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October 2009
Taking Stock
Hello, my friends. It’s been some time since I’ve written to you about the paper market – but, by golly, you haven’t needed me! Since our last pow-wow, paper prices have either held steady or gone down. It’s safe to say most of you have enjoyed lowering paper prices over the past year, a bright light in the otherwise dim economic period for magazine publishers. Well, don’t shoot the messenger, but I’m afraid I’m here to say the paper party may soon be over. I’m not making any promises, but there are a few factors in the market that suggest price increases could be in our future.
The Lacey Act Amendment and What It Means for You The most recent amendment to the Lacey Act puts a new burden on print buyers to ensure that the sources of imported paper are properly traced and documented. Mill Round Up Sappi Closes MI Fine Paper Mill Sappi Fine Paper North America has permanently ceased operations at its coated fine paper mill in Muskegon, Michigan. The closing affects approximately 190 salaried and hourly Muskegon employees, who have been on furlough since the suspension of operations at the mill, which was announced in March 2009. NewPage To Take 160,000 Tons Of Market-Related Downtime In Q4 NewPage Corporation announced on October 12 that it plans to take approximately 160,000 tons of market-related downtime in the fourth quarter of 2009. Specific operating and curtailment plans, as well as timing, are still being developed. This plan is expected to include the indefinite shutdown of the No. 63 paper machine at the Whiting, Wisconsin mill. Environmental Stewardship Enter to Win a 2009 Aveda Environmental Award for Magazines The Aveda Environmental Award celebrates environmental leadership and achievement in the magazine industry. Any consumer or B-to-B magazine that uses environmentally responsible paper/production practices is eligible to apply. NewPage Launches POTICO Project and Paper Logo Palm Oil, Timber and Carbon Offsets (POTICO), a project of the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the NewPage Corporation, is making progress toward conserving rainforests in Indonesia by creating an ecologically and fiscally sustainable palm oil industry. Paper responsibly harvested through this program can bear NewPage's new POTICO logo. Mohawk Fine Papers Resigns from U.S. Chamber of Commerce Over Climate Policy Mohawk Fine Papers said that it has resigned from the United States Chamber of Commerce because of the Chamber's stance on climate policy. |