Germany's federal government has put forward a draft law to tax plastic in packaging at EUR 550 per 1,000 kilograms, effective 1 July 2027. The levy is projected to bring around EUR 1.5bn into the federal budget in 2028, its first full year in force.
Why this mattersA per-tonne plastics levy raises input costs across Germany's packaging value chain and strengthens the economic case for fibre, mono-material and recycled-content alternatives.
- Draft law sets a tax of EUR 550 per 1,000 kilograms of plastic used in packaging.
- The tax is planned to take effect on 1 July 2027.
- The levy is projected to raise about EUR 1.5bn for the federal budget in 2028, its first full year.
MTAG Group Bhd has signed a letter of intent to acquire full ownership of LH Label (M) Sdn Bhd and LH Labelprint Sdn Bhd for an indicative cash consideration of RM13.8 million. Both targets are owned outright by Khor Chun Chuan and produce labels and associated printed products. The deal is subject to due diligence, an independent property valuation, further price negotiation and board approval, and would be funded from internal cash.
Why this mattersAt RM13.8m against RM8.02m of cash at 30 June 2026, MTAG would need more than its stated liquidity to fund the purchase from internal funds alone.
- Indicative cash consideration is RM13.8 million for 100% of LH Label (M) Sdn Bhd and LH Labelprint Sdn Bhd.
- Seller Khor Chun Chuan owns both target companies outright.
- MTAG reported RM8.02 million in cash and cash equivalents as at 30 June 2026 with no borrowings.
- The proposed price exceeds MTAG's cash balance by about RM5.78 million.
- Conditions include due diligence on legal, financial, tax and operational matters and an independent valuation of the targets' landed properties.
- Earnest deposit is returnable if conditions are not met within three months of LOI acceptance, unless extended.
German speciality paper maker Felix Schoeller is planning a biomass power plant at its Osnabrück-Lüstringen site to supply steam and electricity for paper production, burning waste wood sourced within 100 kilometres. The roughly 30 MW plant would occupy about 10,000 square metres and forms part of the family-owned company's goal of climate-neutral paper production by 2045. The city of Osnabrück has started the formal planning procedure, with a permit decision expected to take up to two years.
Why this mattersA biomass switch at an energy-intensive speciality paper mill signals how papermakers are weaning off natural gas ahead of tightening EU decarbonisation pressure on the sector.
- Planned biomass plant capacity is around 30 MW, fuelled by waste wood.
- Plant would occupy roughly 10,000 square metres on the western part of the Osnabrück-Lüstringen site.
- Waste wood would be sourced from within a 100-kilometre radius.
- The Osnabrück site is already energy self-sufficient via a gas turbine but still relies on natural gas.
- The city's formal planning procedure, under development plan number 683, began in April 2025.
- Permitting under Germany's Federal Immission Control Act could take up to two years.
The US Department of Commerce has preliminarily determined that Ckaari Packaging and Velvin sold certain paper shopping bags from India below normal value in the period 3 January 2024 to 30 June 2025. The review covers 23 Indian producers and exporters, and Commerce is rescinding it in part for seven companies. Interested parties have been invited to comment before the final results.
Why this mattersPreliminary findings against both mandatory respondents point to continued duty exposure for Indian paper bag shipments into the US retail bag market.
- Preliminary results are applicable from 7 October 2026 and cover the period 3 January 2024 to 30 June 2025.
- Commerce preliminarily found that Ckaari Packaging and Velvin sold paper shopping bags from India below normal value.
- The administrative review covers 23 Indian producers and exporters of the subject merchandise.
- Commerce is rescinding the review in part with respect to seven companies.
- Ckaari and Velvin were selected as mandatory respondents on 15 December 2025.
- Deadlines were tolled by 47 days on 14 November 2025 and by a further 21 days on 24 November 2025.
The US Department of Commerce has preliminarily found that Colombian paper shopping bag maker Ditar S.A. sold its products in the United States below normal value, setting a weighted-average dumping margin of 6.47% for the period 3 January 2024 to 30 June 2025. The all-others cash deposit rate remains 11.16%. Final results are due within 120 days of the notice's Federal Register publication, following a comment and hearing process.
