October 9, 2026
We have an excellent issue for you this autumn. Tissue360° has been out and about finding out what’s going on in the industry and talking to the people whose opinions really count.In this issue we delve into the global tissue market situations which have been variously described by our contributors as one of UNCERTAINTY, (yes, in capital letters) and another as “The Era of Turbulence.” Dramatic stuff! But the landscape is looking a little better after the tariff woes of early 2025, despite a lot of back and forth.
Meanwhile, tariffs on Asian exports to the U.S. remain elevated but not yet finalized. Notably, Asian countries currently supply nearly 700,000 metric tpy of tissue to the US, exceeding the output of 10 large tissue machines and forcing producers to seek alternative markets.
On to more certain and less turbulent subjects. Our lead article is a Q&A with the CEO of one of the most dynamic tissue industry companies ever seen in the space, Luigi Lazzareschi of Sofidel, who we met at Tissue World in Dusseldorf. As well as being a major European tissue manufacturing company, Sofidel is leading the way in the US in swashbuckling style with a $1.7 billion investment, both through acquisition and organic growth. After its recent acquisitions of Clearwater’s tissue operations and Royal Paper’s facilities, Sofidel now operates a total of 14 facilities across the country with a total capacity of 883,000 metric tons. Interestingly, Lazzareschi stills sees the US as a land of opportunity and expects significant growth, particularly in the rapidly expanding private label segment.
WORLD MARKETS: DIFFERENT DRIVERS FOR DIFFERENT REGIONS
We also have an excellent article in this issue by Bodo Kottwitz, a well-respected industry consultant from Europe, often to be seen strutting the stage at tissue events around the world. Kottwitz describes the difference between the US, Europe, and Asia in terms of their market drivers. While the US is looking at the top end and market growth, Europe is concentrating on profitability and bringing operational costs down. Asia is somewhere in between, with the main focus on technology for production of premium products.
Kottwitz explains that the major US tissue producers are looking at investing in automatic warehousing technology to reduce logistics costs and lock in customer loyalty, whilst European companies are increasingly looking at ways to reduce energy consumption, for example, by seriously examining electrification of whole tissue plants. Asia, on the other hand, is increasingly looking at TAD possibilities to ramp up the quality it offers consumers.
Kottwitz says China and the Far East Asia region are expected to drive around half of global growth in tissue demand and deserve close attention. These regions are increasingly building up local fiber supply and improving the quality and capabilities of their regional machine suppliers. Additionally, Russia’s reliance on them supports low-cost production through access to gas and oil.
We also have another excellent article in the issue on the adoption of digitization and AI. Jarmo Ropponen, global head of Tissue at Finnish company Tietoevry, says that “Implementing an AI strategy is not an option anymore. Around 90 percent of organizations are now investing in digital initiatives, and it is already being proved at these companies that the more they invest the more they gain.”
Given these dynamics, is the Era of Turbulence a perfect opportunity to invest in disruptive new technologies and innovative alternative fiber raw materials to remain competitive?
We hope you find some answers in this latest issue!
MARK RUSHTON
Editor, Tissue360°