IP, Stora Enso to Merge?

But from International Paper’s vantage point, the timing for a merger with Stora Enso is currently less than ideal. IP reported a loss of $313 million in the second quarter, which it attributed to costs stemming from the Champion merger, along with a weak economy and strong U.S. dollar.

The summer has been particularly tough on IP, with more than 3,500 current and future layoffs announced. It also reduced capacity, cutting containerboard production domestically by 12 percent and coated free sheet by 7.5 percent in the face of sagging paper prices.