Paper Forecast — Calm Seas Ahead

Each month, the NAPL surveys 500 printers across the country on paper prices and availability. In the past four months, the monthly survey has seen some dramatic changes that indicate rising paper prices may be coming to an end. For the last year, the panel has reported that paper prices were rising. In January 1999, 13.6 percent of the respondents said that paper prices were rising. This trend continued throughout 1999 and the first part of 2000. This past March, the respondent rate hit an all-time high with 81.6 percent of those surveyed reporting that paper prices were rising.