Our Blogs

As all the mills are starting to convert over from BPA and BPS Free to Phenol Free, we are hearing from the mills of a sizable price increase in cost for the chemistry in the Phenol Free papers.  Originally, some of the mills were telling clients that the change would be “cost neutral”, however, this

All of the thermal paper mills are busy reformulating their thermal papers to meet the ever-changing requirements implemented in California and Washington. This year, California added BPS to the Proposition 65 list of chemicals, which prompted all the mills to focus on creating a paper that does not contain BPA and BPS. This conversion is

UPS has announced and increase for Ground Freight.  Here is the announcement: Dear Customer, At UPS, we are always dedicated to enhancing our global network, streamlining our service offerings, and delivering exceptional service to help you meet your customer commitments reliably. We also understand the importance of planning ahead. To assist you, here is a

October 1, 2024 is the deadline for a work stopage at 1/2 of the US ports.  This AP article will highlight the issues facing negotions and some ripple effects if the strike takes place.   https://apnews.com/article/us-port-strike-threat-longshoremen-savannah-georgia-d80689a9ab83fb3345df029e91b0abc8   https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/26/business/port-workers-ila-strike/index.html

We have been hearing rumblings of potential strikes by Port Workers for the past quarter.  It seems like these rumors might become a reality. This can lead to supply chain delays in our industry and other industries where supplies are imported.   Attached are 3 links to reports about the pending strikes. https://maritime-executive.com/article/ila-increases-posture-for-east-and-gulf-coast-port-strike-on-october-1 https://maritime-executive.com/article/new-strike-threats-loom-in-august-over-canada-s-west-coast-ports-and-rails https://www.reuters.com/business/possible-us-seaport-strike-could-back-up-goods-months-shipping-experts-say-2024-08-14/

Based on the most current product information from Paper Mills, many upgrades/changes are happening across the board.  These changes involve trying to keep up with State Legislations that are now limiting or eliminating certain chemicals from being imported into certain States. The most well-known is California, with Proposition 65.  This legislation is a master list

Attached is a copy of the price increase notice for Domtar of 8-10%.  This will be effective on shipments as of April 15, 2024. This will affect 48, 55, and 80-gram non-topcoated stocks. This comes as a total shock, based on the pricing pressure Domtar is already feeling from foreign suppliers. If you have any

This attachment is a copy of a Price Increase Announcement from Koehler effective April 1, 2024. It is still uncertain how this will play out in the US Markets. If you have any questions, please contact Brandon Kent, bkent@telemarkcorp.com

Starting December 29, 2024 the State of California is adding the chemical BPS to the list of potentially dangerous chemicals.  All Shipments to the State of California will either have to be Bisphenol Free (BPA and BPS) free or Labeled with a Proposition 65 Warning Label. Here is the link to the State of California

Fastmarkets RISI indicates that the thermal markets are currently flat, but are expecting a decline due to soft demand. For the complete report, click below: FastMarkets RISI Report 12-20-23 For questions, please contact Brandon Kent at bkent@telemarkcorp.com