"The strike in the Finnish paper mills aggravates the current lack of paper on the European market and will have severe repercussions in the supply of print products in the coming weeks," says Intergraf.
The European Federation for Print and Digital Communication Intergraf reports to have sent an letter to the CEO of UPM to settle the ongoing strikes at UPM mills in Finland. According to Intergraf, the strike is aggravating existing bottlenecks in paper supply now that print demand is recovering, and jeopardises the business of many printers, publishers and their customers.
Intergraf says it had dramatic feedback from members that 40 per cent of the paper needed from mid-February onwards cannot be obtained. According to Intergraf, the shortage affects all types of print products but is particularly detrimental to time sensitive printed matter such as the publication of newspapers, magazines, books and advertising.
"The ongoing strike at UPM aggravates the situation particularly for paper grades such as LWC (Lightweight coated) and MWC (medium weight coated) paper. It is estimated that in some countries close to 50% of this paper for heatset printing comes from one supplier. The stocks of printing companies will not last until the strike has been settled and printers will be forced to announce to their customers their incapacity to fulfil the orders," Intergraf writes.
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