Paper mills are striving to maintain current prices in negotiations of 2015 magazine paper prices in Germany, but are facing heavy competition.
In the German magazine paper market there are variations in the rate of progress being made in the negotiations of the delivery terms for the first quarter of 2015. Some market participants do not expect any agreement to be reached until January, yet there are also reports that contracts have already been signed.
The paper mills are usually aiming to roll over the current prices. But in light of the intense competition, there is some doubt whether all sellers will be able to stabilise today’s prices. Suppliers also note that there is pressure coming from the printing companies as they are often in difficult financial situations and paper makes up the largest chunk of their costs. Ultimately, price pressure persists in spite of the fact that the fourth quarter proved to be strong as producers had been hoping.
