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In the UK, Metsä Tissue's main brand is Katrin, a paper towel and toilet roll brand used by corporate and professional clients. (Bloomberg) -- Finnish company Metsä Tissue is building a new paper mill in the Humber estuary of northeast England, in an investment worth hundreds of millions of pounds that will create 400 jobs. [Extracted from the article]

In Argentina's northern Jujuy province, local media reported gas stations suspending sales as customers attempted to load up on fuel before a possible devaluation. (Bloomberg) -- Some companies in Argentina are suspending sales ahead of the presidential election Sunday, fearing another major currency devaluation that would wipe out revenue. [Extracted from the article]

Asia Pulp & Paper Co. has submitted a preliminary proposal to buy a stake in Vinda International Holdings Ltd., a Hong Kong-listed tissue maker. The Indonesian pulp producer is in talks with lenders for financing and has already been selling tissues in China under various brands. Other potential buyers for Essity AB's stake in Vinda include RGE Pte, Suzano SA, and buyout firms Bain Capital, CVC Capital Partners, and DCP Capital. There is no certainty that Asia Pulp & Paper will proceed with a binding bid, and other suitors may also emerge. [Extracted from the article]

Asia Pulp & Paper Co. has reportedly entered the bidding for a stake in Vinda International Holdings Ltd., a Hong Kong-listed tissue maker. The Indonesian pulp producer has submitted a preliminary proposal to buy Vinda stock from its majority owner, Essity AB, at a price of over HK$20 per share. APP already sells tissues in China under various brands. Other potential suitors may also emerge, and there is no certainty that APP will proceed with a binding bid. Vinda owns one of China's top tissue brands and also produces products for feminine care, baby care, and incontinence. [Extracted from the article]

Costs for pulp globally are climbing, and toilet paper makers including Kimberly-Clark Corp. have implemented price hikes in an effort to boost margins. (Bloomberg) -- Toilet paper prices are on the rise yet again, and the blame can be pinned on an unexpected culprit: the housing market slump. Canadian sawmill closures are tightening the pulp market for now, but the impact on prices will eventually be balanced by weaker consumption and more supply available from northern Europe, said Kevin Mason, of ERA Forest Products Research. [Extracted from the article]

DS Smith, a UK-based packaging company, has confirmed that it is in talks with International Paper regarding a potential takeover. International Paper is reportedly considering an offer of £5 billion or more for DS Smith. If the deal goes through, DS Smith shareholders would receive 0.1285 shares in International Paper for each share they own. This comes after Mondi Plc agreed to acquire DS Smith for £5.1 billion earlier this month. [Extracted from the article]

An academic team led by researchers at the University of Florida concluded that the bathroom staple might be a source of PFAS entering wastewater treatment systems. "PFAS are ubiquitous in so many consumer products", said Jake Thompson, the study's lead author and a PhD student in environmental engineering at the University of Florida. [Extracted from the article]

Pulp prices have already risen around 45% this year as the cost for the energy-intensive process of churning wood chips into cellulosic mash has soared. Toilet-paper maker Metsa Tissue warned further curtailments are likely, while in Sweden, Essity AB said it's raising prices and implementing energy surcharges. [Extracted from the article]

The industry disputes the NRDC's findings, with some big brands saying that their products are already green because they come from woodlands managed sustainably, and that they plant trees to replace the ones being cut down for toilet paper. The U.S. toilet paper industry revolves around softness, with giant brands engaging in a decades-long marketing battle over touch and feel. (Bloomberg) -- Early in the pandemic, toilet paper shortages pushed weary Americans to the fringes. [Extracted from the article]

May's consumer spending report showed that inflation-adjusted household outlays for all goods and services have essentially stalled after a surge early this year. (Bloomberg) -- Americans are cutting back on personal hygiene products in a troubling sign for the US economy and consumer-focused companies. [Extracted from the article]

Barclays Plc predicts that the strong demand for commercial paper will decrease due to new money-market rules and the Federal Reserve's balance-sheet unwind. The Securities and Exchange Commission's regulations are expected to reduce institutional investors' demand for prime funds, which invest in higher-risk assets like commercial paper. As a result, institutional prime funds may convert to government-only entities or investors may withdraw cash, leading to a decrease in demand for commercial paper issuance. Additionally, the Federal Reserve's balance-sheet reduction process, known as quantitative tightening, could cause spreads to widen. Despite the current high demand for commercial paper, these factors are likely to change the market dynamics. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- In the toilet paper industry, startups are pitching bamboo as much more sustainable than the trees that go into giant brands like Procter & Gamble's Charmin. One big reason is that bamboo is one of the world's fastest-growing plants, while trees used in traditional toilet paper can take 70 years to grow back. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- An accident near a plant that supplies the key ingredientto make paper is adding to disruptions that have stoked inflation ineverything from toilet paper to diapers and cardboard boxes. The incident destroyed the bridge, one of two linking the OKI plant andthe terminal. [Extracted from the article]

