Paper Mills Announce Additional Fuel and Freight Charges

Garda, ND Paper and Kruger have joined Sylvamo, Sustana, Billerud and Sappi in announcing fuel-related price adjustments or freight surcharges. The seven announcements carry different effective dates, product coverage and review provisions, making the details important for buyers planning upcoming orders.

Whether a charge applies can depend on when an order was received and acknowledged, when it ships, or its scheduled or confirmed delivery date. The notices also differ in how explicitly they address reviewing or removing the additional charge.

Announcements to date

Sylvamo announced a $1.00-per-hundredweight surcharge on covered paper shipments, effective October 1, 2026. An exception applies to orders received and acknowledged before September 25. The surcharge is equivalent to $20 per U.S. short ton.

Sustana announced a $20-per-ton surcharge on all grades and formats shipped beginning October 12, 2026.

Billerud announced a $25-per-ton surcharge on applicable paper and paperboard orders with confirmed delivery dates of November 1, 2026, or later.

Kruger announced a freight surcharge of $1.00 per hundredweight on applicable shipments effective November 1, 2026, equivalent to $20 per U.S. short ton. The charge will appear as a separate invoice line item calculated using the applicable shipment weight. Kruger attributes the adjustment to rising fuel prices and carrier transportation rates and says it will review the surcharge as market conditions evolve. Its notice does not specify a numerical benchmark or fixed review schedule.

Sappi announced a $25-per-ton surcharge on covered graphics shipments delivering November 6, 2026, or later. Covered products include McCoy, Opus, Somerset, Flo, Private Label, EuroArt and Galerie.

Garda announced a $1.25-per-hundredweight increase to the invoice price on all coated two-side paper shipments, effective November 9, 2026. This is equivalent to $25 per U.S. short ton. Orders received and acknowledged before October 16 will be invoiced at the acknowledged price, and all standard upcharges will continue to apply. The October 15 notice attributes the increase to rising diesel costs but describes it as an invoice-price increase and does not specify review or removal conditions.

ND Paper announced a $25-per-U.S.-short-ton surcharge on all Orion, Oxford and Pennacook products, covering all basis weights, finishes and grade extensions. The surcharge applies to new and existing orders scheduled for delivery November 13, 2026, or later. ND Paper says the charge will remain in place until the EIA On-Highway Diesel Price Index falls below $4.66—the benchmark identified in its notice as the first-half 2026 average—for four consecutive weeks.

Source: Paper Advance