GLG News by Paper Packaging Experts in GLG Member Programs (US)

Will the new Pratt mill make the entire containerboard segment less attractive? What will be the impact on supply/demand, OCC costs and pricing- especially in view of the new Asian capacity that will come on in the next year? Will the affect all of the containerboard producers equally?

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.

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...

Packaging companies are under attack as primary contributors to the waste stream. The media is touting environmental responsibility as the solution to global warming. Retail drivers such as Wal-Mart and Tesco are using "sustainability" issues to divert attention from other problems. Cities such as San...

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.