Effective June 1, 2018, to offset what the company reports as rapid and unprecedented increases in freight costs, Kemira (Helsinki, Finland) will implement a $0.02/pound price adjustment for all Process & Functional Chemicals sold on a delivered basis to pulp and paper customers in North America. The increase will apply to all customers whose price has not been previously adjusted for freight during 2018 and is independent of any future price adjustments based on raw material and manufacturing cost changes. 

"Transportation costs have risen significantly and continue to rise. Carriers have raised freight rates to offset increasing costs due to the new "Electronic Logging Device and Hours of Service Rule" and a well-documented driver shortage. Likewise, our raw material suppliers are implementing price increases and/or freight surcharges to offset these same market forces," said Billy Ford, SVP, Pulp & Paper Americas. "While Kemira has taken every possible mitigating step, we are unfortunately no longer able to absorb these increased costs."