Resolute Forest Products announces March 1 pulp prices for North America, including unchanged for NBSK, up US$20/tonne for SBSK, up US$30/tonne for NBHK, SBHK; global fluff pulp price up US$30/tonne

Diane Keaton

LOS ANGELES , March 1, 2012 (Industry Intelligence) – Resolute Forest Products has announced March 1 pulp prices.

According to a notice sent to customers today, its paper-pulp prices for North America include US$870 per tonne (unchanged) for northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK); $850/tonne (up $20/tonne), for southern bleached softwood kraft (SBSK); and $730/tonne (up $30/tonne) for aspen-grade northern bleached hardwood kraft (NBHK) and southern bleached hardwood kraft (SBHK).

In addition, Resolute is increasing its global price of fluff pulp by $30/tonne, to $960/tonne.

On Feb. 29, major NBSK supplier Canfor Pulp LP told customers that its price in North America would remain at $870/tonne; this is what the market had expected to be the price for March.

Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries (Al-Pac) and Sappi Fine Paper North America have announced the $30/tonne increases for North America for aspen-grade NBHK, to $735/tonne and $730/tonne, respectively. Bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp (BEKP) suppliers are also going up $30/tonne, to $820/tonne.

International Paper Co. (IP) has announced increases of $20/tonne for SBSK and $30/tonne for SBHK for North America, but did not specify its new prices. It, too, announced a global $30/tonne increase on fluff pulp, saying this would bring its price to $965/tonne. (This corrects a typographical error in the original posting of this article that said $960/tonne.)

According to its website, Montreal-based Resolute produces approximately 1.1 million tonnes/year of market pulp at its five facilities in North America.

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