Peak coated paper print season more a molehill than mountain with some printers busy, others scrambling

摘要

The 2014 seasonal demand upswing for coated printing and writing papers used in catalogs and for direct mail in North America didn't fail to arrive, but it's muted and very segment-specific, sources said. One printer contact described this year's fall uptick as "a moderate amount" and "about on par with last year — which wasn't particularly good." Coated freesheet (CFS) in both sheets and reels is seeing more demand and longer mill order backlogs, producers and printers said, while the market demand for coated mechanical (CM) is still weak with some mills fighting for survival at near cash cost levels after an annual demand decline far greater than anticipated.