March 09, 2010 A.T. Clayton News

Supply News

Stevedore Strike in Finland Temporarily Closes Mills
UPM and Sappi have now temporarily closed four paper mills in response to a strike by the Finnish Transport Workers Union that began March 4th.

• On March 4th, UPM shut down its Rauma mill, which has the capacity to produce 720,000 metric tones per year of coated mechanical and 540,000 mtpy of supercalendered paper.
• Sappi closed its Kirkniemi mill, which has 740,000 mtpy of coated mechanical.
• On March 8, UPM announced the closing of Kaukas (Lappeenranta), with 570,000 mtpy of coated mechanical and Kaipola, with 700,000 mtpy of coated mechanical, directory and newsprint papers.
• On march 10th, the company plans to close a machine at Kymi. The mill has 850,000 mtpy of coated and uncoated woodfree capacity.
• Reports are that Stora Enso will begin closing mills on March 10th.
Negotiations with the stevedores have resumed today.
Finland has 25 major ports, 10 of which handle 75% of their exports.

St. Marys Announces Machine Closing
St. Marys Paper will close PM 5 at its Sault Ste Marie, Ontario mill on March 12th. The machine can produce 130,000 mtpy of SC-A paper. The mill’s other machines, PMs 3 and 4, have been closed since December.

Fraser Papers’ Specialty Papers Business Has New Name
When the sale of Fraser’s specialty papers business is concluded, now expected in early April, the new company will be named Twin Rivers. It will include operations in Madawaska, Maine and Edmundston, New Brunswick.

Postal News

USPS Plans 2010 Summer Sale for Direct Mailers and Cataloguers
In 2009, the USPS had a summer sale for the users of Standard Mail, which covers direct mail and catalogues. The postal service has announced, pending approval by the PRC, that it plans to do it again. Eligible mailers could earn a 30% rebate on mail above a predetermined threshold. The USPS anticipates approximately 3,500 customers, representing 67% of Standard Mail volume, could meet the requirements for participating.