US pulp prices hold flat as NBSK and BHK spot markets show recovery signs ahead of closures

Fastmarkets

Sep 18

Key takeaways: Preliminary September US contract prices stayed flat for BSK and BHK, while fluff pulp declined. NBSK spot prices increased modestly as availability tightened amid downtime, closures ...

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One of the best stock trading platforms in Singapore.","ogImage":"https://c1.itigergrowtha.com/portal5/static/media/og-logo.0a0bd8dc.png","ogUrl":"https://www.itiger.com/news/2668946878"},"companyName":"Tiger Brokers"},"pageData":{"isMobile":false,"isTiger":false,"isTTM":true,"region":"SGP","license":"TBSG","edition":"fundamental"},"isCrawlerRequest":true,"__swrFallback__":{"@#url:\"https://stock-news.skytigris.cn/v3/news\",params:#id:\"2668946878\",edition:\"fundamental\",auth_exemption:1,,,undefined,":{"share":"https://ttm.financial/m/news/2668946878?lang=en_US&edition=fundamental","thumbnail":"","is_english":true,"pubTime":"2026-09-18 12:00","share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/e9f99090a1c2ed51c021029395664489","id":"2668946878","market":"us","top_or_hot":-1,"title":"US pulp prices hold flat as NBSK and BHK spot markets show recovery signs ahead of closures","media":"Fastmarkets","content":"<div>\n<p>Key takeaways:\n\nPreliminary September US contract prices stayed flat for BSK and BHK, while fluff pulp declined.\nNBSK spot prices increased modestly as availability tightened amid downtime, closures ...</p>\n\n<a href=\"https://www.fastmarkets.com/insights/us-pulp-prices-hold-flat-as-nbsk-and-bhk-spot-markets-show-recovery-signs-ahead-of-closures/\">Source Link</a>\n\n</div>\n","source":"fastmarkets_highlight","html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; 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overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 11px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;line-height: 11px;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nUS pulp prices hold flat as NBSK and BHK spot markets show recovery signs ahead of closures\n</h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\n\n2026-09-18 12:00 GMT+8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=https://www.fastmarkets.com/insights/us-pulp-prices-hold-flat-as-nbsk-and-bhk-spot-markets-show-recovery-signs-ahead-of-closures/><strong>Fastmarkets</strong></a>\n\n\n</h4>\n\n</header>\n<article>\n<div>\n<p>Key takeaways:\n\nPreliminary September US contract prices stayed flat for BSK and BHK, while fluff pulp declined.\nNBSK spot prices increased modestly as availability tightened amid downtime, closures ...</p>\n\n<a href=\"https://www.fastmarkets.com/insights/us-pulp-prices-hold-flat-as-nbsk-and-bhk-spot-markets-show-recovery-signs-ahead-of-closures/\">Source Link</a>\n\n</div>\n\n\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","isBrief":false,"type":0,"news_type":1,"symbol":"IYM","symbol_name":"基础材料ETF-iShares Dow Jones","start_time":0,"source_url":"https://www.fastmarkets.com/insights/us-pulp-prices-hold-flat-as-nbsk-and-bhk-spot-markets-show-recovery-signs-ahead-of-closures/","article_id":"2668946878","we_media_id":null,"thumbnails":[],"rights":{"source":"fastmarkets_highlight","url":"https://www.fastmarkets.com/insights/us-pulp-prices-hold-flat-as-nbsk-and-bhk-spot-markets-show-recovery-signs-ahead-of-closures/","rn_cache_url":null,"directOrigin":true},"url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=2668946878","pubTimestamp":1789704000,"columns":[],"sourceInfo":{"source_id":"fastmarkets_highlight","name":"Fastmarkets"},"weMediaInfo":null,"summary":"September US contract pulp prices remained largely unchanged, while NBSK and BHK spot markets strengthened modestly amid maintenance downtime, closures, and shifting supply dynamics.","collect":0,"end_time":0,"defaultTopTitle":"fastmarkets.com","property":[],"viewcount":null,"language":"en","relate_stocks":{"IYM":"基础材料ETF-iShares Dow Jones","BHK":"黑岩核心债券信托"},"translate_title":"美国纸浆价格持平，NBSK 和 BHK 现货市场在关闭前显示出复苏迹象","themeId":null,"isJumpTheme":false,"ttsUrl":null,"symbols_score_info":{"BHK":1,"IYM":1.5},"content_text":"Key takeaways:\n\nPreliminary September US contract prices stayed flat for BSK and BHK, while fluff pulp declined.\nNBSK spot prices increased modestly as availability tightened amid downtime, closures and production shifts globally.