Why this mattersA confirmed final margin would raise landed costs for Ditar's US paper bag shipments, affecting its competitiveness against domestic and other foreign suppliers.
- Preliminary weighted-average dumping margin for Ditar S.A. is 6.47% for the period 3 January 2024 to 30 June 2025.
- The underlying antidumping order on paper shopping bags from Colombia was published on 18 July 2024.
- The all-others cash deposit rate remains 11.16%.
- Case briefs are due 21 days after Federal Register publication, rebuttal briefs five days later.
- Final results are expected about 120 days after publication of the notice.
- Commerce extended the preliminary results deadline between June and September 2026, after tolling deadlines by 47 and 21 days in November 2025.
Shandong Bohui Paper, the sole A-share listed unit of Sinar Mas Group's APP (China) business, has begun operating Zibo city's first domestic-transfer export supervision warehouse after customs acceptance. The facility, the first of its kind under Jinan customs jurisdiction, is expected to save the company CNY 1.8m (USD 0.27m) a year by replacing a bonded-zone transfer process that previously risked holiday-season delays.
Why this mattersA streamlined customs transfer process cuts logistics cost and delivery risk for a major Chinese paper exporter serving more than 90 countries.
- The warehouse passed customs acceptance and began operation in early October 2026
- It is Zibo city's first domestic-transfer-type export supervision warehouse and the first under Jinan customs jurisdiction
- Bohui Paper is the sole A-share listed company under Sinar Mas Group's APP (China) unit, with annual capacity of nearly 5 million tonnes
- The company exports paper products to more than 90 countries and regions
- Expected savings are CNY 1.8m (USD 0.27m) a year versus the previous bonded-zone round-trip transfer process
- The prior process required a same-day bonded-zone round trip, raising costs and risking holiday-season customs delays
The US Department of Commerce has issued preliminary results in its administrative review of the antidumping duty order on paper shopping bags from Taiwan, covering the period 3 January 2024 to 30 June 2025. Commerce preliminarily found that Haur Tyi Paper Bag Co., Ltd did not sell subject merchandise below normal value during the review period, and rescinded the review in part for five companies that withdrew their requests. Commerce has invited public comment on the preliminary findings.
Why this mattersA preliminary finding of no dumping leaves Haur Tyi's US importers facing no added duty cost for the 2024-25 period, subject to the final results.
- Commerce preliminarily found Haur Tyi Paper Bag Co., Ltd did not sell subject merchandise below normal value during the review period.
- The review period runs from 3 January 2024 to 30 June 2025.
- The review is rescinded in part for five companies whose review requests were all withdrawn.
- Published 8 October 2026 as Federal Register document 2026-20691, citation 91 FR 64339.
- Commerce has invited interested parties to comment on the preliminary results.
Suzano has completed a multi-year expansion of its Port of Santos pulp export terminal, run jointly with DP World, raising its annual throughput capacity from 3.6 million to 5 million tonnes. Combined with its separate Terminal 32 facility, Suzano's two terminals at Santos can now handle up to 6.6 million tonnes of pulp a year, after the company set a one-day loading record of 39,100 tonnes on 20 September 2026.
Why this mattersHigher Santos throughput removes an export bottleneck for Suzano's pulp volumes and underpins the reliability of Brazilian seaborne supply to European buyers.
- Annual throughput capacity at the Santos terminal rose from 3.6 million to 5 million tonnes after a multi-year upgrade.
- Suzano loaded a record 39,100 tonnes of pulp onto two vessels in 24 hours on 20 September 2026 at the terminal, operated jointly with DP World.
- Warehouse area was expanded from 36,000 sqm to 51,000 sqm, raising static storage capacity to up to 160,000 tonnes.
- Two additional 40-tonne overhead cranes were installed at the facility.
- Combined with its separate Terminal 32, Suzano's two Santos terminals can now handle up to 6.6 million tonnes of pulp a year.
