The first half of the year saw strong demand for cartonboard in France, but business was quieter than expected in some cases in September. There was noticeable growth in order intake and deliveries in the GD board segment in the first seven months of the year in France. In Septem-ber, however, business was said to be only aver-age or even weaker. This was explained by the increased inventory levels that certain converters have been holding recently and the fact that they are being more cautious in their ordering. Some converters may have stocked up on cartonboard in advance of the most recent price hike. Rather than expecting a poor fourth quarter, market par-ticipants believe that business will return to nor-mal in October after a short dip. Comments from cartonboard converters also suggest that busi-ness overall is quite satisfactory.
