Demand is still good and French suppliers of woodfree uncoated paper are therefore preparing for a price hike. Some contracts are said to have been already inked at higher prices.
Woodfree uncoated paper producers are continuing their efforts to increase their prices amidst mushrooming pulp costs and typically good order intake. In the fourth week of March, it was evident that French prices for all uncoated grades would edge higher again from varying dates. A few agreements had already been inked that featured mark-ups. These higher prices are to apply to deliveries from 26 March in some cases, but often from the start of April or from 9 April at the latest.
Some suppliers said there had not been much in the way of negotiations, adding that it had been pretty easy to raise their prices. Not all market players shared this view, yet almost all insiders believe that prices will climb more or less across the board.