- Suzano has shipped 3.6 million tonnes of pulp through Santos so far in 2026, more than the annual output of its Três Lagoas unit.
Crown Holdings broke ground on 9 September 2026 on a new beverage can plant in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, its first facility on the Indian subcontinent. The plant will have two lines with combined capacity of about 2.2 billion aluminium cans a year, with operations due to start in the second half of 2027. A long-term supply contract with United Breweries, a Heineken subsidiary, underpins the project, which Crown first announced in April 2026.
Why this mattersA 2.2 billion-can plant with United Breweries volume behind it sets the entry benchmark for rivals weighing Indian beverage can capacity before 2027.
- Groundbreaking took place on 9 September 2026 in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh.
- The plant will have two production lines with combined capacity of approximately 2.2 billion aluminium beverage cans a year.
- Operations are scheduled to start in the second half of 2027.
- The facility is Crown's first on the Indian subcontinent.
- A long-term customer contract with United Breweries Limited, a Heineken subsidiary, underpins the project.
- Crown first announced the investment in April 2026.
Ardagh Metal Packaging has supplied a 250 mL aluminium can developed specifically for wine to carry Royal Swinkels' new alcohol-free wine brand BarLoca, launching in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Ardagh says it is the only can maker in Europe producing cans tailored to the wine category, with a semi-matt design and interior lining meant to protect flavour.
Why this mattersA brewer putting alcohol-free wine in a dedicated can extends can demand beyond beer and sets aluminium against glass in the no- and low-alcohol category.
- Ardagh Metal Packaging supplied a 250 mL aluminium can for BarLoca, launching in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
- BarLoca is a 0.0% alcohol wine made from Southern Italian wine, de-alcoholised at Royal Swinkels' brewery in Lieshout, Netherlands.
- The can comes in Bianco and Rosso variants with a semi-matt finish, a light- and air-blocking design and an interior lining.
- Ardagh states it is the only can maker in Europe producing cans specifically for the wine sector.
Surging orders for K-beauty products have pushed Korean cosmetics ODM manufacturers Korea Kolmar and Cosmax to record production capacity, creating a bottleneck in cosmetic container supply such as tubes and pouches. Pumtech Korea, the country's leading cosmetic container maker, is expanding fastest: it bought land in April 2026 for a seventh plant, completed a fourth plant in November 2025, and is building fifth and sixth plants, lifting capacity from 652 million units in 2024 to a projected 828 million units in 2026.
Why this mattersA capacity-constrained container supply chain could cap how fast K-beauty brands can scale output, favouring incumbent packagers able to expand fast enough.
- Korea Kolmar's average monthly production rose from about 46.49 million units in 2024 to about 52.71 million in 2025 and about 61.25 million in the first half of 2026.
- Cosmax's monthly output is about 86 million units and is forecast to soon exceed 100 million.
- Pumtech Korea, the top domestic cosmetic container maker, bought land in April 2026 to expand a seventh plant.
- Pumtech Korea completed a fourth plant in November 2025 and is building fifth and sixth plants.
- Pumtech Korea's capacity is projected to grow from 652 million units in 2024 to 768 million in 2025 and 828 million in 2026.
- Dalba Global reported a shortage of sunscreen containers in the second quarter of 2026.
Seiko Epson has signed a capital and business alliance with Japanese materials specialist Cluster Technology, subscribing to a third-party share allotment for JPY 300m (USD 1.9m). The tie-up targets joint development of inkjet print head components and next-generation materials, part of Epson's plan to invest JPY 5bn (USD 31.6m) over three years in its inkjet solutions growth area.
Why this mattersA small equity stake signals Epson is securing specialist resin-moulding capacity to support growing demand for its inkjet print heads, used across printing and industrial applications.
- Epson subscribed to a third-party allotment of new shares in Cluster Technology for JPY 300m (USD 1.9m).
- The alliance targets development of inkjet print head components, high-function parts and next-generation materials.
- Epson plans to invest JPY 5bn (USD 31.6m) over three years in its inkjet solutions business under its ENGINEERED FUTURE 2035 vision.
