MeadWestvaco expects to increase boxboard and bleached paperboard prices in U.S. by US$40/ton on Jan. 18 - Wilde

Dec 8, 2009 — Forestweb

LOS ANGELES, December 8, 2009 (Forestweb) — MeadWestvaco Corp. is telling customers it will announce a US$40 per ton increase on Custom Kote® coated unbleached boxboard as well as bleached paperboard grades, to take effect with shipments from Jan. 18, Deutsche Bank paper and forest products analyst Mark Wilde reported Dec. 7 in a research note.

Commenting that price increase attempts are moving beyond containerboard, Wilde noted that MeadWestvaco’s moves are the first in these grades—but also that producers of a competing grade, recycled boxboard, have already announced $40-$45/ton price hikes for early January.

Other major producers of coated unbleached boxboard and bleached boxboard grades include Graphic Packaging Holding Co., International Paper Co., Georgia-Pacific Ltd., Clearwater Paper Corp., and Rock-Tenn Co., Wilde noted.

As for containerboard, the major producers have announced price hikes for Jan. 1 of $50/ton for the East Coast and $70/ton for the West Coast.

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