Paper Clips

Smurfit Westrock anticipates $700M hit in 2026 from cost inflation

The company implemented price increases to offset skyrocketing costs, especially for diesel. In North America, paper bag sales offered a bright spot and corrugated volumes improved.

Smurfit Westrock faced a variety of unanticipated pressures in the third quarter, including heat waves in Europe and cyclosporiasis outbreaks in the United States, executives said during Wednesday’s earnings call. But the most significant impact was “unprecedented and greater-than-expected cost inflation,” primarily for energy and freight, said CEO Tony Smurfit.

While the North American business continues to improve in most areas, “this improvement is masked by the amount of increased costs that we have incurred,” he said. Corrugated volumes improved sequentially. And there was a notable boost to sales of paper bags, of which the company says it’s the largest producer in the U.S.

Smurfit Westrock anticipates $700M hit in 2026 from cost inflation | Packaging Dive

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