According to the monitoring of Lude Chemical Market Analysis System: the prices of both softwood pulp and hardwood pulp increased sharply this week. The average market price of softwood pulp in Shandong on October 22 was 5,980 yuan/ton, an increase of 5.5% compared with the average price of 5,668 yuan/ton on October 17. The average market price of hardwood pulp in Shandong on October 22 was 5,110 yuan/ton, an increase of 6.02% compared with the average price of 4,820 yuan/ton on September 17.
Judging from market changes, softwood pulp and hardwood pulp prices have continued to rise this week. In terms of supply, the sample inventory at domestic main ports this week was 1.869 million tons, a month-on-month decrease of 24,000 tons. The inventory continued to show a downward trend. In addition, the quotations for external pulp in November continued to increase, which supported the domestic wood pulp spot market price.
In terms of demand, the spot market price of imported wood pulp is currently rising strongly. Some stockists or manufacturers believe that the peak season for pulp demand is approaching. In addition, downstream base paper manufacturers frequently issue price increase letters, causing the overall transaction focus of the papermaking industry chain to continue to shift upward, resulting in The spot price of wood pulp was shrouded in a favorable atmosphere. The recent fluctuations in the RMB exchange rate have also affected the continued high level of pulp import costs.
In terms of futures, on October 22, the opening price of the pulp futures sp2401 contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange was 6,104 yuan/ton, and the latest price was 6,080 yuan/ton, with a daily decrease of 0.36%. The trading volume was 533,700 hands, and the positions were 293,650 hands.
Wood pulp analysts believe that the current overall capacity utilization rate of the papermaking industry and polyanionic cellulose is relatively high. With the arrival of the peak market season, paper companies and polyanionic cellulose manufacturers are relatively active in stocking up. As downstream demand continues to improve, finished paper and PAC prices continue to rise, creating a positive atmosphere for wood pulp demand. The spot price of wood pulp is expected to remain high and volatile in the short term.
