Office paper prices near $1000/ton

From Purchasing Magazine
Cut-size office paper prices have increased by 9% since April to an average $998/ton this month, the highest monthly price in 11 years. Its last peak was $1000, in January 1996.

Paper market data resource RISI.com says the $60/ton increase in copier paper began with shipments in early May and was implemented over time by the largest four North American producers: Domtar, International Paper, Boise Cascade and Georgia-Pacific. There still are some sales at discount, causing the marketplace average to miss the mills’ goal.

The price hike supports a recent Purchasing survey of office products buyers, more than 90% of whom said they were either "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" about paper prices this year. And more than three-quarters of those polled reported paper price increases in the past year.
Statistics from the Pulp and Paper Products Council shows that North American uncoated Freesheet paper demand is down 5.1% through May (latest available data) at 4.99 million metric tons. So, whether any additional cut-size office paper price hikes will be attempted to offset pulp cost pressures in paper production is unclear, suggests Merrill Lynch analyst Ross Gilardi. He points out that “the U.S. paper industry continues to feel pressure from lower cost Southern hemisphere competition.”