Market Report

Occ price further up in export

NL-Tilburg, 27 September 2026

It’s a bit of a seesaw game on the export market. Whilst for a while we were getting hardly any competitive prices for occ (cardboard) in South-East Asia compared with India, this week the market has shifted in that buyers in South-East Asia have raised their prices, whilst India is currently taking a wait-and-see approach. The advantage lies in the fact that shipments to South-East Asia are relatively easier and, above all, cheaper. By finding the right shipping line – that is to say, the one offering the lowest rate – it is still possible to achieve a higher ex-works price even for India, but as mentioned earlier, there is virtually no certainty that the booked containers will actually arrive. As with everything else, those offering the lowest rates are the least reliable. It can sometimes be a full-time job to rebook cancelled containers. Short-term bookings are also not possible. Everything has to be booked well in advance.
And, of course, that ends up costing more. Spot rates for westbound shipments from Asia have been falling for some time now, and that could be due to fewer bookings there. And if fewer bookings are made there, fewer empty containers will become available in Europe.

Be that as it may, contrary to what one might expect in the autumn, export prices for occ (kls) are continuing to rise. Not by much, but little by little. For October, export prices appear to be around $5 per tonne higher than in September. India is expected to catch up quickly once it realizes that prices elsewhere in Asia are higher.

What this means for the local market is anyone’s guess. It will not be possible for the local paper and board industry to keep prices for low grades at the same level. Some buyers have already announced this, but in the meantime, prices for occ in France are already being quoted at €10 higher than in September.  This is by no means enough to bridge the gap with export prices, but France has acted surprisingly early. Normally, prices are not announced until around the second week of the month. Spain is likely to follow suit, as much of the occ in

France is purchased by Spanish buyers.

And what about the middle and high grades grades? There appears to be a consensus within the paper industry to keep prices steady in October. There are a number of reasons why this would seem the obvious course of action. However, there are also factors that may still lead to price rises.

Price indication

Price indication in Europe for low grades of recovered paper, sorted, baled and ex works are now between € 80 and € 100 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.