Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, announced on 1 December 2020 that it had signed an agreement to sell a 30 percent stake in its Husum pulp mill in Sweden to the Swedish forest owners’ cooperative (ekonomisk förening) Norra Skog.
The transaction was completed on 4 January 2021, and its impacts will be included in Metsä Board’s financial reporting as of the January–March 2021 interim report.
https://www.metsaboard.com/Media/Stock-Exchange-and-Press-Releases/Pages/Release.aspx?EncryptedId=BF18C11159280429&Title=Thesaleofa30percentstakeintheHusumpulpmilltoNorraSkoghasbeencompleted
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Billerud has decided to launch a cost saving program targeting annualized savings of SEK 800 million. The planned cost savings will affect Billerud’s European operations and Group functions globally and will include reduction of up to 650 positions.
Due to the weakened market conditions in Europe, which has resulted in a negative profit trend, Billerud has decided to launch a cost saving program targeting annualized savings of SEK 800 million. The planned cost saving program is expected to have a noticeable positive impact from the first quarter of 2026, and to reach full effect at the end of 2026.
Greif, Inc. a global leader in industrial packaging products and services, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Molpus Woodlands Group, on behalf of clients, to sell its Soterra land management business for $462 million.
This transaction, which includes over 173,000 acres of timberlands across the Southeastern United States, follows Greif’s previously announced intent to divest the business as part of its strategic portfolio optimization. The deal is expected to close shortly before or after the Company’s fiscal year end, subject to customary closing conditions.
“The sale of the Soterra timberlands aligns with our strategy to focus our portfolio on opportunities where Greif can be an industry leader,” said Ole Rosgaard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Greif. “This transaction enhances our ability to invest in higher-margin, less cyclical markets, and positions Greif for further long-term success and value creation.”
“These timberlands seamlessly complement our existing portfolio, offering diverse, highly productive assets strategically located near robust timber markets with strong, competitive pricing,” said Terrell Winstead, President and CEO of Molpus. “With our long history of creating value for similar properties in these areas, we believe this opportunity fits well within our long-term investment strategy and sustainable forest management approach.”
Cash proceeds from the sale will be allocated to debt repayment.
The American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA) announced that on September 5, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) making changes to EO 14257 from April. The new EO outlines what products and materials can enter the U.S. duty-free (zero percent tariffs). Three wood pulp tariff codes were added to the list.
Pursuant to this new EO, imported wood pulp will come into the U.S. duty-free — an important development in the long-term trade and tariff policy discussion.
This new list is meant to capture products and materials that are not produced in the U.S. — or not produced at scale. AF&PA has continuously made this argument for specific kinds of wood pulp, such as bleached eucalyptus kraft or BEK.
What's Next?
The EO also added a variety of items to Annex III, which will act as a 'potential' list of items that could be added to the duty-free list in the future, depending on trade talks. Importantly, this new EO also delegates authority to add items to the duty-free list to USTR and Commerce.