As the new year began, Italy’s recovered paper merchants faced complications with exports to the Far East. Attacks by Houthi rebels on Red Sea commercial shipping forced merchant ships to take a an alternative route beginning in the second half of December, stalling recovered paper exports for the time being. Transport costs increased, and ex works prices for recovered paper exports declined as a result.
Italy’s domestic market also felt the effects of the conflict. Many domestic prices softened, too. A price collapse did not occur, though. There were no surprises on the markets for deinking and high grades, with most prices staying the same between December and January....
