Paper Supply Resources

Resources and Articles

UPM Reduces Graphic Paper Production Capacity - PrintIndustry.news

Included in April 5, 2023 edition of Pressing News

By the end of Q2 2023, UPM will shut down Paper Machine 6 at its Schongau mill in Germany, which has an annual uncoated paper capacity of 165,000 tons. In addition, they have accelerated their plans to stop production at Steyrermühl newsprint mill in Austria, which can produce 320,000 tons of newsprint per year. It is now planned to also close by the end of Q2 2023. Read Article

Survey Results: What Happens When Traditional Paper Stock Is Not Available? - WhatTheyThink

February 22, 2023

This prolonged period of paper shortage has required patience, persistence, and creativity from both printers and their customers. How is the industry responding? This article looks at the results of WhatTheyThink's survey on what happens when traditional paper stocks are not available. Read Article

What Are You Telling Your Customers About the Paper Shortage? - WhatTheyThink

February 1, 2023

The height of the pandemic is behind us. The supply chain is moving again. Why are paper prices still so high and paper still in short supply? How do you explain it to your customers? Read Article

USPS Agrees to Test Paper - Mailers Hub

Included in June 29, 2022 edition of Pressing News

The USPS recently announced that given the ongoing paper supply issues, it would work with mail producers to test alternative paper types. Per an Industry Alert, "Exceptions to use approved paper for specific commercial mailings will be considered on a case by case basis." Exception requests must be approved by the Pricing and Classification Service Center. Read Article

Paper Shortage and Midterm Elections - CNBC

Included in June 29, 2022 edition of Pressing News

CNBC recently reported on the ongoing paper shortage possibly impacting November's midterm elections. In addition to the ballots, the shortage could also affect printing of precinct guides and voter registration information. Officials are saying they currently have enough paper for what has been planned, but inventory is limited for any potential overage. Read Article

UPM strike that paralyzed paper supply is over - PrintIndustry.news

April 22, 2022

UPMand the Finnish Paperworkers' Union finally reached an agreement after 112 days. The strike that has been holding up deliveries of graphic paper, cardboard and labels throughout Europe is over and 2,000 Finnish employees have returned to work. Read Article

Another Supply Chain Shockwave as China Continues COVID-19 Battle - FreightWaves

Included in April 20, 2022 edition of Pressing News

Concern is growing that the spread of COVID cases and city lockdowns in China will have massive downstream effects for global supply chains that could dwarf previous disruptions. Shanghai is one of the largest manufacturing centers in China and is home to the largest container port in the world. Read Article

Paper Suppy Chain Update Webinar - Courtesy of Great Lakes Graphics Association

April 11, 2022

Great Lakes Graphics Association recently held a webinar featuring Brit Swisher, Vice President for North Region, Midland Paper to provide an update on the paper supply chain. Watch Recording

Paper Issues Could Lead to Ballot Shortages - BusinessInsider

Included in April 6, 2022 edition of Pressing News

The paper supply issues could affect the upcoming midterms, officials and experts warn. Federal law requires officials to send ballots to overseas and military voters 45 days before a federal election, while states have their own deadlines. Read Article

Why Supply Chains Are Entering Third Year of Chaos: QuickTake - The Washington Post

March 31, 2022

For two years, the pandemic threw the vital but usually invisible world of logistics into a tailspin, creating shortages of goods. Though the cargo industry’s ships, trains, trucks and planes continued to run full steam, they struggled to absorb the rolling tremors from Covid-19 — jolts to consumer demand, idled factories, employees getting sick or forced to work from home. The result: a sudden shortage of shipping containers, long delivery delays, a sustained period of soaring freight rates and higher prices for consumers. Read Article

Unions ask UPM shareholders to act over strike - PrintWeek

March 29, 2022

A trio of global trade unions has written to UPM’s major shareholders warning that the group’s “anti-union stance is an investment risk." They believed the strike was costing the company €20m a week. Read Article 

Changes in Paper Production Impacting Mail Producers - Mailers Hub News

Included in March 23, 2022 edition of Pressing News

It isn’t news to commercial mail producers that paper availability is tight. Unfortunately, supplies aren’t likely to improve anytime soon as trends in the paper industry move away from printing paper into types more suitable for packaging. An excellent overview of the situation was provided by Mark Hahn, Senior Managing Director and Founder of Graphic Arts Advisors, in his March 7 Target Report, reproduced with permission. Read Article

Strike at UPM mills to continue until mid-April - Yle News

March 17, 2022

The Paperworkers' Union announced on Wednesday that UPM plant workers will extend their ongoing strike until April 16, as no agreement on working conditions has yet been reached. The action had been scheduled to end on April 2. Read Article

UPM strike extended for fifth time - PrintWeek

March 16, 2022

Finnish Paperworkers’ Union Paperiliitto has extended its strike action at UPM once again, this time by a further 10 days to April 16, 2022. They are attempting to resolve the dispute in mediation. Read Article

Paper Problems - The Paper Supply Chain - Webinar hosted by Mailers Hub

March 15, 2022

Host Scott Hider, President of Clampitt Paper reviews what is causing the current paper shortage and the outlook for the coming year. Download slides

Paper Supply Chain Disruptions - Springfield Printing Corp.

Included in February 23, 2022 edition of Pressing News

Although it's been two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the paper supply chain continues to be disrupted. This article from Springfield Printing outlines the reasons for the continued disruption, including paper mill shortages, inventory issues, consumer demand changes, rising manufacturing costs, and ongoing transportation issues. Due to the multiple factors, the supply chain disruptions are expected to continue for at least several more months. Read Article

Paper Shortage: Strike at UPM's Finnish Mills Extended - PrintIndustry.news

Included in February 9, 2022 edition of Pressing News

Unions informed UPM Forest Products that the strike at UPM's Finnish mills will be extended until March 12, 2022, unless an agreement is reached. 

The strike began on January 1 and involves the shutdown of all five UPM Communication Papers graphic paper mills, as well as UPM Pulp's three pulp mills, UPM Biofuels, UPM Specialty Papers and UPM Raflatac's packaging products mills. Read Article

PIAG Updates

Message from the President

March 24, 2022

The paper shortage is a stressful, challenging situation caused by a frustrating combination of supply chain disruptions, misalignment between capacity and demand, changes and difficulties in the paper industry, and ongoing labor shortages. Read Message

PIAG Co-Signs Open Letter to the Paper Industry

March 14, 2022

PIAG and our 12 regional print industry affiliates co-signed an open letter to our business partners in the paper manufacturing and distribution industry emphasizing the challenges faced by print companies during the ongoing paper shortage. Read Letter