For the most part, the British recovered paper market appeared balanced in February. There was neither a run on large volumes nor was it difficult to find buyers, insiders told EUWID in the monthly market survey. As usually happens after the surge of arisings in January, collection volumes tapered off markedly in February. The decline was especially pronounced for graphic grades. However, experts say this is the “new normal” and the market must get used to it.
The market for mixed paper and board (1.02) was largely stable, according to respondents. On the positive side, there had been a renewed uptick in inquiries from paper producers in Continental Europe. However, British prices were often too high for these buyers, explained one market participant.
The temporary price spike for old corrugated containers (OCC, 1.05) reported in January proved to be longer-lasting than initially expected. This surge was partly driven by ongoing high demand from the Far East, especially because the already low freight rates for maritime shipping containers decreased further.
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