Solid Bleached Sulfate (Paperboard) Price Trend Analysis 2026: Market Insights, Latest News, Historical Prices, Price Drivers & Supply Demand Analysis

Solid Bleached Sulfate (Paperboard) Price Trend Q1 2025

During the first quarter of 2025, India's SBS paperboard industry faced inflationary pressures due to a weaker Indian Rupee (INR). The depreciation of the INR increased the cost of imported raw materials such as pulp, adding to the challenges of an already constrained supply chain. As a result, major paper manufacturers, including BGPPL, Emami Paper Mills, and Khanna Paper Mill, were compelled to raise prices to offset these rising costs. Pulp prices, in particular, saw their third consecutive increase within a short period. Additionally, the rising costs of wood and woodchips, the primary inputs for SBS production, further contributed to price hikes.

Beyond domestic challenges, the Indian market also contended with an influx of lower-cost paperboard imports, primarily from Indonesia and China. These imports, priced lower than domestically produced SBS paperboard, intensified competition, making it harder for local manufacturers to maintain their market position.

Despite these obstacles, demand for SBS paperboard remained stable, primarily driven by packaging needs in industries such as FMCG and e-commerce. However, the combination of rising production costs and increased competition from imports made the first quarter of 2025 a particularly challenging period for the Indian paperboard market.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the Solid Bleached Sulfate (Paperboard) price curve is expected to continue the upward trend in the near future as well until the costs of feedstock normalize in the upstream market.