Wood Pulp Price Trend and Forecast 2026-2027

Market Overview

The 6-region average for wood pulp had opened Q1 2025 at USD 0.613/KG and closed Q4 at USD 0.589/KG, a 3.9% full-year decline. Almost all of it had come from Northeast Asia, which had shed 19.1% as Chinese pulping capacity had come online faster than domestic paper demand could absorb it. The remaining five regions had barely moved. Europe had ended 2025 up 5.3%. Australia had gained 3.1%. India, North America, and South America had all stayed within a couple of percent of where they started.

Q1 2026 had edged the 6-region average to USD 0.590/KG, roughly flat with Q4. Northeast Asia had bounced 2.6% off its lows, Europe had firmed 1.7%, Australia had edged up 1.6%, North America had eased 1.9%, and South America had slipped a little further. Australia had run as the lowest-priced region throughout - its domestic packaging focus and shorter export lanes to Asian markets had kept pricing well below other regions. South America had maintained its structural premium above USD 0.65/KG throughout.

Wood Pulp Price Forecast for 2026

The Q1 2026 reading points to a mildly positive 2026. Northeast Asia's correction had probably found its floor: the Q1 bounce suggested buyers who'd been sitting out were coming back. South America should hold above USD 0.65/KG on Brazilian producer discipline. Europe and India look set for modest packaging and tissue demand gains. North America is a bit uncertain near-term with mills managing inventory, but the diversified demand base makes a sharp drop unlikely. Australia should hold in the USD 0.49 to 0.56/KG range.

For the Quarter Ending March 2026

Wood Pulp Prices Q1 2026:

• Europe: USD 0.551/KG
• North America: USD 0.543/KG
• India: USD 0.570/KG
• South America: USD 0.658/KG
• Northeast Asia: USD 0.711/KG
• Australia: USD 0.507/KG

Wood Pulp Prices in Europe

The statistics of the European region had finally moved in Q1 2026, coming in at USD 0.551/KG, up from USD 0.542/KG in Q4, with a 1.7% gain. Converters had drawn down inventory through Q4 and had come back in early 2026 with genuine buying intent. Suppliers hadn't discounted.

Why did the price of wood pulp change in Q1 2026 in Europe?

Converters had restocked after Q4 drawdowns and suppliers held firm on pricing. Those two things produced the 1.7% advance.

Wood Pulp Prices in North America

North America was the only region that had lost ground in Q1 2026 - down 1.9% to USD 0.543/KG from USD 0.554/KG in Q4. Early-year weakness in printing and writing paper demand is fairly predictable. Mills hadn't been short on inventory, import availability had been adequate, and buyers had used their options.

Why did the price of wood pulp change in Q1 2026 in North America?

Seasonal demand softening, adequate mill inventory, and steady import supply had given buyers leverage to negotiate the 1.9% reduction.

Wood Pulp Prices in India

India had barely registered in Q1 2026: USD 0.570/KG against USD 0.576/KG in Q4, a 1.0% ease. The market doesn't move much, and that's structural. Domestic residue-based production had kept supply insulated, and import tariff frameworks had added price stability. FMCG packaging demand had grown steadily.

Why did the price of wood pulp change in Q1 2026 in India?

Mild seasonal softness in a structurally range-bound market kept the move to a marginal 1.0% ease.

Wood Pulp Prices in South America

South America had come in at USD 0.658/KG in Q1, down 1.9% from USD 0.671/KG in Q4, and still the most expensive region of the six. Freight rates to Asia had normalised modestly and some energy cost pressure at Brazilian mills had added to it. The structural premium hadn't shifted.

Why did the price of wood pulp change in Q1 2026 in South America?

Freight normalisation and mild mill energy cost pressure had driven the 1.9% Q1 dip. South America's structural premium was unchanged.

Wood Pulp Prices in Northeast Asia

Northeast Asia had climbed to USD 0.711/KG from USD 0.693/KG in Q4 - a 2.6% gain and the first genuine recovery after a 19.1% full-year decline in 2025. Buyers who'd been deferring had started coming back. Chinese mills had moved toward better utilisation.

Why did the price of wood pulp change in Q1 2026 in Northeast Asia?

Deferred buyers re-entering the market and improving Chinese mill utilisation produced the 2.6% Q1 rebound.

Wood Pulp Prices in Australia

Australia had come in at USD 0.507/KG in Q1 2026, up 1.6% from USD 0.499/KG in Q4 - the lowest price in the six-region dataset throughout. Domestic packaging demand had kept things ticking, import availability had been manageable, and the 1.6% recovery had reflected seasonal procurement firming rather than anything structural.

Why did the price of wood pulp change in Q1 2026 in Australia?

Steady seasonal procurement and manageable import availability had driven the 1.6% Q1 recovery.

For the Quarter Ending December 2025

Wood Pulp Prices Q4 2025:

• Europe: USD 0.542/KG
• North America: USD 0.554/KG
• India: USD 0.576/KG
• South America: USD 0.671/KG
• Northeast Asia: USD 0.693/KG
• Australia: USD 0.499/KG

Wood Pulp Prices in Europe

Q4 had been a quiet one for Europe. Prices had ticked up 0.9% to USD 0.542/KG from USD 0.537/KG in Q3. Seasonal paper and board demand ahead of the holiday period had kept things steady, supply had been there when needed, and the full-year price band had been less than USD 0.03/KG wide.

