Establishes Sales Company in Brazil

STORA establishes sales company in Brazil Effective April 1, 1998, STORA established its own sales company in São Paulo, Brazil. During its first year of operation, the company - Stora Sudamérica will focus on the Brazilian, Argentinean and Uruguayan markets. Initially, the company will mainly sell fine papers, with one-side coated paper for bottle labels as the main product. Stora Sudamérica will also market other STORA products, such as printing papers and, at a later stage, board products. It is estimated that the new sales company will achieve sales of slightly more than SEK 200 million during the current year. With the establishment of its own sales company, STORA strengthens its presence in this region, which is a step in the Group's strategy to expand within emerging markets. STORA's other operations in Brazil include a joint-venture project to construct a new pulp mill in the province of Bahia. The project, Veracruz Celulose SA, was announced in September 1997. The mill is scheduled to be completed at year-end 2001.