BIR releases Paper World Mirror April 2014

BRUSSELS (Scrap Monster):  The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) has released the Paper World Mirror for the month of April 2014.

According to the report, the recovered paper markets remained stable for most of the quarter. However, reduced demand from China and higher freight rates resulted in significant drop in OCC prices towards end-March. The OCC prices at Asian ports dropped almost 8% from nearly $190 per tonne in Jan ’14 to $175 per tonne towards late-March.

The prices of mixed paper remained in a tight range. The mixed paper prices which started the year at around $165 per tonne declined to $160 per tonne towards the end of first quarter. The demand too remained weak during the quarter.

The exports of both OCC and mixed paper were adversely affected by container shortages and the excessive drop in Chinese demand. The strong Indian demand had resulted in higher prices during the early month, but higher freight rates badly affected the trade with India later during the quarter. The increased OCC demand following Chinese Lunar New Year holidays was short-lived.

The exporters in Spain and France too witnessed considerable decline in Asian buying interest. The increased newsprint and OCC demand resulted in a jump in recovered paper prices in Turkey.