\nMercer continued shifting production from NBSK to UKP, affecting spot volume availability and pricing dynamics.\nUS BHK contract prices held steady while spot markets edged higher and supply remained balanced.\nChina price increases and lower port inventories supported international hardwood and softwood pulp markets recently.\n\nPreliminary September US contract pulp prices were flat across paper-grade bleached softwood kraft (BSK) and bleached hardwood kraft (BHK) market pulp, while fluff pulp declined by as much as $30 per tonne during a time when offshore erosion continued. As the industry prepared for a fall season that typically sees demand improve during a time when maintenance downtime keeps producer inventories in check, market participants cast an eye on spot markets globally for signs of what’s next.\nNorth American market pulp prices were little changed this month, as availability in BSK from mills in Canada and the US remained mixed – and so were US spot prices. In BHK pulp, few signs emerged that a decline in prices would take shape despite a long-anticipated move down among buyers.\nUS northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) pulp preliminary September effective list prices held unchanged at $1,570 per tonne, according to Fastmarkets surveying. Southern bleached softwood kraft (SBSK) was also flat, with the preliminary list at $1,505 per tonne.\nThe flow of NBSK into domestic spot markets, which gained volumes back in May during a time of plentiful supply and aggressive competition between Canadian and European suppliers, has become more tempered this fall. In fact, some producers successfully moved up spot prices for the first time in months, citing lower availability.\n“I would even see $5-$10 increases as it feels like things are tightening a little with global downtime, maintenance downtime, suppliers making UKP instead of bleached and the psychology of the pending shuts.”\nThe announced closures of Canfor and Domtar market NBSK mills in Canada have market participants wondering if prices could recover once the physical impact of closures takes place. So far, they have not had much impact but a trend of lower spot NBSK volumes from the West and higher spot prices in the East led to a small gain this week.\nBenchmark NBSK pulp spot market prices to the US East and Midwest increased to $700-720 per tonne net delivered through September 11, up by $5 per tonne, according to Fastmarkets surveying. The small gain came amid higher costs for producers and expectations that availability would decline in the coming months.\nMercer’s Celgar UKP swing\nDomestic non-contract NBSK prices edged up while incremental supplies were mixed. Some market participants reported less spot volume coming from Western Canadian mills and higher prices in the US East.\nOne factor sources cited is Mercer International, which has continued shifting production from NBSK to unbleached kraft pulp (UKP) in recent months due to a weaker NBSK market and undersupplied UKP market that some contacts in Asia have called a shortage. One Chinese contact said the UKP rally will soon end, though, because producers are following the money and will soon flood the UKP market.\n“Celgar and Arauco switched to UKP and two big Chinese paper mills’ UKP lines are starting up soon,” said a Chinese market participant regarding production swings from BSK to UKP. “The situation of UKP supplies would be shown to be negative soon (because) the UKP market is quite smaller than BSK.”\nMeantime, costs are up for Canadian NBSK producers, which have complained about fuel surcharges as far back as spring. Now they are facing higher costs from a new record high price in diesel fuel, which surpassed $6 per gallon for the first time ever after oil surged above $100 per barrel early this week. Fuel is making pulp shipment costs increase substantially whether by ground or sea, raising the floor price for pulp, sources say.\nSBSK declines again\nWhile NBSK edged up, upward momentum did not spread to SBSK because stocks are flush and incremental tonnes’ availability rose after some producers began driving fresh deals into spot markets globally in a bid to avoid oversupplying global fluff markets. Contacts reported low-priced SBSK spot tonnes across North America and Asia, all at lower prices than a month ago.