Sonoco Implementing Price Increase for Uncoated Recycled Paperboard

Stora Enso has decided to discontinue the divestment process for its Beihai packaging board production site and forestry business, announced in December 2022. Stora Enso is of the view that the value in own use of the assets exceeds the achievable transaction value, and has therefore chosen to retain these operations within the Group. Stora Enso’s strategic ambition is to build on its global leading position in the fiber-based packaging market. The business of the Beihai site will be developed through a continued focus on operational excellence, cost optimisation, and product development. By adjusting the product mix to increase the share of liquid packaging board and other premium grades, the Beihai site will strengthen Stora Enso’s leading position as a global supplier. No significant capital expenditure is expected in the mid-term.

Huhtamaki has made the decision to consolidate the production footprint of its Flexible Packaging segment in Europe and will be closing its Flexible Packaging production facility in Prague, Czech Republic. All production and supporting activities at the facility will be scaled down during the second half of the year, with the closure of the operations completed by March 31, 2024. Production will gradually be transferred to Huhtamaki’s other manufacturing sites. The decision affects all 198 employees in the site. Huhtamaki will support its employees during this period, including providing information about vacancies in other Huhtamaki units in the Czech Republic and across Europe. Huhtamaki currently has two manufacturing units in Czech Republic. The closure of the Prague site does not affect the Fiber packaging operations in Okrisky which today employs 274 people.

Smurfit Kappa Group is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of Cartones del Pacifico, a leading paper-based packaging company in Peru. The acquisition represents an important milestone for the Company as it expands its footprint in the Americas from 12 to 13 countries, and builds on the Group’s leadership position as the largest pan-regional supplier in Latin America. As part of the transaction Emusa Group has acquired Smurfit Kappa’s flexible packaging business in El Salvador.