More Integrateds Plan Price Hikes

In the past couple of weeks additional integrated containerboard producers have told their customers that they would be raising their prices later this month or early next. Pratt Industries is planning to increase its prices by $50 per ton, effective with shipments of March 24. Other integrateds that have announced recently (all up $50 per ton) include Weyerhaeuser (April 1), Norampac (March 20), and Packaging Corp. of America (March 21).

Last month Georgia-Pacific announced a $50 per ton price increase to go into effect March 11 while Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.’s $50 per ton increase is scheduled to take effect April 1.

If this latest increase is fully implemented it will mean that containerboard prices have risen 33 percent since mid-October.