Polish recovered paper prices come under pressure in first quarter

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February and March have seen growing price pressure on all key recovered paper grades in Poland, consistent with the predictions made by market insiders at the start of the year. Given the sufficient supplies in Central Europe and the ongoing weak market for exports to China, coupled with sales problems – especially for recycled packaging paper – and a collapse in finished paper prices, exporters reduced their purchase prices for Polish supermarket corrugated paper and board (1.04).

There was a more mixed picture on the domestic market. In some cases, the first corrections were made in March, but occasionally paper mills in Poland left their purchase prices unchanged until the end of March. Reports from recovered paper merchants also varied: from unchanged prices to a drop of PLN30/t since the end of January.

There was an even sharper decline in the quotes for corrugated board shavings (4.01), EUWID was told. This grade had become significantly more expensive in the fourth quarter of last year, causing the gap between this grade and supermarket corrugated paper and board to widen to an unprecedented level. But over the past two months it has experienced a noticeable price slump, so the prices of the grades 1.04 and 4.01 were converging again.

The full recovered paper market report for Poland including the price table appears in issue 8/2019 of EUWID Recycling and Waste Management due out on 17 April. Premium subscribers can read it online in the E-Paper and here: Recovered Paper Poland.

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