Market Report
Prices up again in November
NL-Tilburg, 8 November 2026
For November prices are now more or less known. With export prices having risen for certain low grades—especially occ (cardboard)—local European prices have fallen further behind, despite the price increases implemented last week. It’s the unpredictable factors that help determine export prices. A stronger or weaker dollar? Higher or lower shipping rates? As was evident again last week, there’s little we can do about it. The Democrats won a majority in Congress in the elections, and the U.S.Dollar fell, only to recover to its previous level toward the end of the week. Oil prices, which had risen sharply, also fell, leading to shifts in rates among various shipping lines—up on certain routes, down on others. It remains a challenge to book the best rates and secure containers for those shipments.
Locally, mill buyers are already looking ahead to the Christmas period, when there are also concerns regarding available road transport. This has prompted several mill buyers to stock up a bit more. However, this, in turn, affects prices. Higher demand creates upward pressure; greater local availability can only be achieved by outbidding the export competition. That intention hasn’t materialized yet, resulting in a missed opportunity—especially since everyone in India was still focused on Diwali rather than raw materials. To the extent that there was still business contact with India, price reductions for occ (kls) were still being considered there. They, too, need to be careful not to miss the boat, just as is the case locally in Europe.
For middle and high grades, the debate over whether to sell locally or for export was quickly settled. Local buyers raised prices by €5 to €10 per metric ton for most middle grades to keep exports at bay. For lower de-inking grades, the sentiment was somewhat different. There, Palm UK’s stopping intake of OI (news and pam) and related grades leading up to Christmas appears to have eliminated the need to adjust prices. One buyer even hinted at possible price reductions toward the end of the year.
The days when there was a clear correlation between grades in price trends appears to be behind us. The continuing decline in generation of overissues and the ever-increasing share of cardboard in municipal collections—which is making sorting increasingly expensive—should put upward pressure on prices. However, the closure of large-capacity recovered paper consumers such as Palm seems to be temporarily creating a sense of sufficient availability or even a surplus, meaning that price reductions cannot be ruled out. And prices for lower deinking
grades are already historically high for quite some time. Thus, it seems certain that nothing is certain.
A few more news items this week that are worth noting. MSN (Milieuservice Nederland) has found a partner in Waterland Private Equity, which will take a 50% stake. This is quite notable, given that the trend among waste management companies is primarily one of consolidation. That is not the case, however, for Veolia Netherlands, which announced this week that it intends to sell its plastic recycling companies AKR and Veolia Polymers in Vroomshoop (NL). Several of Veolia’s plastic recycling facilities in Germany had already been closed earlier. Bloomberg also reported that Veolia is looking to divest its operations in Belgium. This would involve 70 locations with 4,000 employees—no small matter.
Price indication
Price indication in Europe for low grades of recovered paper, sorted, baled and ex works are now between € 90 and € 110 per tonne. These prices are depending on quality, available volume, region and loaded weight.
Look here at the Price chart >>
The price chart gives an indication of the price of mixed paper, separately collected, in the Netherlands free delivered mill over the last 10 years.
Scrolling over the top of the columns gives the exact price indication in Euro's per ton.