Posted: Oct 29, 2021 in Blog
Paper Prices Continue to Rise. Here’s Why!
Over the last 16 months we have seen everything about businesses change. Having been in the printing industry for almost 30 years, we have never seen a market for raw materials (think paper) as volatile as the one we are in today. The pandemic has caused dramatic shifts in operating patterns within the paper industry, which have resulted in fluctuations in pulp and paper supply, and recurring price increases. Here is an overview of what we are seeing as it relates to paper pricing, paper availability, and how it may affect your budget plans for the remainder of the year.
- 2020 saw a 20% decline in the paper market. As paper manufacturers tried to manage their businesses, several determined that converting fine paper mills to corrugate/brown paper mills was a step they needed to take.
- Manufacturing backlogs of orders started to pile up at the mills towards the end of 2020 as demand started to rise and inventory dwindled.
- The relatively quick rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine and the positive impact it had on markets resulted in an increase of demand for fine papers, especially white box board and cover stock papers.
- Mills are running at full capacity and have a backlog of orders well into the fourth quarter of 2021.
- Typically, the U.S. imports a significant amount of paper. Every country in the world is experiencing similar supply chain challenges. This has caused a reduction of paper coming into the U.S. In addition, the cost for shipping a container of paper overseas has raised from an average of $1,700 to an excess of $6,000.
- The Law of Supply and Demand and its impact on pricing are the norms. Mills are determining what they want to produce and what price they wish to garner. The result is some mills have determined they will no longer manufacture lower quality sheets and simply produce higher-grade paper because it is more profitable. This step saves the mills the expense of make-readies in changing their “recipes”.
- Products and resources experiencing extraordinary circumstances such as; Lumber, Corrugated Shippers & Cardboard Boxes, Crude Oil, Workforce, Transportation are all affecting the current situation in some way.
Here are some resources:
https://www.paperage.com/2021news/10_14_2021lecta_paper_prices.html
https://www.printweek.com/news/article/paper-prices-keep-going-up
What does this mean for your printing needs?
Although we feel this situation is manageable, here are some recommendations to help you plan for the remainder of 2021:
- Flexibility — Buyers will be successful if they are flexible on their stock choice. There are some paper stocks that simply are not available.
- Prior Planning – It is important that you connect with us early on about your plans for additional work as soon as possible. We are working to secure the raw materials in advance and help you understand the budget impact on your efforts.
- Budgets – There has been relatively little change in paper pricing in the last 30 years. So far, in 2021 there have been multiple rounds of pricing increases across all paper grades resulting in a range of increases from 10%-25%. We are reviewing paper options and pricing at this time with all of our clients.
The DMM Difference!
DMM is committed to working with you through this unprecedented time. Our reputation and relationship with the mills and paper merchants remains strong as we work to secure the needed raw materials for your projects/orders. If something new arises unexpectedly, we will work with you to accommodate the request. As always, we value the trust and commitment you have placed with us.