The collapse of a bridge in Baltimore has caused disruptions in the flow of pulp into the US, impacting the toilet paper industry. Baltimore's port, which was used by top pulp producers, was shut down after a ship collided with the bridge, resulting in six deaths. The port accounted for about 6% of pulp imports into the US over the past year. Companies are now redirecting cargo to nearby ports, causing shipment delays in other hubs. This incident adds to the challenges faced by the pulp industry, which is already dealing with mill stoppages and violence in the Red Sea. Global pulp prices are rising, and average prices this year are expected to reach $670 per metric ton. [Extracted from the article]

They have been pushing the company to create the same types of cardboard packaging in the U.S. for their products. Corbett said she expects demand for paper packaging to grow as consumer product giants shift household products back to powders that save water and can be sold in boxes. [Extracted from the article]

London-based DS Smith's customers include consumer giants such as Mondelez, Nestle, P&G, Danone and Unilever. Corbett said she expects demand for paper packaging to grow as consumer product giants shift household products back to powders that save water and can be sold in boxes. [Extracted from the article]

As part of the deal, Paper Excellence agreed to sell Domtar's pulp mill in Kamloops to resolve the Canadian Competition Bureau's antitrust concerns. The closely-held pulp and paper manufacturer has started sounding out prospective buyers for Domtar's Kamloops mill, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. (Bloomberg) -- Paper Excellence Group is seeking as much as $400 million from the sale of a British Columbia pulp mill, people with knowledge of the matter said, as it works to satisfy the Canadian competition regulator's requirement for its $3 billion acquisition of Domtar Corp. [Extracted from the article]

After Sea cut its entertainment budget so employees could no longer spring for meals with suppliers or partners, Li encouraged staff to tell them the company couldn't afford such things any more. Read more about Li, who named himself after Forrest Gump These days, Li says he's splitting his time between Singapore and California to stay close to the "mind-blowing" artificial intelligence revolution that's taking place in Silicon Valley. (Bloomberg) -- Just over a year ago, Forrest Li was laid up in bed with Covid, fretting about the future of his company, Sea Ltd. [Extracted from the article]

Read more about Li, who named himself after Forrest Gump These days, Li says he's splitting his time between Singapore and California to stay close to the "mind-blowing" artificial intelligence revolution that's taking place in Silicon Valley. (Bloomberg) -- Just over a year ago, Forrest Li was laid up in bed with Covid, fretting about the future of his company, Sea Ltd. After Sea cut its entertainment budget so employees could no longer spring for meals with suppliers or partners, Li encouraged staff to tell them the company couldn't afford such things any more. [Extracted from the article]

Rather than working in academia, though, Carlson opted for the rag trade and is the founder of the six-year-old preppie outfitter Rowing Blazers, which he named after the book he wrote on oarsmen's classic style. It's the supersonic age, though, rather than puddle jumpers that get Carlson excited: "I only flew Concorde once, on one of the last flights before they stopped, and I have this rose-tinted view of the past, but it set the bar high for a flying experience. [Extracted from the article]

They have been pushing the company to create the same types of cardboard packaging in the U.S. for their products. Corbett said she expects demand for paper packaging to grow as consumer product giants shift household products back to powders that save water and can be sold in boxes. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: RFP; AGR; ALLTOP; BASIC; BLD; BUSINESS; CMD; COS; INDUSTRIES; MARKETS; TOP; WWTOP; WWTOPAM EN RFP AGR ALLTOP BASIC BLD BUSINESS CMD COS INDUSTRIES MARKETS TOP WWTOP WWTOPAM Company cites financial losses, "production upsets" R47VMHDWRGG3 (Bloomberg) -- Resolute Forest Products Inc. said it will idle its pulp and paper operations at a Tennessee mill because of "significant financial losses", the latest in a series of production shutdowns in the industry that has dented supplies across North America. "The company continues to accumulate significant financial losses at the mill, even with the current strong market conditions for both the pulp and uncoated freesheet paper it manufactures", according to the statement. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- New Jersey will become the first state to ban both plastic and paper bags on Wednesday, leaving companies and shoppers to find creative workarounds to get their groceries home. "Bring a Receptacle" Days before the ban, some New Jersey grocery stores had empty plastic-bag holders at checkout lines and signs warning customers of the upcoming change. [Extracted from the article]

