U.S. Newsprint Flat

In July, 30-lb newsprint East (North America) was flat at $640/metric ton, according to Mark Wilde of Deutsche Bank, who adds that in the West, prices slipped $5/metric ton m/m to $605/metric ton. Incremental capacity from the restart of White Birch's 150,000 metric tpy paper machine at Stadacona will be more than offset by permanent closure of Catalyst Papers' Snowflake mill (277,000 metric tpy) and Resolute Forest Products' Mersey mill (250,000 metric tpy), Wilde adds. The net reduction of 377,000 metric tpy implies ˜7.5% of North American newsprint capacity. "Reports suggest that the Snowflake closure could stem price declines in the West," Wilde says.

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