72% of U.S. Recovered Paper Exports to China

While US exports of recovered paper declined in January from December by 3%, China's January buying represented almost 72% of total exports, according to figures from the US Dept of Commerce, Bureau of Census.

China in January purchased 1.3 million tonnes of US recovered paper. The total exports for the month was 1.8 million.

India was the No. 2 largest destination for US recovered paper, with 7% of total exports and 121,161 tonnes.

China First in Forest Industry Growth

http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_GX/global/about/index.htm

According to the 2012 Global forest, paper, and packaging sector outlook launched today by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited's Global Manufacturing Industry group, China is expected to lead the sector in growth for 2012 due to increasing demand in the Asia Pacific region.

For the pulp and paper subsector, forecasts are positive; as such, pulp plants are under construction in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. Lower production costs, availability of raw material, and shorter growing time for trees are key drivers for the increase in pulp production in South America.

A DMA Win in Sales Tax Battles

http://www.btobonline.com/article/20120403/DIRECT03/304039992/dma-scores-internet-sales-tax-win-in-colorado

A U.S. District Court judge in Colorado has issued an injunction against the state's director of the department of revenue, blocking any enforcement of Colorado's law that requires out-of-state e-commerce businesses to report residents' purchases to the state so that it can collect sales tax.

52 Magazine Launches in 2012

52 Magazine Launches, 12 Closures in Q12012: 2012 started off strong with 52 new titles launched and only 12 folds, according to online database MediaFinder.com.

ASME Announces Finalists

ASME Announces 2012 National Magazine Awards Finalists: The American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) today announced the finalists for the 2012 National Magazine Awards, known familiarly as the Ellies. With six, New York is tied for most nominations.

Bloomsbury Buys Fairchild

Fairchild Fashion Media Sells Book Division to Bloomsbury: Fairchild Fashion Media, the trade group within Condé Nast that publishes Women's Wear Daily, Style.com and Footwear News, among others, has sold its book division, Fairchild Books, to the U.S. subsidiary of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for $6.5 million.

QuadDirect Adds Press-Plus

QuadDirect Advances In-line Direct Mail Production with 12-unit, Double-Web Press: QuadDirect, a division of Quad/Graphics, is completing installation of a new “Press-Plus” solution for in-line direct mail production that promises higher response rates and improved ROI.

RRD Invests in Real Valuable

R.R. Donnelley Invests in Maker of iPad App for Catalog Shopping: R. R. Donnelley & Sons announced that it has taken an equity stake in San Francisco-based Real Valuable Corp., maker of the CoffeeTable iPad catalog shopping app.

Egmont Launches New Title

Southernprint to produce new Egmont girls magazine: Egmont has launched a new monthly magazine, Monster High, a brand extension of the successful doll brand that has sold more than 5m dolls worldwide.

Heidelberg Cutting Capacity 15%

Heidelberg to slash 1,500 jobs and cut capacity by 15%: Heidelberg has concluded a consultation with its employees that will see its worldwide headcount slashed by more than 1,500 come 2014.

AF&PA Issues Annual Study

AF&PA Releases Paper, Paperboard, and Pulp Capacity Survey: The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) today released the 52nd Annual Survey of Paper, Paperboard and Pulp Capacity, reporting that U.S. paper and paperboard capacity decline slowed to 1.4% in 2011 to a level of 89.7 million short tons. 

More on Resolute/Fibrek

Steelhead will refrain from tendering Fibrek shares to AbitibiBowater:
Following the announcement made on March 31, 2012 by Steelhead Partners, LLC and its affiliates, Fibrek Inc. understands that Steelhead, the second largest shareholder of AbitibiBowater, intends not to tender any of its Fibrek shares to the unsolicited insider bid made by AbitibiBowater Inc. (doing business as Resolute Forest Products) until the minimum tender condition contained in the Abitibi bid has been met.

Resolute Extends Offer for Fibrek

Resolute reduces minimum tender condition and extends its offer for Fibrek:
AbitibiBowater Inc., doing business as Resolute Forest Products, has announced that it has reduced to 59,502,822 shares the minimum tender condition of its offer to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Fibrek Inc.

St. Mary's Sold

http://www.northernontariobusiness.com/Around-the-North/120326/St--Marys-sale-approved.aspx

The sale of shuttered St. Marys Paper, which produced Supercalendered paper, in Sault Ste. Marie has been approved by an Ontario court.

On March 26, authorization was given for the sale to numbered company 2319839 Ontario Inc., which has been described by manager and receiver Ernst & Young as “a consortium of companies including an auctioneer, a real estate development company, a metals recycling company and a forest products company.”

“The receiver understands that the purchaser may potentially seek to redevelop the mill into a biomass facility with a cogeneration plant while liquidating the mill assets,” reads Ernst & Young's report.

NewPage Invests in Mill

http://times-news.com/local/x684078876/NewPage-building-future-in-Luke-officials-told

NewPage is investing $15.8 million in capital improvements to its Luke, MD coated freesheet paper mill. 

Appleton to Begin Cuts in May

http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2012/04/02/appleton-papers-local-job-cuts-coming.html

Appleton Papers Inc. will start cutting staff at its West Carrollton plant in May, according to a filing with the state of Ohio.

The Wisconsin papermaker, which said earlier this year it would be ending paper production in West Carrollton and cut 330 jobs, will start the local layoffs on May 20 or within 14 days after that date.

MPA Develops Metrics

http://www.btobonline.com/article/20120402/MEDIABUSINESS14/304029997/mpa-develops-tablet-metrics-guidelines

MPA announced it has developed voluntary tablet metrics guidelines. Among the guidelines are five metrics: total consumer paid digital issues, total number of tablet readers per issue, total number of sessions per issue, total time spent per reader per issue and average number of sessions per reader per issue.

Hudson News/Comag Deal

Hudson News Takes Minority Stake in Comag: According to several sources, Hudson News president James Cohen is taking a minority stake in Comag Marketing Group.  will remain in his position as well.
The deal signals another major shift in the magagzine newsstand supply chain, bringing once disparate players closer together.

New USPS Option for Direct Mailers

http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120402/DIRECT0202/304029998/usps-to-allow-marketing-images-on-permit-indicia&template=printart

The U.S. Postal Service plans to allow direct mailers to include logos, trademarks, brand images and other kinds of marketing designs in the printed postage information area of their mail pieces.

Postmaster General Lays Out Vision

Postmaster General Lays Out Vision for Mailing Industry at Postal Forum: In a keynote address to open the National Postal Forum, Patrick R. Donahoe, Postmaster General and CEO of the U.S. Postal Service, today discussed the transformative power of technology and innovation in the mailing industry.