In 2017, Amazon featured the Washlet in its Thanksgiving gift ranking, which Tamura said "paved the way for the sales boom when the pandemic hit." Toto started exporting the Washlet to the US in the 1980s and spent decades familiarizing American consumers with the product, and developing networks. (Bloomberg) -- Luxurious toilets complete with heated seats and cleansing jets of water are so common in Japan they've become almost synonymous with its culture. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: SUZB3@BZ; AGR; ALLTOP; BASIC; BRAZIL; BUSINESS; CMD; CMDTOP; CONS; COS; INDUSTRIAL; INDUSTRIES; LATAM; MARKETS; TOP; TRN; WORLD; WWTOP; WWTOPAM; WWTOPAS EN SUZB3@BZ AGR ALLTOP BASIC BRAZIL BUSINESS CMD CMDTOP CONS COS INDUSTRIAL INDUSTRIES LATAM MARKETS TOP TRN WORLD WWTOP WWTOPAM WWTOPAS The world really doesn't need more toilet paper problems. Brazil is the world's top supplier of pulp, and Suzano accounts for about a third of global supplies of hardwood pulp, the type used to produce toilet papers. SUZB3@BZ, AGR, ALLTOP, BASIC, BRAZIL, BUSINESS, CMD, CMDTOP, CONS, COS, INDUSTRIAL, INDUSTRIES, LATAM, MARKETS, TOP, TRN, WORLD, WWTOP, WWTOPAM, WWTOPAS. [Extracted from the article]

Shoppers Are Clinging to Their Printed Receipts A survey of consumers conducted for a group tied to the paper industry found more than three quarters of U.S. shoppers preferred to walk away with a slip of paper, not a copy sent to an email. Selfe's Chicago-based group, which is affiliated with Two Sides North America, a paper and graphic industry association, focused on the threat of identity theft for emailed receipts. [Extracted from the article]

"We have long admired Domtar's expansive global footprint and believe that itwill be a valuable addition to Paper Excellence", Joe Ragan, Global ChiefFinancial Officer of Paper Excellence, said in a statement. Canadian pulp-and-paper producer Paper Excellence agreed to acquire Domtar Corp.in a $2.8 billion all-cash deal to expand in the U.S. market. (Bloomberg) -- Canadian pulp-and-paper producer Paper Excellence agreed toacquire Domtar Corp. in a $2.8 billion all-cash deal to expand in the U.S.market. [Extracted from the article]

The company traces its roots to 1929 with the founding of Swedish forest company SCA, and was renamed Essity after acquiring medical solutions company BSN Medical and separating from its paper and pulp operations. (Bloomberg) -- Essity AB, the maker of Plenty paper towels, is considering options for its majority stake in Hong Kong-listed tissue paper producer Vinda International Holding Ltd., people familiar with the matter said. [Extracted from the article]

Two Indonesian tycoon families, the Eka Tjipta Widjaja clan's Sinar Mas Group and Sukanto Tanoto's RGE Pte, are competing to acquire a stake in Chinese tissue brand Vinda International Holdings Ltd. Asia Pulp & Paper Co., a subsidiary of Sinar Mas Group, has made a preliminary proposal to buy a significant holding in Vinda and is in talks with lenders to finance the potential purchase. RGE, which also operates in the pulp and paper industry, is working on a potential offer for a controlling stake in Vinda and has already acquired a 7% interest in the company. Vinda's majority owner, Swedish personal care product maker Essity AB, has stated that its holding is under strategic review. Other parties, including Brazilian Suzano SA and buyout firms such as Bain Capital, CVC Capital Partners, and DCP Capital, have also expressed interest in Essity's stake. It is uncertain whether any of the parties will proceed with binding offers. [Extracted from the article]

Two Indonesian tycoon families, the Eka Tjipta Widjaja clan's Sinar Mas Group and Sukanto Tanoto's RGE Pte, are competing to acquire a stake in Vinda International Holdings Ltd., one of China's top tissue brands. Asia Pulp & Paper Co., a subsidiary of Sinar Mas Group, has made a preliminary proposal to buy a significant holding in Vinda and is in talks with lenders to finance the potential purchase. RGE Pte, which also operates in the pulp and paper industry, is working on a potential offer for a controlling stake in Vinda and has already acquired a 7% interest in the company. Vinda's majority owner, Swedish personal care product maker Essity AB, has attracted interest from other parties, including Brazilian Suzano SA and buyout firms such as Bain Capital, CVC Capital Partners, and DCP Capital. It is uncertain whether any of the parties will proceed with binding offers, and any new major shareholder will need to work closely with Vinda's founder, Li Chaowang, who owns about 21% of the company. [Extracted from the article]

