Nippon Paper Industries, Japan, this week reported that it will increase the price of its kraft paper grades by a minimum of 15%, effective with shipments beginning June 21, 2018. The price hike will involve the following grades of kraft paper:

• Unglazed bleached kraft paper
• Machine glazed bleached kraft paper
• Machine glazed paper
• Machine glazed unbleached kraft paper
• Metal interleaving paper 
• Other unglazed bag and sack paper.

Nippon Paper noted that despite cost reduction efforts to maintain product prices, the rise in manufacturing costs, including the increase in the prices of main raw material of chip and pulp, materials including fuel and chemicals, and the rise in logistics costs, etc., is more than the company can absorb through self-help efforts alone.

In addition, Nippon Tokai Industrial Paper Supply Co., Ltd., part of the Nippon Paper Group, announced a price increase of 15% (minimum) for its unglazed shipping sacks kraft paper and unglazed grocery paper, effective June 1, 2018.