GLG News by Council Members Knowledgeable about Tissue Paper

The strike by British Columbia logging and sawmill workers could have significant negative impact on pulp and paper producers due to chip shortages and increased chip prices. The companies most likely to be negatively impacted include Catalyst Papers, Pope & Talbot, and Howe Sound Pulp.

Having lived in Brazil from 1974 to 1995, and visiting there at least three times a year, I am struck by lack of public knowledge in the US, that Brazil has had alternative fuel for over 30 years in the form of ethanol. My last car in Brazil, a 2 liter Ford station wagon, was powered on 100% alcohol,...

Merger of Graphic Packaging and Altivity will result in the new GPK having 40% market share in recycled multi-ply paperboard. The top three North American recycled paperboard producers will have combined share of about 80%. This should improve prospects for balanced supply and demand and rational p...

While the growth of Saudi Arabia's tissue industry (facial, bath, AfH) is impressive for a country with so little fresh water, it is joining a previous growth in the disposables industry. The implication being that a growing middle class is becoming accustomed to enjoying the luxury of disposable products. ...

The addition of a new Metso tissue machine at Saudi Paper Manufacturing Company will make Saudi Arabia the largest producer of tissue in the Middle East. This new machine is an incremental step to meet growing demand, rather than a spur to provide a significant jump in tissue consumption. Saudi...

Ilim's four mills were built in the early-mid 60s on a shoestring by the Soviet Gov't.  They are badly in need of updating and renovation.  This could conceivably increase production by 50%.  What market areas will profit most from this new NBSK and dissolving pulp? The Russian gov't...

The new PCC coating pigment should be especially attractive to papermakers in view of the discontinuance of European coating clay manufacture and the recent increases in latex prices. The new product could significantly increase utilization of the MTX merchant PCC plant at Walsum, Germany - providing...

Just two years ago Tembec announced the permanent closing of their 1000mt/day NBSK mill at Smooth Rock Fall,Ontario because they had been unable to find a buyer anywhere. Now they’ve announced the indefinite closure of their 325,000st/year coated freesheet mill in St. Francisville, LA. They had purchased...

Coated paper capacity shutdowns, in combination with the recently imposed duties on Chinese coated paper imports to USA, could help obtain price increases in coated papers and and positively impact the earnings of some North American paper companies in both the coated and uncoated sectors.

Global demand is expected to grow by at least 3.5% in the next 12 months with very little new tonnage coming on stream to meet this demand. China's total fiber demand is expected to grow to 81-90 million mt by 2010.  This year they expect to import 7.5mmt of virgin pulp. Tissue machines are being...