Paper Outlook — Prices Are Going Soft

"Who wants to buy Russian paper through a North Korean bank?" he asks. "Just because paper is available doesn't mean it's good paper. The question is: Do you want it once you have it? If there's foreign availability from European mills, it's a lot different than paper from Malaysian mills."

Additionally, not everyone shares the view that prices will remain soft for much of the year. Kelly Gilroy, chief marketing and sales officer for Solar Communications—which annually purchases more than 25 million pounds of mostly uncoated return card stock for its customers' direct marketing needs—sees a price increase on the horizon.