Market Report
Recovered paper market struggles on
NL-Tilburg, 31 May 2026
Will prices remain stable in June after all? You could put it that way, but there are some nuances to consider. Export prices for low grades are slightly lower, mainly in India. But also in South-East Asia, where demand is not exactly booming. Add to that the transport challenges and complexities we’re currently facing with shipments, and we have to conclude that things just aren’t working out, really. Everything is difficult.
The same goes for the local market, incidentally, where transport isn’t exactly going swimmingly either, whilst hauliers complain that they cannot pass on their cost increases to their customers. High demand for transport, apparently, but unable to pass on cost increases? We’re noticing little of it, as we’re paying more and more and availability is down. A 4% or 20% diesel surcharge? That sort of discussions.
In the middle and high grades, it’s business as usual too, although a few buyers are lowering prices due to downtime, whilst others are ordering more volume for June at prices that have already been higher than average elsewhere in recent months. So roughly even, but some even than orthers.
The recovered paper market struggles on in a new (finished) paper and board market in which paper and board mills have been able to raise their selling prices. This despite the fact that overcapacity remains a significant issue. In the graphic paper sector, there continues to be a structural oversupply due to steadily declining demand and a reduction in production capacity that is failing to keep pace with this decline.
In the packaging market, so much extra capacity was planned, subsequently built and is still under construction amid the hype of 2021 and 2022 that, despite the closure of many smaller paper and board mills, capacity has
increased significantly. Furthermore, the anticipated increase in demand for all new capacity projects has been overestimated, and there is currently a slight decline in usage of corrugated paper volumes in Europe.
In addition, the safety valve of increased exports is not so straightforward now
that the problem of overcapacity is manifesting itself globally. The result is that more is being offered to Europe by producers from other continents, where production costs – due, among other things, to higher energy costs than elsewhere and, in some cases, advantages arising from weak national currencies, such as in Turkey – have weakened the former competitive advantage of European producers.
Price indication
Price indication in Europe for low grades of recovered paper, sorted, baled and ex works are now between € 60 and € 80 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.