Woodfree Uncoated Paper Faces Tough Competition And Price Pressure In Italy

摘要

Business on Italian paper markets continued to be governed by the economic crisis in the month of February. High paper supply often contrasted with low to very subdued demand and left its mark on prices in most cases, too. Italian woodfree uncoated paper prices thus continued to subside. This sector was marked by strong competition and pressure on prices on the whole. Woodfree coated paper prices were by and large unchanged at January's level in the second month of 2009 despite efforts intensified by manufacturers to use stoppages to back up their demands for higher prices. Talks to determine newsprint prices were still underway. While SC paper prices increased, LWC prices stagnated at last year's level. A revival in export business boosted prices for ordinary recovered paper grades, while prices for medium and higher grades remained largely stable. Packaging paper prices pointed lower across the board in February. Recycled board prices also decreased on the Italian market in February. By contrast, the markups in virgin-fibre board prices achieved to date reportedly remained in effect.