Other: Idempapers raises carbonless prices to counter higher costs
Paper manufacturer Idempapers is to raise the price of its Idem range of carbonless products.
The company's carbonless reels products will go up by up to 8% and its sheet products will rise by up to 5%, although prices will vary from one market to another.
Arnaud de Brandt, IdemPapers marketing manager, said that the current levels of sales prices "do not compensate for significant cost increases, despite previous price increases implemented this year".
Over the past 12 months, the paper industry has experienced continuous cost increases due to pulp price increases and the depreciation of the euro against the US dollar.
De Brandt said: "The major reason for the price increases is that pulp prices have continued to increase.
"Pulp stocks availability has also had an impact, as has demand versus production, energy costs, the Chile earthquake and the hard winter."
According to IdemPapers, the situation is expected to remain difficult in the coming months.
"We are not expecting to see any real improvement in the very short term, even if the pulp price explosion should progressively calm down," said de Brandt.
"The current economic environment is very volatile and it is hard for anybody to foresee what will happen in five or six months."
The price increase is the second the paper manufacturer has implemented this year after it issued a 12% increase on the price of its carbonless reel products and an 8% increase for its carbonless sheet products on 3 May.
For labels and posters, it announced price rises of 10% from 1 April.
Belgium-based IdemPapers is the former carbonless paper division of Arjowiggins, which was sold in an MBO on 1 October last year.
