http://www.risiinfo.comThe leading information provider for the global forest products industryen-usSat, 7 Nov 2009 16:30:08 -0500Copyright 2008 RISI, Inc.http://www.risiinfo.com/community/images/Risi_logo.jpghttp://www.risiinfo.com14428Visit www.risiinfo.comhttp://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/No-Quick-Exit-For-AbitibiBowater.html?source=rss With AbitibiBowater likely to remain under bankruptcy protection well into next year, a Canadian court has approved additional financing for the giant papermaker. http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/No-Quick-Exit-For-AbitibiBowater.html?source=rssFri, 6 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Coated-Paper-Market-Been-Down-So-Long-This-Looks-Like-Up.html?source=rss Despite various announcements of price increases on coated freesheet and high-brightness coated groundwood papers, the unanimous word from the trenches is that no prices are moving up except perhaps for some really low-ball spot business. http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Coated-Paper-Market-Been-Down-So-Long-This-Looks-Like-Up.html?source=rssTue, 3 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Viewpoint-Growthu2026Finally.html?source=rssAfter contracting for four straight quarters, the US economy actually grew in 3Q09 at an annual rate of 3.5%, which was half a percentage point higher than our estimate. The Wall Street Journal's Real Time Economics ran the headline "Don't Break Out the Champagne Yet: Cause for Concern in GDP" following the release of the third quarter number. I say you can break out the bubbly, just make it a pretty cheap Californian version and not your 1996 Krug (as if anyone who owns stocks of that vintage spends their free time reading my blog).http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Viewpoint-Growthu2026Finally.html?source=rssMon, 2 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Pulpwood-plantations-in-Brazil-the-key-to-the-future.html?source=rssI've written a lot lately about the surge in biomass energy plantation investment in Brazil, but there has also been a strong expansion in eucalyptus pulpwood plantations in recent years. This expansion in plantations for pulpwood production is a key indicator of future expansion plans for the Brazilian pulp sector, and offers some interesting new opportunities for timberland investors. So I'm looking forward to RISI's upcoming Latin America Pulp and Paper Outlook Conference in Sao Paulo November 15-17 (http://www.risi.com/la_conf/), where I'll have a chance to chat with pulp producers from Brazil (and Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, etc.) about what's happening in their rapidly developing plantation programs. http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Pulpwood-plantations-in-Brazil-the-key-to-the-future.html?source=rssMon, 2 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Russian-Log-Export-Tax-Increase-Delayed-Again.html?source=rss Yesterday (October 25, 2009) Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told an international forestry meeting in St. Petersburg that the log export duty will remain unchanged in 2010, and this same level may be extended into 2011. In April 2008, the duty on unprocessed log exports was increased to 25% of export value, or a minimum of 15 Euros per cubic meter for softwood and 24 Euros per cubic meter for hardwood logs greater than 15cm diameter. The tax was originally scheduled to increase to 80% of value, or a minimum of 50 Euros per cubic meter, for both softwood and hardwood in January 2009, but in November 2008 the Russian government announced a "one year delay" in implementation of this higher rate. Yesterday's announcement means that the export duty will remain unchanged at least until January 2011, and the hike to 80% may be delayed even further. http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Russian-Log-Export-Tax-Increase-Delayed-Again.html?source=rssTue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/What-Nasty-Chemicals-Are-Lurking-in-Your-Paper.html?source=rssAlmost all discussions about the environmental friendliness of papers focus on the fiber, but perhaps we should pay more attention to the non-fiber ingredients.http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/What-Nasty-Chemicals-Are-Lurking-in-Your-Paper.html?source=rssMon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/North-American-coated-paper-demand-and-capacity-are-closing-the-gap-but-Europe-will-likely-announce-huge-closures-in-2010-5702.html?source=rssNorth American coated paper markets have come a long way toward closing the gaping hole between supply and demand that opened up as a result of the collapse in magazines and catalogs. A gap of more than 2.0 million tons (annualized) opened up between actual capacity and the normal level of capacity that would be needed to support a 95% operating rate in North America. Producers coped with this problem by shutting even more capacity and taking massive amounts of downtime at their remaining