Market pulp producers saw higher profits in 2018 as pulp prices jump to record high levels, while production costs increased only slightly
Pulp prices reached record highs in early 2018 following a 16-month period of increasing prices. Wood fiber costs, the largest cost component when manufacturing pulp, have gone up much more slowly than pulp prices during the past year, resulting in substantial increases in earnings for the international pulp industry.Seattle, USA.Strong pulp markets and record high prices for both softwood and hardwood market pulp resulted in upward price pressures on wood fiber throughout the world in the 1Q/18, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ). The Global Softwood Fiber Price Index (SFPI)was up