North American pulp producers Canfor and Bowater are reducing output by around 60,000 tonnes between them.


The moves are a strong indication that stocks in the pulp market are still running at high levels.


The announcements follow Sdra's closure of its Mnsters pulp mill for one week in December to "balance lower delivery volumes".


Canfor will take 25,000-30,000 tonnes of NBSK out of the system by the end of January. It also took out 26,000 tonnes during November and December.


In the US, Bowater is to take out 30,000 tonnes, or 12% of its market capacity, to "adjust its inventories".


Indications are that pulp will remain at $710 per tonne throughout the first quarter, with rumours of a later reduction.


This was backed by the 137,000-tonne increase in November producer pulp inventories to 1.6bn tonnes.


Total Canadian pulp production in November fell by 725,000 tonnes, an increase of 5% on last year's figures.


Bowater is a newsprint producer with nine pulp and paper mills in the USA, Canada and South Korea.


Story by Andy Scott