Extreme weather conditions, a postal price hike, weak demand, over capacity, and a turn of the year slide in prices for the majority of publication paper grades has made it a challenging start to 2014 for papermakers both in the US and Canada. Operating rates for North American coated mechanical (CM) mills last year averaged 89% and hit 82% in December, according to the Pulp and Paper Products Council, while 2013 demand declined close to 7% with a nearly 9% drop in December.
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