Global Boxboard Market Outlook

Sailing in a world of volatility and uncertainty

Global market conditions have changed rapidly during the past year. On one hand, the synchronized improvement in global economies have lifted demand of boxboard across the globe. However, other packaging material substitutes continue to pose a risk to our industry. On the other, significant changes in supply will result in the tightening of global markets. Unsurprisingly, China is playing a large role in the tightening of global market conditions. Not only is capacity growing much slower than before, but ongoing PfR bans are threatening production of paper and board in the coming years.

Global Containerboard Market Outlook

Tightening of Global Market Balances

Discussion on the global containerboard supply/demand balances, capacity additions and cost developments. How will capacity additions impact global market balances? Our views on effects of Chinese PfR policies on the containerboard market and on production cost developments going forward. 

E-commerce Business Development Trends and Its Impact to Packaging Industry - Opportunities and Challegenes

Outlook for the Asian Graphic Paper Market with the Emphasis on China and India

The year of 2017 was full of surprise.

Asian graphic paper demand crept up 0.4% or 215,000 tonnes to 56.2 million tonnes in the year, better performance than our anticipation of a 1% decline in the middle of 2017, thanks to a 725,000 tonne gain in printing & writing paper demand which was about a predicted 70,000 tonne decrease in July 2017. The trade situation in 2017 was far from what we anticipated in our July 2017 forecast as well. Newsprint net imports climbed 425,000 tonnes in 2017, a sharper upturn than the 350,000 tonnes we had projected. Printing & writing paper net exports slumped 25% or 630,000 tonnes, a drastic downturn compared to the predicted 85,000 tonne decline. For pricing, woodfree paper prices in Hong Kong began to trend upward in January and rose gradually throughout most of the year, except from May to July when prices temporarily stabilized for uncoated woodfree grades and edged down US$5/tonne for coated woodfree. Announcements of price hikes were released nearly every month, and average uncoated woodfree paper prices in Hong Kong successfully increased US$145/tonne between January and the end of the year, while coated woodfree paper prices gained US$80/tonne over the same time frame.

So what’s the implication of the incredible situation for Asian and global graphic paper suppliers? What will happen in 2018 and 2019? How is the trade situation will be changed? We will provide our perspectives and also will give emphasis on Chinese and Indian markets to see how they will influence the regional and global graphic paper markets.

Closing Speech