August 2026 review
August saw further increases in OCC pricing, which were supported by continued demand from domestic and export markets. Fruitbox pricing also remained strong throughout the month, following the significant increases seen towards the end of July.
Graphic and Folding Box Board grades remained largely flat, with August delivering another month of price stability. Tissue grades remained flat through the month.
Fuel surcharges continued to increase during August as expected and higher transport costs remained a key pressure on both UK and European deliveries.
September 2026
Packaging
1.04.00 / 1.05.00 (OCC)
Demand for 1.04.00 & 1.05.00 is increasing as we move into early September, driven by reduced generation during the summer holiday period and European mills gradually returning to full capacity following the summer break.
We are also seeing increased deep-sea demand, with September shipments being secured to ensure delivery ahead of Christmas. Against this backdrop, overall prices have increased by a minimum of £5/t.
4.02.00 (Fruit box)
4.02.00 pricing has further increased in the UK market for September, driven primarily by strong demand from Turkey. While pricing across the European domestic market remains stable, European mills have been forced to raise prices further for UK material in response to continued Turkish demand.
4.01.00 & 4.03.00 (NKLS & 98/2 OCC)
Demand across Europe remains subdued for these grades. Deep Sea export pricing is unchanged in September and is now at the same level as 1.05.00, following the recent increases in that grade.
Newsprint & Graphic Papers
Pricing across UK the remains stable for newsprint and graphic papers in September.
European mills also remain stable, with pricing for 1.11.00 while some modest increases around 1.06.00 have been noted. However for suppliers this been slightly offset by the increase in fuel surcharges for September.
Folding Box Board 1.03.00 (grey board), 3.11.00 (HP Scan), 3.11.01 (Mixed Scan), 3.12.00 (LP Scan)
Scan grades have remained unchanged as we move into September. UP Scan demand is low and with the expected FLOBB restart now cancelled we expect no changes, pricing remains stable. Box Board is also holding steady as we enter September, with no movement in pricing.
Tissues 3.10.00 (Multigrade), 2.05.00 (SOW), 2.06 (Coloured letters)
SOW / CHL remained stable as we moved into September. As the market waits to see whether Essity will further increase production at its Prudhoe mill. Should production increase, we are likely to see upward price movement through September as other mills adjust accordingly to maintain continuity of supply.
Multigrade has seen modest increases from UK mills of around £5/t. Across Europe, the picture has been more mixed, with some mills implementing increases of €5–€7/t, while others have maintained stable pricing.
Pulp Substitutes
September demand and pricing for 3.18.00 and 3.16.00 remain stable, with no price increases expected throughout the month.
However, 3.14.00 and 3.15.00 continue to see strong demand, with price increases of €10–€15/t in September.
Pricing Predictions
The outlook for packaging prices points to further increases once again. As US mills turn to the domestic market to rebuild low inventories following Q2 and ramp up production ahead of the holiday season, deep-sea buyers are increasingly looking to the UK and European markets to fill the resulting supply gap.
Newsprint and graphic paper prices are expected to remain stable in the short term, with demand from Palm remaining open throughout Q3. European mills are currently holding price levels, with little indication that increases are required.
As we move through Q3, we may see additional material becoming available as suppliers begin to review and rehome contracts ahead of Palm’s planned exit from newsprint production. This additional availability is likely to help keep the market balanced and limit upward pressure on recovered paper prices in the short term.