Market News of Note

A scheduled week-long shutdown for maintenance at Prince George Pulp and Paper will be followed by a two-week closure in response to weak prices for its product, a Canfor Pulp spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.

If realized, the measures would result in a reduction of 265,000 tonnes of SC capacity and 240,000 tonnes of newsprint capacity in UPM's portfolio.

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. says it will introduce variable operating schedules at five of its British Columbia sawmills, resulting in an estimated 15 to 25 per cent decrease in production.

Tolko says its Armstrong, Lumby and Heffley Creek operations in British Columbia will see shift reductions as volatile conditions continue to plague the province's lumber industry.

St. Stephen will lose 60 to 75 jobs by the end of the year because particleboard operations at the Arauco plant will be shutting down.

More workers at Georgia Pacific in Crossett are having to look for other jobs.

Wisconsin's paper industry is alive and well, according to a new state report. A recent study shows the Badger State's paper industry leads the nation in many economic measures.

Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd. has announced two week curtailments at its sawmill operations in Prince George, Vanderhoof and Fort St. James starting August 19.

The curtailment is expected to reduce Conifex's US South lumber production by approximately 21 million board feet to the end of the year.

Almost four years ago, the Old Town pulp mill was shut down. Nearly 200 workers were affected. But last fall, a subsidiary of a Chinese company purchased the mill, and now it has come back to life.

The former Resolute pulp and paper mill in Fort Frances, Ont., could produce cannabis or even specialty packaging materials, according to the site's new owner.

As a result of the temporary and permanent curtailments of production announced to date, West Fraser expects lumber production in 2019 to be at least 600 million board feet lower than 2018.

Stora Enso has initiated feasibility studies for a possible cross laminated timber (CLT) unit in connection with its Ždírec mill in the Czech Republic and a new construction beam unit to be located at the Ybbs mill in Austria.

Canfor Corporation announced further capacity reductions at two of its British Columbia sawmills with an indefinite curtailment at its Mackenzie sawmill and the permanent elimination of one shift at its Isle Pierre sawmill.

Canfor is extending the curtailment at the Taylor pulp mill into September.

Between January and May, U.S. pellet exports jumped 14.8% y-o-y to 2.5 million m3 with export value expanded 17.4 % to $349.4 million, according to USDA data.

U.S. log exports to Vietnam jumped 39.8% to 110.1 thousand m3 with export value expanded 46.9% to $40.2 million.

The number of persons affected is 155 and paper machine 10 in Plattling will be permanently closed by mid July 2019.

Approximately 160 employees will be impacted by this curtailment.

From January through April, Chinese log imports from New Zealand jumped 21.8% y-o-y to 5.6 million m3 with import value $787.9 million, according to China Customs data.

Kruger Inc. is receiving a $13.8 million investment from the federal government for biomass and recycled paper projects in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Brompton, Quebec, respectively.