UPM Plywood closes Jyväskylä plywood mill – employee consultation process completed

As part of a settlement entered into by Verso with two Canadian producers of supercalendered papers, Verso today requested that the U.S. Department of Commerce revoke its order imposing duties on supercalendered papers made by those Canadian producers and imported into the U.S. The SC paper tariffs were intended to offset the impact of Canadian subsidies paid to Canadian producers of SC paper in order to help U.S. producers who were injured by the subsidized imports. However, injurious Canadian SC imports continue to enter the United States even with the tariffs, and imports from other non-U.S. SC producers which are not subject to the tariffs have increased. These factors offset the benefits of the tariffs to Verso. If the Department of Commerce grants Verso’s request to revoke the tariffs, it could provide Verso with a meaningful amount of cash over time, which we will evaluate how to use to best benefit our company and make us an even healthier supplier. However, there is no assurance that the Department of Commerce will grant our request to revoke the tariffs or that such funds will be provided to Verso. Be assured that we continue to make supercalendered paper at the Duluth Mill. Verso’s decision to settle the trade case is unrelated to any decisions about potential changes to Verso’s production assets at the Duluth Mill or to the types of products we make there.

Paper Excellence announced today that it is donating $50,000 to Saskatchewan Polytechnic to create a Paper Excellence student awards scholarship program. The scholarship awards will be distributed over the next five years with $2,500 available to each of four students each year. The awards are meant to encourage and recognize Saskatchewan youth with high academic achievement and financial need. They will be available to students enrolled in programs related to the operation of a pulp mill such as engineering, industrial mechanics, innovative manufacturing or welding. “As we continue to grow our footprint in Saskatchewan, we know it’s important to invest in the community,” said Carlo Dal Monte, Vice President, Energy and Business Development. “Investing in young people in Saskatchewan and supporting the development of the local workforce made sense from our end. With Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s excellent programs, many campuses around Saskatchewan, and stellar track record of developing the province’s workforce, we’re thrilled to be making this contribution.”

Sappi Limited, a leading producer of dissolving pulp sold under the brand name Verve, is pleased to announce that it has completed a self-assessment of the Higg Facility Social and Labour Module (FSLM) at its Ngodwana and Saiccor Mills in South Africa. The self-assessment results were very positive and highlight Sappi’s commitment to maintaining a high level of social and labour practices. Ngodwana and Saiccor Mills produce dissolving pulp under the Verve brand, which is used primarily in the textile and hygiene product industries. Developed by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, the Higg FSLM is part of a suite of tools that enables manufacturing facilities within the textile value chains to measure themselves against a standard set of criteria in the areas of recruitment and hiring, working hours, wages and benefits, worker treatment, worker involvement, health and safety, termination and management systems.