In Poland negotiations to hash out newsprint prices are already more advanced than they are in Germany. A variety of suppliers said that they had already signed and sealed contracts, sometimes by the end of December.
Raising newsprint prices across the board, as envisaged by the producers, was reportedly out of the question during the latest round of price talks. Contract prices in Poland were cut, manufacturers confirmed. The inconsistency between the proposed 5 % or €25-30/t mark-up, plentiful newsprint supply and buyers' subsequent calls for lower prices was too great, market insiders report.
Magazine paper suppliers did not manage to raise their prices in Poland this time around, either. Both SC and LWC paper became somewhat cheaper in any cases where contracts were not left untouched at least year's level, contacts said. Manufacturers said that they had faced strong pressure from their customers, in addition several companies were willing to make price concessions in order to keep machines busy. Most contract negotiations in Poland were wrapped up by the end of January, with talks still under way in a few instances.
⇒ This article is an excerpt from EUWID's bi-monthly report on the paper markets in Poland. The EUWID Price Watch Poland for January is published in EUWID Pulp and Paper no. 6 on 6 February.
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