Factories in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan were forced to shut down or even completely shut down paper manufacturing factories exporting to China. To describe the unfavorable situation, the clues said that Testliner made from old American corrugated boxes (US DS OCC 12) in Taiwan has a very low export price to China, only 540-550 USD. /ton, but still could not find a buyer. A paper producer in Taiwan said that Taiwan has an advantage when it comes to exporting recycled paper to China because the OCC price imported from the US is cheaper than elsewhere and the shipping fee from Taiwan to China is low. Even with such an advantage, Taiwan's exports of recycled paper to China have also declined. China's economic slowdown also affects the export of packaging paper from Southeast Asia to China, in which the Testliner is at 520 USD/ton. A manufacturer specializing in producing paper for export to China said that they buy DS OCC 12 directly from the US and then ship it to their factories in Southeast Asia at a cost that has reached nearly 300 USD/ton. With such an expensive cost, it doesn't make sense to buy expensive raw materials for the production of recycled pulp or for the production of recycled paper and ship them to China. As a result, even customers who normally buy in bulk, including local manufacturers and companies that specialize in exporting paper to China, have cut their OCC purchases to a minimum at low prices. However, sellers have resisted pressure from buyers to lower prices, citing reduced purchased volumes and increased logistics and operating costs in the US, Europe and Japan. US and European suppliers have continued to find support in the Indian market. As the import of recovered paper from the European Union to India was restored on April 1st, the US OCC price fell by 20 USD/ton and the UK OCC price dropped to 45-55 USD/ton compared to two weeks before. Although Indian customers continued to ask for more discounts over the past two weeks, sellers said the situation has stabilized after suppliers made some concessions, as the country is still short of recovery paper. Additionally, the cost of international shipping from the US and Europe to India is expected to increase shortly, worrying buyers. In India, the price of US DS OCC 12 decreased by 10 USD/ton to 320-330 USD/ton and US Select OCC 11.5 decreased by 5-10 USD/ton, at 300-310 USD/ton. OCC of Europe, including UK, is reaching 290-295 USD/ton. In Taiwan, the US OCC DS price dropped by 5 USD/ton to 245-250 USD/ton. In Southeast Asia, large volume buyers forced sellers to lower prices for US high-end OCC to below $300/ton. U.S. suppliers firmly disagree, saying that OCC prices in the US market have rebounded since falling earlier this month. This grade is usually sold at 300-310 USD/ton, unchanged over the past two weeks. A Chinese company said its factory in Southeast Asia had to pay $ 320 per ton. Currently, US OCC prices in Southeast Asia and Taiwan are at $240-300/ton, down $5/ton for the lowest priced OCC. Europe's OCC 95/5 has increased by 5 USD/ton to 275-295 USD/ton in Southeast Asia. The previous information that the Malaysian authorities decided to postpone the implementation of pre-shipment checks (revocation papers) on board ships for shipment to Malaysia until 1 July has now been proven untrue. Pre-shipment checks are still being carried out and the European OCC price in Malaysia has therefore increased by $5/ton to $275/ton. OCC price of Japan decreased by 10 USD/ton to 240-285 USD/ton.

ABB is launching their new KPM KB2 Ranger Model, a sheet break detection device that is invulnerable to paper jams, color and grade changes for the highest uptime with the lowest required maintenance. As the latest addition to ABB’s industry-leading KPM Sheet Break Detector portfolio, this non-contact optical sensor will prove particularly important for paper or board producers making frequent grade changes or colored papers The single, one-button calibration removes the need for complicated, grade-specific settings, while the RGB break profiling method reduces false positives and automatically updates for more robust detection over time. The KPM KB2 Ranger model offers a longer measurement distance up to 1.5 meters and side installation to keep the sensor head outside the machine. It can provide reliable break detection in all configurations, such as against felt, wire or cylinders, and its freely adjustable sensor head is able to detect breaks from any angle. This removes the possibility of paper getting stuck on the sensor head, enabling higher reliability and accuracy across all paper and board grades, regardless of color. While the sensor head can withstand high temperatures, the electronics unit is mounted outside the machine hood using fiber optic cables, preventing the electronics from being affected by dirt, steam or temperature and maintaining high reliability even in a high humidity environment. Unlike comparable solutions that require in-machine installation, ABB’s KPM KB2 Ranger model augments the current offering to deliver higher uptime and reduced unplanned downtime. It requires minimal, if any, maintenance and cleaning due to its air-purged sensor that keeps the unit clean for continuous and trouble-free operation. “Our KPM Sheet Break Detector is recognized as the best on the market and the proven choice for installations in harsh environments or where space is limited,” said Karin Hermansson, Product Line Manager, ABB. “We are pleased to unveil the new KB2 Ranger Model to offer additional options for mills facing frequent grade changes or color-related issues, while proving our commitment to continual innovation surrounding mill optimization solutions.” KB2 is applicable globally across paper, tissue, board and pulp machines, and can be used on press or drying sections. According to ABB

The prices of pulps imported into the Chinese market on May 6 remained unchanged from 29 April The price of Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft pulp on May 6 remained unchanged at USD 1008/ton like 7 days ago. The price of Bleached Softwood Kraft pulp – Radiata pine on May 6 was unchanged from 7 days ago, reaching $995/ton. The price of Russian Bleached Softwood Kraft pulp maintained at $960/ton from the second half of April to present. Prices for two types of Bleached Hardwood Kraft pulp on May 6 remained unchanged from two weeks ago. The  price of Bleached Hardwood Kraft pulp - eucalyptus wood is 675 USD/ton. The price of Russian Bleached Hardwood Kraft pulp is 775 USD/ton. The price of two types of Unbleached Softwood Kraft pulp imported into China on May 6 remained unchanged from 7 days ago. Meanwhile, the price simultaneously increased by 30 USD/ton in the last two weeks of April. Accordingly, the price of Unbleached Softwood Kraft pulp from Chile and North America remained at $890/ton. The price of Russia's Unbleached Softwood Kraft pulp is $860/ton. The price of of Bleached Chemi-ThermoMechanical pulp  remained unchanged at 725 USD/ton from the second half of April to present. The price of North American kraft pulp on May 6 remained at $1,220/ton like last week. Meanwhile, the price in the second half of April was 1140 USD/ton. VPPI

The price of pulp imported into the East Asian market in April increased from 40 to 110 USD/ton compared to March 2022. The price of Bleached Softwood Kraft pulps in April simultaneously increased sharply by 110 USD/ton compared to March. The price of Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft is USD 1025/ton, up 12.02% compared to USD 915/ton in March. The price of Bleached Softwood Kraft pulp – Radiata pine (Chile) in April increased by 12.32% compared to March, to USD 1002.5/ton. The price of Bleached Softwood Kraft pulp – Southern pine (USA) also increased by 12.46%, to $992.5/ton. The price of four types of Bleached Hardwood Kraft powder in April simultaneously increased sharply by 13.89%, equivalent to 100 USD/ton compared to March, to 820 USD/ton. The price of Unbleached Softwood Kraft pulp (Chile and North America) in April was 862.5 USD/ton, up 6.15% compared to the price of 812.5 USD/ton in March. The price of Bleached Chemi-ThermoMechanical pulp  in April increased by 40 USD/ton compared to March. Accordingly, the price of of Bleached Chemi-ThermoMechanical pulp - Aspen and Blended Wood in April was 780 USD/ton, up 5.41% compared to March. The price of Bleached Chemi-ThermoMechanical pulp  – Pine wood in April increased by 5.57% compared to March, to USD 757.5/ton. VPPI