Core board prices in Italy did not typically alter in the first quarter 2013 amid unchanged demand despite a few attempts by manufacturers to increase prices.
The first three months of the year were relatively quiet on Italy's core board market. In January, a few suppliers planned to charge more for February shipments, but manufacturers and converters alike agreed that higher prices typically did not take effect. In a few cases, buyers had to pay a little more in March, but this had remained the exception.
"The conditions were simply not right for prices to rise," one market player said. Several other contacts agreed, underscoring stagnant recovered paper prices in January and February coupled with weak demand in Italy.
Notwithstanding these trends, many market players said that core board prices might rise in April. They were convinced that manufacturers that wanted to elevate prices back in February, in particular, might launch a fresh attempt. Manufactures said they needed to improve their margins and complained of high energy, transport and raw material costs.
⇒ This article is an excerpt from EUWID's monthly report on the paper markets in Italy. The EUWID Price Watch Italy for March will be published in EUWID Pulp and Paper no. 13 on 27 March.
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