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The PM40 closed Friday, 2 May 2025, at 5144.

Get the latest PM40 updates by listening to the weekly Nips show and the PM40 Daily Show on Pulp & Paper Radio International.

The PM40 closed 2 May 2025 down 6.8% from the 3 May 2024 level.

In this issue of Disconnected Comparisons, we evaluate Kimberly-Clark and PotlatchDeltic.

The Trump Administration's executive orders cut across dozens of industries. This searchable tool breaks down the orders and their impact.

Repeating myself over and over (my wife Laura says this is my most predominant quality), today there are two broad general grades of paper and paperboard being successful. Both fall in the category of being desired for their physical qualities. These are containerboard and tissue. Papers sought for their communications qualities (except for packaging, which has both physical and communications qualities) are for the history books, if anyone was still printing such tomes in quantity.

With more than 30 years of industry experience, Sourav Das brings deep expertise and a proven track record in the pulp and paper sector across India, Bangladesh, and neighboring markets.

Andritz has received an order from Turkish yarn manufacturer Göliplik Şeremet Tekstil Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. to deliver a complete WetlaceTM line to produce nonwovens for sustainable, flushable wipes.

SPM Instrument AB (SPM) received large order from Arctic Paper Grycksbo. The order from the Swedish paper mill concerns the Intellinova Parallel EN online system, which will monitor two hundred and sixty measuring points in the drying section and coating in paper machine PM9.

The maximum design speed was reached in just eight months.

Kemira will implement a minimum 5% surcharge on all products and services sold in the United States starting May 1, 2025. This applies to all Packaging & Hygiene and Water Solutions customers.

The new line has now successfully produced its first fibers at the medium-density fiberboard production facility in Kashipur.

The contracts include the replacement of an economizer in the recovery boiler and the implementation of the SYNERGY Services concept for the white liquor plant and pulp drying processes.

Solenis LLC, a global provider of water and hygiene solutions, announced it will temporarily apply a minimum 5% surcharge on all products and services sold in the United States, effective May 1, 2025.

The delivery includes refurbishing and modifying an existing disc filter from the mill's deinked pulp line (DIP) and reinstalling it in the mill's thermomechanical pulp line (TMP).

Start-up of the rebuilt PM 3 is planned for first quarter of 2026.

Start-up after the rebuild is scheduled for the Q4 2025.

Kimberly-Clark slashed its annual profit forecast on Tuesday as the Kleenex tissue maker said it would incur about $300 million in costs this year due to U.S. President Donald Trump's broad trade tariffs.

The JV aims to develop Malaysia's first integrated pulp production facility, with an annual capacity of 150,000 tonnes.

Svante Technologies Inc. (Svante), a leader in carbon capture and removal technology, announced that its joint carbon capture and storage project with Mercer International Inc. (Mercer) has advanced to the Front-end Engineering and Design Phase 2 (FEL-2).

This broad-based investment program centers on two transformative projects: a new advanced manufacturing facility in Warren, Ohio, and an expansion of its Beech Island, South Carolina, site with a state-of-the-art automated distribution center. It also includes additional capital expenditure linked to innovation and automation upgrades across its North America supply chain network.

The mill, which produces consumer tissue products, is adding a warehouse and building a new trailer yard.

The laboratory is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, and the investment value is approximately EUR 6 million.

Once fully ramped up, the machine will produce 420,000 tonnes of high-quality recycled containerboard annually, increasing Mondi's integration and enhancing security of supply for customers.

Mondi, a global leader in sustainable packaging and paper, is pleased to announce that following the start-up of its state-of-the-art paper machine at its Štětí mill (Czech Republic) in December 2024, early production runs have demonstrated excellent results in terms of strength, runnability and consistent quality.

Nordic Paper has decided to approve environmental investments of up to SEK 450 million relating to water at the Bäckhammar pulp and paper mill in Sweden. The investments are prerequisites in a new production permit for increasing production volume above the level permitted today.

In its announcement, Pratt predicted the investment would lead to 5,000 new jobs across the US, including in key electoral states Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Sofidel proudly marked the beginning of a new chapter in its Duluth mill with a groundbreaking ceremony for expansion.

Ahlstrom, a Finnish company which owns the longtime Thilmany mill in Kaukauna, said its planned acquisition of Pixelle's Stevens Point facility will complement its food packaging business and strengthen its position in the U.S. market.

