Manufacturers expect eucalyptus pulp prices to continue on the upward path in January.
Prices for bleached eucalyptus kraft (BEK) pulp have seen another increase in December and continued the upward trend seen in recent months.
Owing to good demand and low inventory levels, manufacturers have announced a new price round for January deliveries. EUWID respondents said that the plans were to raise BEK pulp prices by $20/metr.t in Europe, North America and Asia.
There were no changes in the northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) prices of softwood pulp in December. However, one market expert reported that exchange-rate fluctuations were leading to increasing "quarrels over price discounts". European converters complained about an extreme rise in prices in euro terms, said one supplier, but noted that given the ongoing balance in the market there was no need to submit to their demands.
