Input Costs, Capacity Closures Drive Coated Groundwood Price Hikes

All major producers of LWC grades have announced a $40/ton price increase, effective early-April, Wilde reports. Key drivers have been escalating input costs and capacity closures (NewPage's closure of 250,000 tpy LWC mill in Whiting, Wis.). Another factor that could further tighten markets is the idling of 25% of Japan's LWC capacity due to the March 11 earthquake. Preliminary February shipments were down 5.2% y/y and 11.3% m/m. "We suspect some "weather impact" in these figures," Wilde points out.

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