Paper Market Update — Paper Industry Strikes Out

In general, the market showed some support for higher prices on coated groundwood grades, but much less, if any, support for the increase on coated free sheet papers, Dethloff says. His experience is that of a leading printer of high-quality catalogs via web offset.

Paper distributors expected there to be an overflow from LWC paper demand into lighter weight free sheets, but this market dynamic never materialized, adds the director of purchasing. "Therefore, the January increase on coated free sheet was quickly extinguished for lack of demand."