Creates broader more complete portfolio with scale and global breadth, brings together material science and innovation capabilities required to revolutionize product development, enhances positions in attractive categories.

Founded in 1966, Northeastern Envelope is a leading manufacturer to the trade of a wide of variety of envelopes. In addition to their custom converting and manufacturing, Northeastern inventories hundreds of double window and single window envelopes allowing for same day shipping.

Huhtamaki has acquired Zellwin Farms, a privately-owned business located in Zellwood, Florida in the United States. The $18 million enterprise value transaction will support Huhtamaki's growth within the molded fiber industry, specifically for egg cartons and egg flats.

The sale of these plants was agreed to with the European Commission as a remedy for IP's acquisition of DS Smith Plc, as published on the Commission's website on January 24, 2025. The conclusion of the divestment is subject to the European Commission's approval of the proposed purchaser.

Southeast Asia's Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) and Asia Pulp & Paper Co (APP), as well as Brazil's Suzano SA are the final bidders for Kimberly-Clark's international tissue business valued at around $4 billion, four people said.

Norske Skog sold its Boyer mill in Australia to Boyer Capital, ensuring local ownership and future development.

Rengo Co., Ltd. announces that it has invested in KINKI DANBORU CO., LTD. through third-party allocation and acquired a 28.6% share of the company.

Stora Enso has completed the acquisition of the Finnish sawmill company Junnikkala Oy, announced in October 2024. The acquired sawmills will be integrated with Stora Enso's packaging board site in Oulu, Finland, and secure a cost-efficient wood supply to the site, where a new packaging board machine recently started ramping up production.

Operations generated $2.8bn in 2024 in three countries with eight mills and two conversion facilities.

The mill, which produces both coated recycled paperboard (CRB) and uncoated recycled paperboard (URB) is expected to remove 50,000 tons of CRB and 22,000 tons of URB capacity from the market and will end Greif's coated paperboard production on the West Coast.

The new facility is currently scheduled to begin operations in the fourth quarter of 2026 and create an estimated 65 new jobs to the current facility with a total of 190 team members.

Vanhanen will resign from the Board when he assumes his position as CEO.

Smurfit Westrock plc announced it will permanently close its coated recycled board (CRB) mill in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. and will discontinue production at its containerboard mill in Forney, Texas, U.S. The specialty coating facility at Forney will not be impacted. As a result, the Company's containerboard and CRB capacity is expected to reduce by over 500,000 tons.

Sylvamo, the world's paper company, is announcing Jean-Michel Ribiéras, chairman and chief executive officer, will retire Dec. 31.

Stora Enso plans to implement a new organisation with seven P&L responsible business areas reflecting the importance of its core business of renewable packaging in the business portfolio. The new flatter and streamlined organisation will increase customer focus, drive operational efficiency with increased integration, reduce complexity and enhance the Group's performance culture.

It was announced that CO280, a lead developer of large-scale carbon dioxide projects, entered an agreement with Microsoft for a project that will capture and permanently story biogenic carbon emissions from a US pulp and paper mill.

"The mill does not make products that are in high demand these days," said Jim Thompson, a Georgia-based paper industry consultant who grew up in Highland County, which is directly west of Chillicothe. "That's the basic problem." Thompson also said the site will be difficult to redevelop.

The Simpsonville location specializes in corrugated packaging solutions and warehousing services.

International Paper Company says it's restructuring and shutting down its Hazle Township box plant, among three other locations across the country.

Senator Moreno announced this morning that the closure initially set for June 13th, 2025 has been delayed until the end of the 2025 calendar year. Congressman Taylor applauded Senator Moreno's advocacy and the resulting delay in the mill's closure.

Columbia Falls firefighters responded to a fire in the hot oil room of the Weyerhaeuser MDF plant early Thursday morning, April 17.

Two Rhinelander paper mill employees suffered minor injuries Wednesday evening, April 30, after a paper machine experienced an equipment failure, the mill's parent company, Ahlstrom, has confirmed.

The negotiations will affect approximately 100 senior salaried and directors working in UPM Plywood business organization, business functions and global functions in Finland.

Second proposal by the conciliator was accepted by UPM Plywood but rejected by the union.