U.S. Containerboard price hike prospects for January are encouraging, Wilde points out. "We think at least $20 - $30 per ton of the hike is likely to be "recognized" in January, with the balance in February and March. With expiration of the black liquor credits, mills must shift back to traditional economics in making decisions about production and sales." On the volume side, Wilde says that "we're receiving a number of reports suggesting a solid y/y jump in box volumes in December. Some of the strong comps are driven by very weak numbers in late 2008, but some of the strength also reflects improvement in the manufacturing sector. Reports suggest that most containerboard mills have strong order backlogs driven by strong export demand and some pre-buying before the price increase."

TAPPI
http://www.tappi.org/