Market Pulp Holding Steady

U.S. NBSK prices are expected to be flat in May at $1,020/metric ton after rising $60/metric ton in the past two months, Wilde reports. With limited new supply coming into the global market over the next 18 months, softwood inventories at just 24 days of supply, U.S. mills taking maintenance downtime and the U.S. dollar continuing its slide, the bias on softwood pulp prices appears to the upside. Local NBSK prices in China, however, are showing signs of weakness. "All good things must end," Wilde says, adding that several producers have announced new dissolving pulp (DP) projects in an attempt to take advantage of a sharp increase in viscose DP prices in China.

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