\nIn US spot markets, the lowest-cost freight gateways saw buyers snap up tonnes below the $650 per tonne net delivered mark – a price point that has emerged as a battleground price. This year has led to far broader spreads between NBSK and SBSK than usual. A $60 per tonne average spread between grades this week comes in stark contrast to a year ago when the spread was just $5 per tonne.\nUS and European fluff mixed\nIn global fluff pulp markets, preliminary September effective list prices in the US and Europe were broadly mixed depending on region, producer, and buyer. Levels ranged from flat to down as much as $30 per tonne, leading the preliminary effective list price to a $2,050-2,080 per tonne range, according to Fastmarkets surveying.\nSome sell-side market participants say that although price erosion had sharpened during the summer, it has now eased. However, fluff buyer sources in both mature and emerging markets cited fresh pricing drops this month. Offshore, most sources noted around $20 per tonne declines so far in Asia and Middle East and North Africa territories. International fluff prices to China close on September 29.\nUS BHK steady\n In US BHK markets, supply is mostly balanced in North American-produced BHK as well as for imported bleached eucalyptus kraft (BEK). Preliminary September effective list prices for domestic BHK held unchanged at $1,535 per tonne, while the US BEK preliminary list held at $1,565 per tonne, according to Fastmarkets surveying.\nNorthern bleached hardwood kraft (NBHK) availability has remained relatively low, and sources cited an unexpected shutdown at Woodland Pulp’s NBHK mill that lasted eight to 10 days last month. Company officials did not announce the temporary closure, but in recent weeks market participants widely cited it as tightening supply and prices in the US East.\nSpot BHK edges up $5\nUS BHK spot markets rose by $5 per tonne to $670-700 per tonne net delivered to the US East and Midwest through September 11, according to Fastmarkets’ mid-month survey. The $665 per tonne net deals that buyers had widely cited during the summer have dried up, according to producers and agents.\nIn Asia, a $20 per tonne price hike in China and other Asian markets that Suzano, Eldorado, and Klabin announced in rapid succession on September business gained traction as buyers in China conceded to increases amid low BHK inventories at ports and warehouses in the country. Although BSK stocks are said to be higher, international NBSK prices to China also gained this week due to concerns about supply down the road.\nAccording to producer sources, the successful rally in China came just in time to prevent a drop in US prices. Over the past two weeks since Suzano first announced its $20 per tonne hike, shipments that might have flooded into US spot markets instead moved to China and elsewhere in Asia, contacts said. That is not just impacting BEK, according to producers.\n“Literally every customer’s price is flat in September vs August,” said a contact at a major pulp producer, whose view was typical. “China is back buying again with both hardwood and softwood going up $20 per tonne which has eliminated the expectation that pricing in North America needs to move down.”\n\nPulp inventories at Chinese ports declined on September 7, according to a Fastmarkets report. At two main delivery ports, stocks at Qingdao declined by 3,000 tonnes, or 0.16%, from the previous week to 1.879 million tonnes. Pulp inventories at Changshu dropped by 8,000 tonnes, or 1.39%, to 568,000 tonnes. Combined stocks at the two Chinese ports totaled 2.447 million tonnes, down by 11,000 tonnes, or 0.45%.\nIn Germany, Mercer International is curtailing production at its 360,000 tonne per year Rosenthal NBSK pulp mill for a mix of maintenance and market-related reasons this month, Fastmarkets reported. The downtime is reportedly occurring from September 3 until October 1. The shutdown covers 11 days of downtime for maintenance reasons, and the rest will be market-related, removing approximately 30,000 tonnes of NBSK production in total, a Mercer spokesperson said.","kind":"highlight","is_publish_news":true,"is_publish_highlight":false,"is_publish_live":false,"is_publish_wemedia":false,"editions":null,"column":"","sentiment":"0","news_tag":"","news_rank":0,"isVideo":false,"video":null,"symbols":[],"gpt_button":0,"need_auth":false,"need_login_tip":false,"code":"91000000","status":"200"}}}