Расследование CCTV: цена на гофрированную бумагу выросла в 4 раза за 20 дней — кто несёт расходы?

Since August, many paper companies have issued price increase notices several times, announcing increases in the ex-works price of corrugated paper. Why have paper prices suddenly risen? What is the current market situation for corrugated paper?

Costs keep rising; corrugated paper raised prices four times in 20 days

Li Zonghui is the head of a paper company in Shandong. He told reporters that since August this year the corrugated paper they produce was raised in price four times in a row in less than 20 days. The ex-works price per tonne rose directly from 3,680 yuan to nearly 4,000 yuan.

Li Zonghui, assistant to the general manager of a papermaking enterprise in Shandong: After entering August, corrugated paper prices rose one after another, and now they are maintained between 3,850 yuan and 4,000 yuan.

Heads of several paper companies told reporters that this year's rise in domestic waste paper raw material prices is one of the main factors driving corrugated paper prices higher. With the implementation of matters relating to the comprehensive ban on solid waste imports, from January 1 this year paper companies' waste paper import quotas were also reduced to zero, making domestic waste paper even scarcer.

Li Zonghui, assistant to the general manager of a papermaking enterprise in Shandong: Previously the country took in about 15 to more than 20 million tonnes of foreign waste paper each year. With such a huge gap created, domestic demand for waste paper has shown a rapidly rising trend this year.

Statistics show that the national average price of AA-grade corrugated paper in China is currently about 3,870 yuan per tonne, a year-on-year increase of about 15%. Even so, most heads of paper companies still told reporters: times are hard.

Wang Lianshui, chairman of a papermaking enterprise in Dezhou, Shandong: This year's profit margin is very small, almost non-existent. Compared with the start of the year, it has risen by more than 600 yuan per tonne.

To cope with rising raw material costs, many paper companies this year began taking the paperboard offcuts produced by downstream packaging plants, bypassing waste paper baling stations, directly back to the company, and further releasing capacity through technological upgrading and other means. Industry insiders pointed out that paper companies issuing price increase notices intensively in August was, on the one hand, an attempt to ease cost pressure through price increases, and on the other hand a tentative price increase before the peak season arrives.

The peak season, combined with the continuously tight supply of domestic waste yellow board paper this year, will also support paper prices; corrugated containerboard prices in the fourth quarter are expected to be mainly characterised by narrow-range fluctuation upwards.

Paper prices are being passed downstream; packaging enterprises face challenges

In our daily lives, large quantities of express cartons and packaging boxes are made from corrugated paper. What impact has the continuous rise in corrugated paper prices had on downstream packaging enterprises? And how is the market for packaging enterprises at present?

At a packaging plant in Shandong, Ying Wenjun, the head of the plant, was checking the corrugated paper market situation. At this time last year his factory had to maintain at least 35 to 40 days of corrugated paper inventory, whereas now his inventory period is only less than 15 days.

Ying Wenjun, general manager of a paper products packaging enterprise in Shandong: At present we still hold a wait-and-see attitude; the whole end market is slightly sluggish, affected by the pandemic, ocean shipping export orders and other factors.

What the reporter is holding is a finished carton produced by a packaging plant. Usually packaging plants determine how many grams of base paper to use according to the brand owner's requirements for compression resistance and bursting strength indicators. For example, the box in the reporter's hand is about three layers thick. The head of the plant told the reporter that this year about 60% of the increase in base paper costs has been passed on to downstream enterprises.

Ying Wenjun, general manager of a paper products packaging enterprise in Shandong: Generally customers have a linked price mechanism with us; increases of less than 10% of the corrugated paper price are borne by us. Recently the corrugated paper cost rose by about 15%, of which about 9% to 10% is absorbed by customers for us.

Heads of some packaging enterprises told reporters that after entering the second half of the year production costs climbed further and enterprises' profit space has been squeezed.

Wang Jun, chairman of a paper products packaging enterprise in Shaoxing, Zhejiang: Raising prices downstream cannot fully cover the cost increase. Costs will continue to grow in the second half of the year.

Feng Yan, information business director of Paper.com (Zhiye Lianxun): For packaging processors this may only be a short-term impact; there may be a time lag in price transmission. But the enterprises that need to buy cartons and boxes are the ones that bear the largest share of the price increases.

Filling the raw material gap: paper companies secure supply through multiple channels

At present waste paper accounts for about 55% of China's papermaking raw materials. Facing the gap in waste paper raw materials, the whole industry chain has also accelerated the pace of seeking substitute raw materials.

At a paper company in Shandong, the head told reporters that the company began exploring waste paper substitutes two years ago, and after continuous attempts finally found a more suitable substitute in reeds.

Li Zonghui, assistant to the general manager of a papermaking enterprise in Shandong: The price of domestic waste paper is about 2,600 yuan per tonne, while the current purchase price of reeds is about 700 yuan per tonne; in the end the cost of making pulp is almost the same as the cost of making pulp after the waste paper price rise.

Industry insiders pointed out that in the future it is necessary to further raise the level of cascade utilization of domestic waste paper, tap resource potential, and secure the raw material needs of the papermaking industry chain through multiple channels.

Zhao Zhendong, vice chairman of the Shandong Paper Industry Association: Try to secure raw material supply through multiple channels. Increasing in-house wood pulp capacity will certainly increase investment costs, but in the long term it is still beneficial for paper companies, as it can ensure product quality and the stability of raw material supply.

Industry insiders told reporters that waste paper cannot be imported, but pulp can; since the start of this year many paper companies have increased their overseas investment layout and built pulp production lines.

Data from the General Administration of Customs show that in January-July this year China imported 1.31 million tonnes of recycled fiber pulp, up 23% from the same period last year, with the average price rising from 308 US dollars per tonne to 389 US dollars per tonne, an increase of 26%.

——This article is reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-378295.html