SC paper might become a little more expensive in France if producers get their way. Good demand and capacity closures in Europe could support their plans.
Paper manufacturers supplying the French market have price hikes for magazine paper on their wish lists. Specifically, though, this is only being discussed for SC paper, where producers are asking for moderate mark-ups. The fact that demand for SC paper is considered to be relatively good is giving rise to producers' hopes that they will be able to achieve something in this segment. By the end of November, however, there were no results to report.
UPM's announced extensive capacity closures are providing some tailwinds to the producers' pricing plans, especially because the mothballing could take place in the near future, depending on the outcome of the social plan negotiations. In a few cases, other producers were already getting inquiries in November.
