Decor paper manufacturers working hard to run down stocks, downward spiral in prices to halt

摘要

European decor paper manufacturers saw their inventory levels increase slightly over the Christmas and New Year period. Most manufacturers had idled production just before Christmas and ramped back up again in early January. Busier paper machines had also operated between Christmas and New Year. Generally speaking, output restarted on 2 January. Downtime only lasted until 6 or 7 January in a few cases. Averaging one to one-and-a-half weeks, these stoppages were a little shorterthan had been planned in November and early December. Moreover, the way that the holidays fell limited deliveries. Inventories had risen as a result, but were sometimes run down again in January thanks to relatively brisk sales. Several decor paper manufacturers want to step up their efforts to reduce inventories by curbing output. A few paper machines took brief downtime again in late January.