Kraft Liner Paper Price Trend and Forecast

Kraft Liner Paper Regional Price Overview

Get comprehensive insights into the Kraft Liner Paper market, with a focused analysis of the Kraft Liner Paper price trend across Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Kraft Liner Paper Price Trend for the First Half of 2025

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In the first half of 2025, Kraft Liner Paper prices showed a generally upward trend, supported by a mix of cost pressures, limited supply, and steady demand from core sectors like packaging and e-commerce. The year began with producers pushing for price hikes in January, aiming to recover margins. Although demand remained relatively flat, especially compared to earlier peaks, by February, the market began to reflect some of these increases. Rising prices were more a result of supply-side pressure than strong buying activity.
 

Kraft Liner Paper Price Chart

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By March, additional price hikes were announced, this time linked to rising input costs and planned increases in Q2. While recycled fibre prices had dropped in the months before, producers still faced higher logistics, energy, and maintenance costs, which supported the continued push for higher prices. Export volumes, which had previously added strength to the market, began to slow compared to their high point in April 2024, reducing some of the external demand momentum.

In Q2, the European Kraft liner market stayed strong. Mills dealt with limited capacity due to maintenance shutdowns, while stable demand from fast-moving consumer goods and packaging helped sustain prices. Even with some cost relief from pulp, elevated freight rates and power costs continued to weigh on producers. Regional differences were notable, with Europe showing more consistent domestic demand than Asia. The market remained well-balanced through tight supply and strategic pricing actions by mills. The prices settled at 596 USD/MT (EOB) in the European markets towards the end of said quarter.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, Kraft Liner Paper prices are expected to stay stable or slightly increase in the coming months, driven by steady demand, supply constraints, and ongoing cost pressures.
 

Kraft Liner Paper Price Trend for the Second Half of 2024

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During the second half of 2024, the Kraft Liner Paper market experienced mixed trends, influenced by regional demand shifts, supply chain disruptions, and global economic uncertainties. In Europe, prices softened in Q3 as summer holidays led to reduced activity, and weaker industrial demand from major economies like Germany and France further dampened the market.

European producers, already facing intense competition overseas due to increased Russian exports following EU restrictions, began redirecting more volumes to the domestic market. This added downward pressure on prices and created a more competitive environment. The prices settled at around 578 USD/MT (FOB) in the European market towards the end of said period.

A temporary disruption occurred in Q4 due to a fire at Mondi’s Bulgarian mill, which impacted unbleached kraft production. While some expected this incident to tighten supply and lift prices, sluggish demand muted its effect on the market. The anticipated recovery failed to materialize, and the European market continued to struggle with excess supply and limited order volumes.

In contrast, the Indian market moved in the opposite direction. Prices for kraft paper, including kraft liner grades, surged significantly in Q4. A shortage of waste paper, which is a key raw material, along with supply constraints, drove up production costs. Corrugated box manufacturers in India faced tight margins, unable to pass on these cost hikes to their customers.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, Kraft Liner Paper prices may remain unstable into early 2025. Regional imbalances and global supply chain pressures, especially in waste paper availability and European economic recovery, will be key factors shaping market trends.
 

Kraft Liner Paper Price Trend for Q2 of 2024

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In Q2’24, the European kraft liner paper market showed a firm upward trend in prices. As the quarter began, producers applied price increases across both bleached and unbleached grades. The market sentiment turned more positive, especially among manufacturers, with steady demand growth and improving order volumes helping to support the hikes.

The UK and continental Europe both recorded firm increases, suggesting growing cost pressures and tightening supply across the region. The prices in Europe settled in around 556 USD/MT (FOB) towards the end of said period.

One of the main drivers behind the price rise was stronger overseas demand, partly due to ongoing shipping disruptions through the Red Sea. These delays pushed global buyers to seek alternatives within Europe, adding extra pressure to local supply.

Additionally, although the Finnish transport strikes had a limited impact on kraft liner, some converters reported delays in accessing paper stock from the region, further supporting price firmness. Meanwhile, converters and producers expected this to be just the beginning of multiple price rounds throughout the year. A second price rise was already announced for June, signalling strong momentum in the market.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, Kraft Liner Paper prices are expected to continue rising moderately into Q3, driven by global logistics challenges and regional demand stability.
 

Kraft Liner Paper Price Trend for Q1 of 2024

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During the first quarter of the year 2024, the kraft liner paper prices were found to be oscillating within constricted ranges in the global markets. Especially in the Indian markets the price trajectory exuded borderline stagnancy. These price patterns reflected the industry’s dependency on domestic consumption.

The supply chain curtailments in the international markets disturbed the trade exchanges and also limited the offshore avenues for manufacturers and suppliers. In the Indian kraft liner paper market, the monthly average prices went from about 486 USD/MT FOB, GSM (140-200) in January’24 to about 483 USD/MT FOB, GSM (140-200) in March’24. Kraft liner paper finds its crucial utilization in the packaging and shipping industry, especially for fragile packaging.  Since the offshore trade declined, the domestic market anchored the kraft line paper market for the entire time.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, not much change is anticipated in the Kraft Liner Paper industry in the coming months; the supply and demand dynamics look stable for the upcoming quarter.

Procurement Resource provides latest prices of Kraft Liner Paper. Each price database is tied to a user-friendly graphing tool dating back to 2014, which provides a range of functionalities: configuration of price series over user defined time period; comparison of product movements across countries; customisation of price currencies and unit; extraction of price data as excel files to be used offline.