Changes for 50-/70-lb unbleached grocery bag paper & for 30-lb lightweight unbleached in N. America.

Fastmarkets RISI invited feedback from the industry for the pricing of a new 50- to 70-lb unbleached grocery bag paper grade and for a name change for 30-lb unbleached kraft paper to unbleached converting kraft paper in North America. The open consultation process was between Sept. 8 and Oct. 6, 2023. No feedback was received during the consultation period, and the addition of the new price line and change in name of another will be incorporated in the Price Watch starting with the Nov. 17 issue of Fastmarkets’ PPI Pulp & Paper Week and in Fastmarkets’ online price platform.

This consultation sought to ensure that the price line addition and change in name were in compliance with the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) principles for Price Reporting Agencies (PRAs). This includes all elements of our pricing process, our price specifications, and publication frequency.

Following a first market consultation period, Fastmarkets in mid-August decided to launch a price assessment for 50-lb unbleached kraft grocery sack paper in the open market in North America. Comments from industry participants led to the latest and second consult to expand the 50-lb grade out to 70-lb, for a pricing of 50- to 70-lb unbleached grocery bag kraft paper.

Description: Unbleached Grocery Bag, Heavyweight, 50-/70-lb, net price
Quality: 50-lb to 70-lb
Quantity: 1,000-10,000 tons/yr
Basis weight: 50-lb to 70-lb
Location: US East
Incoterm: Delivered
Timing: Orders taken in the month to date for shipment in the current month or the following month.
Unit: Short ton
Currency: US dollar
Payment terms: Assume normal and customary payment terms.
Price Type: Net price. Open-market transactions in ongoing supply relationships.
Assessment Type: Range price assessment.
Publication: Monthly. Usually at 4.30 pm Eastern time on the 3rd Friday of the month. See full schedule online.
Notes: Price assessments reflect prices after discounts. Prices are for prime-quality tonnage. Contains primarily virgin fiber. US East = East of the Rocky Mountains.

Additionally, the name change for 30-lb lightweight unbleached grocery bag kraft paper was to 30-lb lightweight unbleached converting bag paper. A new product grade for Converting Bag will be established by Fastmarkets. Price collection for the 30-lb will remain as is, in surveying buyers and sellers of the lightweight unbleached paper for end-uses such as quick service restaurants, mailers, grocery, and void fill.

Please send responses in writing, preferably in electronic format, to the following address: pricing.risi@fastmarkets.com. Please add the respective subject heading “North American Unbleached Kraft Paper 50-/70-lb, 30-lb Pricing.”

Please specify whether your response is confidential. Opinions offered in confidential responses may be referenced but will not be attributed in any way.

For more information on Fastmarkets’ methodology for North American packaging paper and board, including the new assessment, please see here.

To see all Fastmarkets pricing notices, please see here.

Case Study

Learn how to monitor packaging prices using cost and price indices and understand the underlying cost drivers, from material cost to labor, energy and more. Examples include cartonboard, liquid container and paper bag.

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