After the German kraftliner market was very volatile in the first four months of 2023, the month of May showed a lot more stability. While prices for brown kraftliner did not fall any further in the course of May, some smaller corrections have been reported for white-top kraftliner and semi-chemical fluting prices.
However, many experts do not believe that prices have bottomed out at this point. The market was still showing a significant oversupply, with Scandinavian producers in particular benefitting from lower energy prices, buyers said. Kraftliner suppliers point to the fact that many other costs, above all for timber, where still at a much higher level than normal.
Not much impetus is coming from the demand side as inertia is still reigning the corrugated sheets and board markets in Germany. Most insiders do not expect a lasting improvement until after the summer holidays.
TAPPI
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