Why did the price of wood pulp change in Q4 2025 in Europe?

Routine seasonal demand and disciplined export supply produced the 0.9% Q4 gain.

Wood Pulp Prices in North America

North American prices had fallen 4.0% in Q4 to USD 0.554/KG from USD 0.577/KG in Q3. Fall procurement demand had peaked, mills had excess stock, and better offshore availability had kept pressure on. The year had a V-shape to it - Q2 up, Q3 and Q4 down - that the sequential changes don't fully capture.

Why did the price of wood pulp change in Q4 2025 in North America?

Post-cycle demand softening, mild destocking, and improved offshore availability produced the 4.0% Q4 retreat.

Wood Pulp Prices in India

India had given back 0.8% in Q4, easing to USD 0.576/KG from USD 0.581/KG in Q3. India's market had been insulated from seasonal swings by domestic production and import tariff structures. Q4 had followed normal replenishment patterns. Nothing had moved the needle.

Why did the price of wood pulp change in Q4 2025 in India?

Routine procurement and domestic supply buffering kept the Q4 dip to a marginal 0.8%.

Wood Pulp Prices in South America

South America had fallen 3.6% in Q4 to USD 0.671/KG from USD 0.696/KG in Q3. Freight rate normalisation on South America-to-Asia lanes had taken embedded cost out of delivered prices, and Northeast Asian spot demand had been soft. Despite the dip, South America had sat above every other reporting region.

Why did the price of wood pulp change in Q4 2025 in South America?

Freight normalisation and subdued Northeast Asian spot buying drove the 3.6% Q4 decline. Still the highest-priced region.

Wood Pulp Prices in Northeast Asia

Northeast Asia had slipped to USD 0.693/KG in Q4, down 1.1% from USD 0.700/KG in Q3. Cumulative 2025 decline: 19.1%. But the pace had been decelerating - 14.2% in Q2, 4.7% in Q3, 1.1% in Q4. Procurement deferrals had started easing late in Q4. In hindsight that had been the trough.

Why did the price of wood pulp change in Q4 2025 in Northeast Asia?

Ongoing Chinese capacity oversupply had driven the 1.1% Q4 decline. The decelerating pace of falls had been the signal the correction cycle was approaching its end.

Wood Pulp Prices in Australia

Australia had eased 2.0% in Q4 to USD 0.499/KG from USD 0.509/KG in Q3 - its only quarterly decline in 2025. Import availability had improved through the quarter, giving buyers a bit more pricing leverage. A mild correction in an otherwise steady uptrend.

Why did the price of wood pulp change in Q4 2025 in Australia?

Improved import availability had given buyers some pricing leverage and produced the 2.0% Q4 ease.

Quarterly Wood Pulp Price Trends

The six-quarter arc for wood pulp had been clear: the 6-region average had moved from USD 0.613/KG in Q1 2025 to USD 0.589/KG by Q4, then edged to USD 0.590/KG in Q1 2026. Northeast Asia's 19.1% drop had done most of the heavy lifting; the other five regions had ranged from a modest gain to near-unchanged.

What was Wood Pulp Price in 2025?

Two markets in one. For five of the six reporting regions, 2025 had been a year of relative price stability. For Northeast Asia it had been a sustained correction, with prices falling 19.1% as new supply had run well ahead of demand. Three dynamics had shaped the broader pricing environment:

• New Chinese pulping capacity had come online ahead of domestic paper demand growth, creating the regional oversupply that drove Northeast Asia's 19.1% annual decline
• Freight rate normalisation from elevated post-pandemic levels had trimmed the South American delivered price premium, contributing to that region's 2.1% full-year dip
• Packaging and tissue sector demand in Europe and India had given both markets a consistent demand floor and prevented broader price deterioration

Wood Pulp Prices in Europe in 2025

Europe had been the best performer on the full-year metric: prices had risen from USD 0.515/KG in Q1 to USD 0.542/KG in Q4, a 5.3% gain. Packaging and specialty paper demand had kept things supported; exporter discipline had held the supply floor.

Wood Pulp Prices in North America in 2025

North America had gone almost nowhere - USD 0.558/KG in Q1, USD 0.554/KG in Q4, down 0.6% for the year. Movement underneath: up in Q2 on tissue and packaging demand, down in Q3 and Q4 as procurement had normalised.

Wood Pulp Prices in India in 2025

India had barely changed: USD 0.577/KG in Q1, USD 0.576/KG in Q4, a 0.2% annual decline. India's insulation had come from domestic residue-based production and import tariff structures.

Wood Pulp Prices in South America in 2025

South America had eased 2.1% from USD 0.685/KG to USD 0.671/KG as freight normalisation had trimmed the delivered price premium. Brazilian producer discipline had prevented a steeper slide.

Wood Pulp Prices in Northeast Asia in 2025

Northeast Asia had been the defining story. Prices had fallen from USD 0.857/KG in Q1 to USD 0.693/KG in Q4, a 19.1% full-year decline driven entirely by Chinese capacity outpacing demand. The rate of decline had decelerated: -14.2% in Q2, -4.7% in Q3, -1.1% in Q4.

Wood Pulp Prices in Australia in 2025

Australia had been one of only two regions to end 2025 above where it started: from USD 0.484/KG in Q1 to USD 0.499/KG in Q4, a 3.1% gain. Only Europe had done better. Lowest regional price throughout.

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