UFS Paper Prices Rise Amid Tightening Supply into 2026

Uncoated freesheet (UFS) paper pricing trends upward as reduced supply meets multiple producer price hikes, indicating a stronger market entering 2026. Inventories at mills, distributors, and importers have declined, with stocks from Pixelle’s Chillicothe mill closure now depleted and imports dropping due to tariffs and delays in Sylvamo’s Eastover mill capacity ramp-up. Fourth-quarter demand held firm, filling order books and prompting forecasts of a constrained UFS market next year. North American producers announced early 2026 increases: Sylvamo set 5–8% hikes on cut-size office paper, rolls, and sheets for shipments from February 4, 2026; Phoenix Paper followed with 6–12% rises effective February 6, warning freight costs might elevate regional impacts. These build on January 2026 adjustments by Neenah and Mohawk, seen as responses to supply constraints rather than just costs.