mills. http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/North-American-coated-paper-demand-and-capacity-are-closing-the-gap-but-Europe-will-likely-announce-huge-closures-in-2010-5702.html?source=rssFri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/APP-Indonesia-Its-a-jungle-out-there.html?source=rssI have just returned from a very hectic week long tour of three of Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) Indonesia's facilities on the islands of Java and Sumatra, complete with helicopter overviews, and even an earthquake thrown in at the end to really keep us on our toes! http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/APP-Indonesia-Its-a-jungle-out-there.html?source=rssTue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Composite-board-manufactures-attempt-to-get-ahead-of-senate-bill.html?source=rssOf interest to composite panel manufacturers is a new Senate bill that will create national standards for formaldehyde emissions and quality control. This would govern imports as well as domestic stock. The bill uses the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for its baseline, including the exact same guidelines for emissions.http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Composite-board-manufactures-attempt-to-get-ahead-of-senate-bill.html?source=rssMon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Son-of-Black-Liquor-A-50-Billion-Loophole-for-the-US-Pulp-and-Paper-Industry.html?source=rssFor the second time in a year, the U.S. pulp and paper industry has hijacked a multi-billion dollar federal program that was supposed to promote new biofuels. http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Son-of-Black-Liquor-A-50-Billion-Loophole-for-the-US-Pulp-and-Paper-Industry.html?source=rssMon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Bad-times-past-is-there-more-consolidation-down-the-road.html?source=rssThere really hasn't been a lot of merger & acquisition (M&A) activity in the North American pulp & paper space in the last year. Deteriorating market conditions earlier this year, caving stock prices, corporate restructurings, bankruptcies, and the severe contraction in the credit availability all contributed to this dearth of activity.http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Bad-times-past-is-there-more-consolidation-down-the-road.html?source=rssWed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Canadians-Belly-Up-to-the-Black-Liquor-Bar.html?source=rssThe Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program is a response to a U.S. tax loophole that is keeping some American mills afloat and helping to push some Canadian companies toward or into bankruptcy. And it seems designed to avoid charges of unfair trade practices from mills in the U.S., which is the largest market for most Canadian mills.http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Canadians-Belly-Up-to-the-Black-Liquor-Bar.html?source=rssMon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/TS-18-sets-the-world-in-motion.html?source=rssRISI's Chief Economic Adviser, Rod Young, followed the keynote with his forecast for the global pulp and paper industry. Mr. Young's key message was that there would be a recovery in the fiber trade (especially recovered fiber) in late 2010, led by China. Growth prospects for tissue and corrugated look good, but graphic papers could struggle because of the Internet, while "newsprint is dead in developed countries".http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/TS-18-sets-the-world-in-motion.html?source=rssFri, 9 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Steering-to-a-New-World-Order-at-PPI-TS18.html?source=rssThe thinking in the industry has changed - no more business as usual. That message was clear from speakers and delegates alike during the four-day PPI Transport Symposium 18 in Liverpool, England. Whether the response by the industry was too slow, or could mistakes have been avoided entirely, are questions largely left to the theoretical. The debate now centers firmly around how to tailor business strategy to meet the "new world order," in part brought on or accelerated by the crisis, and how to better prepare for the future.http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/Steering-to-a-New-World-Order-at-PPI-TS18.html?source=rssFri, 9 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/The-ancient-secret-behind-demand-forecasting.html?source=rssVolatile stock markets and the latest book by Dan Brown (author of The Da Vinci Code) made me think about the short-term direction in the paper markets (...my daily job may have also had something to do with that). Forecasting the new normal level of paper demand after the largest drop in known history in 2008 and 2009 is similar to casting the dice. Demand estimates are based on GDP estimates and advertising estimates made by other people. Effect of structural changes can be maximized, minimized or neglected depending on the analyst.http://www.risiinfo.com/blogs/The-ancient-secret-behind-demand-forecasting.html?source=rssFri, 9 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400