Commentary: Coated Paper Shakeup Leaves Most U.S. Capacity in Foreign Hands

Yesterday, two momentous events occurred nearly simultaneously in the industry that makes coated paper for catalogs, magazines, inserts, and brochures. NewPage sold its Biron, WI, and Rumford, ME, mills to Catalyst Paper, which shifted about 12 percent of the nation's coated-paper capacity into Canadian hands.

The purchase of NewPage by Verso was completed a year and a day after it was first proposed. The U.S Justice Department, fearing a combined Verso-NewPage would have too large a market share, required the sale of the two NewPage mills for the takeover to be approved.