The market for printing and writing paper in France is largely subject to price pressure due to ongoing overcapacity in Europe. This had only a minor impact on price negotiations in the newsprint market for the fourth quarter, but mostly because paper manufacturers see little scope for further price reductions. Price pressure also continues to be evident in the fine paper market, despite a seasonal upturn in demand in October.
Cartonboard prices in France were under pressure for both recycled and primary fibre grades, resulting in discounts for GC and GD in October. The price increase announced for brown recycled corrugated case material for October did not take place, and it remained unclear until recently whether a renewed attempt by manufacturers to raise prices in November would be successful….