The cartonboard market in the UK seems to be moving more towards a state of balance.
Interviews with experts revealed a mixed picture. "The market has moved a little closer to supply and demand being in balance,” one insider said. Ordering activity remains very lively, all experts confirmed to EUWID. Any cartonboard suppliers that open up their order books are booked up within no time at all. Converters are also already expressing interest in beginning talks about 2023 volumes and "signing agreements in blood,” one supplier remarked. Lead times remain long at 14 to 16 weeks or even over 20 weeks in individual cases. Customers report that they sometimes still have to fight for material. All of these indicators show that securing cartonboard remains the top priority for customers.
That being said, call-offs are nowhere near as strong as they were in the first quarter, some suppliers said.
⇒ This is an excerpt from EUWID's report on the British paper and board market. The complete article will be published in EUWID Packaging Markets 11/2022.
