Resolute Forest Products to reduce July 1 softwood pulp prices in North America by US$20/tonne, to US$880/tonne for NBSK, US$840/tonne for SBSK, makes no announcement for hardwood pulp grades

Diane Keaton

LOS ANGELES , June 26, 2012 (Industry Intelligence) – Resolute Forest Products today announced that it is dropping its July 1 softwood pulp prices in North America by US$20 per tonne.

Its new prices are $880/tonne for northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) and $840/tonne for southern bleached softwood kraft (SBSK). These are the same price plans as announced by several other major producers.

Resolute told customers that it is not making any announcements on its other grades at this time, and that, if necessary, it would make adjustments at a later date.

Its current hardwood pulp prices are $790/tonne for aspen-grade northern bleached hardwood kraft (NBHK) and $785/tonne for southern bleached hardwood kraft (SBHK).

Nor have other North American hardwood pulp producers announced changes for July thus far.

According to its website, Montreal-based Resolute produces approximately 1.1 million tonnes/year of market pulp at its five facilities in North America. It is one of only a few North American producers of all four major paper-grade pulps (northern bleached softwood kraft, or NBSK, southern bleached softwood kraft, or SBSK, NBHK, and SBHK).

Resolute also produces fluff pulp in Coosa Pines, Alabama. In recent days, it said it is taking a market shut at the 272,000 tonnes/year Coosa Pines mill in the first week of July, losing 4,600 tonnes of production.

The current market price of fluff pulp in North America is $955/tonne.

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