Revised: West Fraser announces Oct. 1 US$30/tonne bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp price increase Asia

Diane Keaton

LOS ANGELES , October 5, 2012 (Industry Intelligence Inc.) – Industry Intelligence Editor’s Note: Revises previously posted version to show that the increase is for US$30/tonne, and that it is effective throughout Asia. West Fraser has not publicly announced what this brings its prices to be.

Bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp (BCTMP) producer West Fraser Timber Co. announced today that it will increase its list prices in Asia for all grades by US$30/tonne, according to a knowledgeable source.

This is the first known October price increase announcement by a BCTMP producer.

West Fraser did not publicly announce what its new prices would be, saying that prices vary due to freight costs and other terms.

In the September edition of his Market Pulp Monthly, market pulp industry consultant Brian McClay said the market price of 75-bright softwood and 80-bright aspen in China was $530/tonne in July and August, down from $550/tonne in June. So a $30/tonne increase brings the price to $560/tonne.

On Sept. 26, West Fraser announced that it was increasing its Oct. 1 northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) price in North America by $20/tonne, to $850tonne. Several other major producers have made the same announcement.

West Fraser, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, is a major producer of BCTMP, with a production capacity of 640,000 tonnes/year of BCTMP. Its NBSK capacity is 590,000 tonnes/year.

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