Effective with shipments on or after May 20, 2018, Navigator North America will be increasing prices by 5% to 7% for: Navigator Premium Inkjet, Soporset Premium Opaque Offset (Text & Cover & Digital) in sheets and sSheeter rolls and all cut-size office papers including Navigator, Pioneer and Discovery. Also implementing a freight surcharge of $2.00/cwt for shipments to CO, NM, OR, WA, NV and AZ and a $4.00/cwt freight surcharge for shipments to ID, UT, WY, MT, SD and ND.

Sofidel announced the formal opening of its second greenfield plant in the United States, signaling a significant expansion by the company in response to consumer demand. The 1.8 million-square-foot production plant is fully operational in Inola, Okla., leveraging one of the United States’ most recently built paper manufacturing facilities, equipped with state-of-the art technology. The $360 million technologically and environmentally advanced plant is Sofidel’s second greenfield investment in the U.S.. An integrated facility, with its paper mill that transforms pulp into paper and the converting plant that makes the finished product, it can turn out 120,000 tons of tissue annually.

According to the report, total printing-writing paper shipments increased five percent in July compared to July 2020. U.S. purchases of total printing-writing papers increased nine percent in July compared to the same month last year. Total printing-writing paper inventory levels remained essentially flat (-0.1 percent) when compared to June 2021. Uncoated free sheet (UFS) paper shipments increased seven percent compared to July 2020 while the inventory level remained essentially flat (-0.4 percent) compared to June 2021. UFS imports and exports both increased compared to June 2020, up four percent and 18 percent respectively. U.S. purchases of coated free sheet (CFS) papers in July increased three percent compared to last July while the inventory level increased two percent compared to June 2021. CFS imports and exports both increased compared to June 2020, up 32 percent and 53 percent respectively. Coated mechanical (CM) paper shipments increased 16 percent compared to July 2020 while the inventory level decreased three percent compared to June 2021. CM imports and exports both increased compared to June 2020, up 60 percent and 31 percent respectively. U.S. purchases of uncoated mechanical (UM) papers in July increased 28 percent compared to last July while the inventory level decreased four percent compared to June 2021. UM imports and exports both increased compared to June 2020, up 61 percent and 180 percent respectively.