Steady to Increasing

February sorted office paper (SOP) prices climbed in some regions of the U.S. relative to January, with the Pacific Northwest seeing the largest gain. In that region, SOP jumped from $150 to $160 per ton in January to $160 to $170 per ton in February, PPI Pulp & Paper Week reports.

SOP pricing in the Northeast remained stable for the second month in a row as of February after declining by $10 per ton in December 2012, according to PPI.

The Midwest and Southeast regions saw more moderate gains of $5 per ton over the previous month, reaching $135 to $140 per ton in the Midwest and $145 to $155 per ton in the Southwest.

San Francisco/Oakland saw the largest increase in SOP pricing of export orders to China in February, adding $15 per ton over January to reach $200 to $210. New York gained $10, reaching $185 to $190 for February, while pricing out of L.A. increased by $5 per ton to $200 to $210.

(Additional information on secondary paper markets is available from SDB’s sister publication Recycling Today at www.RecyclingToday.com.)