Yearly Archives: 2016

How America Saves Trees — With Paper

(Chicago, IL., April 18, 2016) It’s a common assumption: if paper comes from trees, then using paper must be bad for forests, right? Wrong. American-manufactured paper actually benefits our nation’s forestland and is a driving force in maintaining it for future generations. “It may seem counterintuitive, but the responsible production and use of paper is sustainable and helps keep forest land in the U.S. as forests,” said Kate McGlynn, Product Environmental Steward for Boise Paper. “Using wood-based products like office Read More...

China slaps AD duties on imports of unbleached sack kraft paper from EU, US and Japan

(Beijing, China, April 12, 2016) In accordance with the provisions of the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Anti-dumping (hereinafter referred to as the “Anti-dumping Regulations”), on April 10, 2015, the Ministry of Commerce (hereinafter referred to as the “Investigation Authority”) issued Announcement No. 9 of 2015, deciding to carry out anti-dumping investigation against imports of unbleached sack paper (hereinafter referred to as the “Products under Investigation”) originated in the U.S., the EU and Japan. The Investigation Authority Read More...

UPM’s PM3 in Changshu (China) inaugurated

(Helsinki, April 20, 2016) UPM announced on April 12 the official inauguration of the Paper Machine 3 (PM3) in Changshu, China. As an important milestone for the development of UPM in China, the new paper machine will further increase production capacity while implementing the Biofore strategy. With this investment UPM will continue to provide environmentally friendly, safe and broad product portfolios for customers in China and the Asia-Pacific region. (Source: press release) Read More...

Report: Trends driving innovation in tissue performance identified

(U.K., April 06, 2016) Smithers Pira publishes a new report entitled, The Future of Tissue Manufacturing to 2021, which provides an in-depth, long-term assessment of the rapidly evolving tissue manufacturing processes. Operating environment trends and diverging product performance levels will push alternative manufacturing technologies. Tissue manufacturers occupying economy segments compete primarily on price. This requires increased focus on productivity and cost control. Premium level product performance will drive increased adoption of structured sheet technologies supported by chemicals and fibres. Changes are Read More...

Ilim Group to Invest Over USD 2 Billion in Upgrades to Production Facilities in Russia

(Moscow, Russia, April 06, 2016) Ilim Group today announced its new Business Plan to 2020, which includes investments of over USD 2 billion into existing production facilities and other operations in Russia. Investments will focus on increasing the Group’s production capacity by over 500,000 tons per year (tpy). The overall investment program will cover all three of the Group’s production facilities in Bratsk, Koryazhma and Ust-Ilimsk. The business plan envisages a series of measures aimed at modernization, increasing the efficiency Read More...

International Paper to sell Chinese corrugated packaging business for $150 million

(Memphis, Tenn., USA, March 14, 2016) International Paper (NYSE: IP) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its corrugated packaging business in China and Southeast Asia to Xiamen Bridge Hexing Equity Investment Partnership Enterprise. International Paper’s corrugated packaging business in Asia has 18 plants and a workforce of approximately 3,000 employees. Under terms of the transaction, International Paper will receive a total of approximately RMB 1 billion (approximately US$150 million at current exchange rate), subject Read More...
CNF dispersion fluid

Nippon Paper to build large scale nanofiber production plant

(Tokyo, May 27, 2016) Nippon Paper Industries plans to build a large-scale cellulose nanofiber (CNF) production facility at the Ishinomaki mill in Miyagi, Japan. This facility will produce CNF from wood pulp that is chemically treated by the TEMPO catalytic oxidation method. A total of 1.6 billion yen ($14.5 million) will be invested on the facility, and an annual production capacity is 500 tons. It is scheduled to begin its operation in April 2017. This project reinforces the Ishinomaki mill’s foundations as Read More...

Softwood price index at its lowest level since 2006

(Seattle, USA, June 15, 2016) Wood costs for the pulp industry have been falling steadily worldwide for almost five years with hardwood fiber prices declining the most, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ). The Hardwood Wood Fiber Price Index (HFPI) fell by 0.6% in the 1Q/16 mainly because of lower prices for hardwood pulplogs in Russia, Eastern Canada, France and Germany. The HFPI has been on a consistent decline the past few years with the current index being 29% Read More...

Four tissue rewinders for Lee & Man Paper

(Porcari, Italy, June 29, 2016) A.Celli Paper has recently concluded an important agreement with the Chinese group Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Limited (Lee & Man Paper). The Porcari-based company will supply four tissue rewinders to the Asian customer that has grown quickly in the course of the last twenty years, changing its status and going from a small company (founded in 1994) to a structured group listed in the stock exchange, with five facilities in China and some factories Read More...
(Image: courtesy DS Smith)

UK-based packaging major DS Smith acquires Creo Retail Marketing

(London, June 23, 2016) DS Smith on June 23 acquired Creo Retail Marketing Ltd (Creo), a specialist in point of sale and display products and services for in-store marketing. The company is located in the South East of England and employs about 285 people. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. DS Smith noted that Creo’s primary focus is on FMCG, retail and media markets and significantly builds on DS Smith’s capability within the UK market. “We are delighted to welcome Creo Read More...

Global softwood lumber trade reached an all-time high in 2015

(Seattle, USA, June 23, 2016) Global softwood lumber trade reached an all-time high in 2015 when, according to estimates by the WRI, 118 million m3 was traded internationally. This year has started out with even higher volumes being traded around the world; the 1Q/16 shipments were approximately 20% higher than in the first quarter of 2015. All countries on the “top-10 import list” increased their lumber importation during the first few months this year with the biggest changes in Read More...

DS Smith to acquire Gopaca

(London, UK, June 23, 2016) DS Smith Plc has reached an agreement to acquire Portuguese corrugated packaging manufacturer Gopaca. With this acquisition, DS Smith wants to strengthen its operations in Iberia, an important and growing market for corrugated packaging, and further increases its Pan-European customer offering, informs the British paper and packaging manufacturer. (Source: press release) Read More...

Fortress Paper agrees to sell Lebel-sur-Quevillon pulp mill and sawmill assets for $15.36M

(Vancouver, June 23, 2016) Fortress Paper Ltd. is pleased to announce that it has, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Fortress Global Cellulose Ltd. and Fortress Lumber Corp., entered into an asset purchase agreement with LSQ Energy, L.P. and LSQ Development, L.P., each a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nexolia Bioenergy Inc., roviding for the sale of the buildings, equipment and other ancillary property relating to the non-operating pulp mill and sawmill, as well as the energy generation, connection and transmission plant Read More...

Fitch upgrades Suzano’s ratings to ‘BB+’; outlook positive

(Rio De Janeiro, June 24, 2016) Fitch Ratings has upgraded Suzano Papel e Celulose S.A.’s (Suzano) Long-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) to ‘BB+’ from ‘BB’. Fitch has also upgraded Suzanos’s National Long-Term rating to ‘AA+(bra)’ from ‘AA-(bra)’. The Rating Outlook for the corporate ratings is Positive. A full list of rating actions follows at the end of this release. The ratings upgrade reflect Suzano’s stronger free cash flow (FCF) due to the depreciation of the Brazilian real, Read More...

Pulpwood Costs Have Fallen Substantially Worldwide

(Seattle, USA, May 11, 2016) Wood cost is the factor that often determines the competitiveness of a pulp manufacturing plant or region, because it is the largest cost component when producing wood pulp. During the past few years, this cost has varied between 45% and 70% of the total cash cost, depending on product grade and the costs of other components such as chemicals, energy and labor, according to Wood Resource Quarterly. Hardwood fiber prices continued to fall in most Read More...
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