Canadian authorities urge central government to support paper industry

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. and Mercer International Inc. announced an agreement to dissolve their 50/50 joint venture in Cariboo Pulp and Paper. West Fraser will continue as the sole owner/operator of the mill, doing business as Cariboo Pulp and Paper Company. Located in Quesnel, British Columbia, Cariboo Pulp and Paper has the capacity to produce up to 340,000 tonnes of high-quality Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp annually, employing nearly 300 people. “Cariboo Pulp is an important member of the West Fraser family of mills," said Sean McLaren, West Fraser's President & CEO. "This agreement better positions West Fraser to support the mill and provides ongoing certainty to our talented workforce."

"Foodservice packaging converters and end users are seeking natural kraft OGR paper options that offer the right combination of quality, performance and run-to-run consistency," said Mike Weinhold, Verso President of Graphic Papers. "Our GlazeArmor™ family of OGR papers excels in these critical areas, and we will deliver these solutions with the same level of highly personalized customer service, experienced technical resources, and overall attention to detail that customers have come to expect from Verso." GlazeArmor™ natural kraft options are an exciting addition to the broader portfolio of Verso's machine-glazed laminating and converting papers, which are relied upon by flexible packaging converters worldwide. Featuring OGR levels ranging from Kit 5 to as high as Kit 12, GlazeArmor™ NK OGR and GlazeArmor™ NK Micro are Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)-free and are designed to work well in low to high oil and grease end uses. These OGR papers offer excellent runnability and converting performance, both key performance requirements for end-use applications such as sandwich and deli wraps, foodservice liners, microwave popcorn bags and laminated food pouches. Click Read More below for additional information.

Net sales for the second quarter declined by 2% to SEK 6 156 million (6 293). Higher sales volumes were primarily offset by significantly lower sales prices compared to last year in Division Paper. Net sales for the quarter were positively impacted by currency effects by 1%. Adjusted EBITDA increased to SEK 774 million (539), mainly as a result of lower maintenance costs compared with last year, lower fibre costs, reduced KM7 start-up impact and cost savings.