The South African government is considering accessing billions of dollars in paper profits from its reserves to fund its budget deficit and manage its debt. This would involve selling part or all of the underlying assets, which could potentially unsettle investors. The government has not made a final decision on how much it wants to access, but it is considering withdrawing up to half of the 497 billion rand ($26 billion) in the reserve account. The mechanics of accessing the funds are crucial, as it could have positive or negative effects depending on how it is done. The Treasury and central bank have been discussing the best way to utilize the funds, and international experts have been engaged to advise them. Other countries, such as Switzerland, Chile, and Poland, periodically transfer gains from valuation adjustments to their governments, but the frequency and mechanism of these transfers vary. [Extracted from the article]

Zara owner Inditex and German online fashion retailer Zalando are in disagreement over the use of plastic bags in their supply chain. Inditex has requested that Zalando replace the plastic bags used to deliver clothes to customers with other packaging, but Zalando has refused, stating that it cannot run its logistics operations without the plastic bags. Zalando sells many brands and believes that replacing the bags with cardboard or paper alternatives would not reduce the packaging's impact. Inditex has committed to eliminating single-use plastics by the end of the financial year and is working with its partners to meet this goal. [Extracted from the article]

Zara owner Inditex and German online fashion retailer Zalando are in disagreement over the use of plastic bags in their supply chain. Inditex has requested that Zalando replace the plastic bags used to deliver clothes to customers with other packaging, but Zalando has refused, stating that it cannot run its logistics operations without the plastic bags. Zalando argues that replacing the bags with cardboard or paper alternatives would not reduce the packaging's impact. Inditex has committed to eliminating single-use plastics by the end of the financial year, but the use of plastic bags remains a challenge for the fashion industry. Zalando is exploring different options to address this issue in the long-term, including reusing polybags. [Extracted from the article]

According to a researcher at the Bank of England (BOE), both the BOE and the Federal Reserve made a mistake by raising interest rates before starting to unwind quantitative easing (QE). The central banks began quantitative tightening (QT) only after raising rates to control inflation, which the researcher argues was the wrong approach. The researcher suggests that a rapid balance sheet unwind, involving active asset sales and passive maturities, can be just as effective as rate hikes in terms of overall monetary policy. The BOE has faced criticism for losses caused by QE, which taxpayers must cover, and the government has already transferred a significant amount of money to the BOE under an indemnity agreement. [Extracted from the article]

Llion Jones, who helped write the pioneering AI paper "Attention Is All You Need", confirmed to Bloomberg that he will depart Google Japan later this month. (Bloomberg) -- An artificial intelligence researcher who co-authored one of Google's most influential papers in the field is leaving the company to launch a startup. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- US paper mills are scaling back production as big-box retailers buy less cardboard, signaling a slowdown in consumer spending. Kyle Risinger said at last week's Commodity Trading Week Americas event in Chicago that manufacturing is down because inflation is curbing consumer spending, hurting demand. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Add toilet paper to the list of products facing higher costs and fragile supply chains in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Pulp prices have already risen around 45% this year as the cost for the energy-intensive process of churning wood chips into cellulosic mash has soared. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- South Korea removed a ban on paper cups at restaurants in a rare backtrack as other governments ramp up curbs to single-use products to protect the environment. South Korea also indefinitely delayed a plan to ban plastic straws that was slated to start in November, Lim said. [Extracted from the article]

Trump actually visited a Pratt paper-recycling mill in Ohio in 2020 and described it as "really amazing." (Bloomberg) -- Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt has been hurled into the spotlight after US press reports alleged that former President Donald Trump spilled secrets about US nuclear subs to the businessman. [Extracted from the article]

Traders who purchased bearish options for United States Steel Corp. are set to make significant profits after the stock dropped due to concerns about a proposed takeover by Japan's Nippon Steel Corp. Over 20,000 contracts were traded, allowing holders to sell 2 million shares of the steelmaker at $46. The options, which expire on Friday, were initially of little value but increased in worth after the report by the Financial Times. The buyers could potentially make around $8 million in profits. However, it is important to note that some of the buying may have been from traders covering short positions before expiration. [Extracted from the article]