Canfor Pulp Products Inc. and UPM-Kymmene Corporation have agreed on a strategic sales and marketing cooperation. Beginning January 1, 2014, Canfor Pulp’s sales network will represent and co-market UPM Pulp products in North America and Japan whereas UPM’s Pulp sales network will represent and co-market Canfor Pulp products in Europe and China. In the initial phase, the cooperation agreement will consist of six grades of market pulp and approximately one million tonnes of pulp sales from eight mills on three continents.

Both parties consider the agreement as a significant strategic step. The customers will benefit from a broader product portfolio consisting of premium reinforcing northern bleached softwood kraft (PRP NBSK), northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK), northern bleached birch kraft (NBBK), bleached eucalyptus kraft (BEK), unbleached electrical kraft pulp (UBE), and bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulps (BCTMP).

“We are very excited to be entering into this direct-to-market sales cooperation with UPM Pulp. This agreement will bring two significant and reputable market pulp producers together to offer our customers a broader technical approach and an enhanced product offering for a total fibre solution,” said Sean Curran, vice-president, sales and marketing, Canfor Pulp Products Inc.

His counterpart at UPM Pulp, Tomas Wiklund, says: “The cooperation will provide our customers the most versatile range of Northern Softwood, Birch and Eucalyptus pulps available in the market combined with world-class technical service.”