Metsä Group's wood products business and Itochu Group to cooperate in the Asian market

Metsä Group Press Release 15 December 2014


Metsä Wood, Metsä Group's wood products business area, has signed a cooperation agreement with Itochu Group with the aim of increasing sales in the Asian market. The agreement makes Itochu Kenzai Corporation, a subsidiary of Itochu Corporation, an agent and distributor for Metsä Wood's sawn timber in the Japanese market as of 1 January 2015. Metsä Wood will also simultaneously dispose of its holding in Finnforest Nippon. The current agency agreement with Finnforest Nippon expired on 9 December 2014.


METSÄ GROUP
Group Communications

For additional information, please contact:
Esa Kaikkonen, Executive Vice President, Metsä Wood, Tel: +358 50 598 8746
Henrik Söderström, SVP, Timber and Upgrades, Metsä Wood, tel. +358 40 577 3421


www.metsagroup.com

Metsä Group is a responsible forest industry group whose products’ main raw material is renewable and sustainably grown northern wood. Metsä Group focuses on tissue and cooking papers, consumer packaging paperboard, pulp, wood products, and wood supply and forest services. Its high-quality products combine renewable raw materials, customer-orientation, sustainable development and innovation. Metsä Group’s sales totalled EUR 4.9 billion in 2013, and it employs approximately 11,000 people. The Group operates in some 30 countries. Metsäliitto Cooperative is the parent company of Metsä Group and is owned by approximately 123,000 Finnish forest owners.

www.metsawood.com

Metsä Wood provides competitive and environmentally friendly wood products for construction, industry and distributor partners. The products are manufactured from northern wood, a sustainable raw material of premium quality. Metsä Wood’s sales were EUR 897 million in 2013, and it employs approximately 2,500 people. Metsä Wood is part of Metsä Group.