplied to the Hengan Group, China, at its Chongqing mill.
The PrimeLineTM W8 tissue machine is the twelfth tissue machine supplied by Andritz to the Hengan Group. It has a design speed of 2,000 m/min and a width of 5.6 m. The machine is equipped with an 18-foot steel Yankee for energy-efficient drying and safe operation. The scope of supply also included the complete stock preparation plant Read More...
Market conditions (tight supplies) favour pulp price hikes especially in 1H 2017
(April 26, 2017) On a whole, market conditions favour pulp price hikes (especially hardwood). Demand conditions (particularly in China) remain solid. BTG Pactual analysts in their report dated April 02, 2017 state that they “remain optimistic on pricing momentum” although they “expect prices to correct from July onwards (summer seasonality/imminent H2 start-up).”
Corporates continue to observe strong demand trends across all regions, with
inventories low at the consumer level and ongoing global paper price hikes have also
helped. In addition, other factors Read More...
Link: record recovered paper rates in the U.S
(USA, April 2017) Another month, another record-setting several weeks for recovered paper pricing. …
At $172.78 per ton, OCC pricing jumped $40 to $45 in the Northeast region, $35 in the Midwest, $40 in the Southeast and Southwest regions and $30 in the Los Angeles/San Francisco region, according to the March 6 PPW Yellow Sheet from Boston-based research firm RISI. Compared with OCC’s U.S. average pricing in March 2015 of $71.39 per ton, the March 2017 price is double that Read More...
Klabin Reports Strong First Quarter 2017 Results
(Brazil, May 01, 2017) Klabin, Brazil’s largest paper producer and exporter, on April 27 reported financial results for the first quarter of 2017. The company recorded Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of R$ 539 million in the first quarter of 2017, an increase of 5% compared to the same period in 2016.
Total sales volume came to 759,000 tonnes (excluding wood) in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 67% from the same quarter Read More...
International Paper Reports First Quarter 2017 Earnings
(Memphis, USA, April 27, 2017) International Paper (NYSE: IP) today reported first quarter 2017 net earnings attributable to International Paper of $209 million ($0.50 per share) compared with net earnings of $218 million ($0.53 per share) for the fourth quarter of 2016 and net earnings of $334 million ($0.81 per share) in the first quarter of 2016. Net earnings in all periods include the impact of special items, if any, non-operating pension expense and discontinued operations.
Adjusted operating earnings in Read More...
Is the Paper Industry Getting Greener? Five Questions Answered
(New York, May 01, 2017) By Gary M. Scott, Professor and Chair of the Department of Paper and Bioprocess Engineering at the State University of New York - College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
1. Does paper manufacturing contribute to deforestation? Pulp and paper companies often are accused of cutting down trees to make paper. However, 39 percent of the fiber used for papermaking comes from recycled paper. Most of the remaining wood is obtained either through forest thinning (removing Read More...
Link: China fighting environmental consequences of e-commerce boom
(UK, March 22, 2017) Some 31.3 billion parcels were shipped across the country in 2015 - a year-on-year increase of more than 50%, according to data from China’s State Post Bureau. And in response to the rapidly-growing packaging waste stream generated by the nation’s flourishing e-commerce sector, China’s Cainiao Network has set up the Cainiao Green Alliance Foundation.
Some 7.5 billion plastic bags, 10 billion cardboard boxes and 17 billion metres of wrapping tape were used to ship China’s parcels Read More...
Link: slowdown in UK’s RCP exports to China
(April 13, 2017) For the UK, a large proportion of whose annual recovered paper exports of around 5 million tonnes are destined for China, OCC values have slumped from approaching £150 per tonne (Euro 177) in the first quarter to below £80 (around Euro 90). The decline has come despite decent demand in the UK and good orders from Continental Europe.
Chinese buyers have cut their recovered fibre orders in reaction to falling containerboard prices at home, thinner order files, Read More...
Kemira Awarded Chemical Management Contract by Pro-Gest for Containerboard Machine Start-up in Italy
(Helsinki, April 20, 2017) Kemira has been awarded a start-up contract at Pro-Gest Mantova in Italy, the only greenfield containerboard machine in Europe in recent years. Kemira will supply the start-up with all water treatment and wet end chemistries in line with its Total Chemistry Management (TCM) concept. The contract is signed for three years.
The start-up of the machine is scheduled for the second half of 2017, and the production capacity will be 550,000 tons of high-quality lightweight recycled Read More...
Sappi Europe to Increase Price for Packaging and Speciality Grades
(Brussels, April 20, 2017) Sappi Europe has announced prices increases for all Packaging and Specialty Papers with effect as of June 1, 2017.
The increase will be in the range of 5 – 8% and will affect all coated and uncoated grades for flexible packaging, siliconising base papers, label papers and topliner.
The price rise will apply to all European and Overseas markets.
In a press release, Sappi said, “The sudden and continuing sharp rise in input costs, particularly pulp and latex, Read More...
Prowell to Increase Corrugated Sheet Production Capacities in Central Europe
(Germany, April 21, 2017) Prowell, a company belonging to Progroup AG, pursues its Two Twentyfive strategy with determination and continues expanding at a fast pace with two further corrugated sheet board plants. Europe’s fastest growing corrugated board manufacturer is thus expanding its production capacities by a further 250,000 tonnes in the medium term. As from 2018, it will have a production capacity totalling 1,380,000 tonnes of corrugated sheet boards per year. This further secures Progroup’s market leadership in the Read More...