N.A. Newsprint Demand Flat, but Closures Support Hikes
 Print this article | Send to Colleague
September North American 30-lb newsprint east was flat at $640/metric ton, according to Mark Wilde of Deutsche Bank. West coast producers, Catalyst Paper and Norpac, announced a $30/metric ton price hike on newsprint that became effective October 1, he adds.
The price hike is driven by tight West Coast supplies as a result of the closure of Catalyst Papers' Snowflake mill (277,000 metric tpy). East coast prices are a bit soft, mostly from the restart of White Birch's 150,000 metric tpy paper machine at its Stadacona (Quebec, Canada) mill. SP Newsprint's new owners plan to convert one paper machine at each of the two mills to specialty packaging grades, Wilde explains.
Newsprint demand remains weak, Wilde continues, noting that August newsprint consumption was down 7.9% y/y.
|
|