- Cluster Technology specialises in precision resin moulding and customised materials for optical and printer components, and resin insulation materials for heavy-electric industry.
- The deal makes Epson a major shareholder of Cluster Technology, per the latter's regulatory disclosure.
- Agreement signed 9 October 2026.
Lavazza will introduce compostable coffee capsules for its Lavazza Min espresso machines before the end of 2026, replacing conventional aluminium or plastic capsules with Mater-Bi 3G, a plant-fibre biopolymer made by Italian biotech firm Novamont. The company says the capsules can be processed through industrial composting with other organic waste rather than going to landfill, and describes the development as its first in-house patent.
Why this mattersA compostable capsule from a major roaster tests demand away from aluminium and plastic single-serve formats and the collection schemes built around them.
- Lavazza will launch the capsules for its Lavazza Min single-serve machine by the end of 2026.
- The capsules use Mater-Bi 3G, a biodegradable polymer made by Novamont from Asteraceae plant fibres.
- Lavazza says the capsules are designed for industrial composting, breaking down into organic fertiliser.
- Lavazza vice president Marco Lavazza described it as the company's first patent arising from its R&D.
- Most commercial coffee capsules today use aluminium or petroleum-based plastics that are typically landfilled.
Aluminium producer Speira has inaugurated a new beverage-can recycling furnace at its Rheinwerk site in Neuss, Germany, adding around 60,000 tonnes of annual recycling capacity. The EUR 40m investment also covers an upgraded casting line and storage for 6,500 tonnes of can scrap, and comes as Red Bull, a customer of Speira's recycled-aluminium cans, attended the opening.
Why this mattersMore recycled aluminium supply in Europe reduces can makers' reliance on energy-intensive primary metal and import-dependent raw material flows.
- Speira invested around EUR 40m in the new furnace and related upgrades at Rheinwerk in Neuss, Germany.
- The furnace adds approximately 60,000 tonnes of annual recycling capacity for beverage cans.
- Storage space for 6,500 tonnes of can scrap was added in former aluminium smelter halls.
- The furnace is built 'h2 ready' for future connection to the hydrogen grid.
- Red Bull, which uses cans made from Speira's recycled aluminium, attended the opening ceremony.
- Recycling aluminium uses around 95% less energy than primary production, according to Speira.
Borouge is expanding mechanical recycling capacity at two European sites, adding close to 9,000 tonnes a year of recycled mixed polyolefin at Niedergebra in Germany and up to 5,000 tonnes of recycled polyethylene at Wildon in Austria. The German line starts up in the first quarter of 2027 and the Austrian line in the fourth quarter of 2027, taking combined new capacity to roughly 14,000 tonnes a year on top of the group's existing recycled polypropylene plant in Bulgaria.
Why this mattersMore recycled polyolefin supply helps converters meet PPWR recycled-content targets, but usable volume still depends on feedstock quality and sorting, not nameplate capacity alone.
- Niedergebra, Germany, gains close to 9,000 tonnes a year of recycled mixed polyolefin capacity for rigid applications, due in the first quarter of 2027.
- Wildon, Austria, adds up to 5,000 tonnes a year of recycled polyethylene capacity, including grades for flexible packaging, due in the fourth quarter of 2027.
- Combined new nominal capacity across the two sites is roughly 14,000 tonnes a year.
- Borouge already operates a recycling site at Elin Pelin in Bulgaria producing more than 20,000 tonnes a year of recycled polypropylene grades.
- The expansion gives Borouge a European recycling network spanning polypropylene, polyethylene and mixed polyolefin feedstocks.
Bulgaria will require retailers to let shoppers fill their own containers for loose food from 12 February 2027, part of a wider set of packaging rules. Takeaway food outlets must offer reusable containers from 2028, hotels must switch to refillable cosmetic dispensers by 2030, and new limits on empty space, false bottoms and e-commerce fillers will apply to product packaging.
Why this mattersA national reuse mandate on this scale pressures retailers and converters supplying single-use produce, takeaway and hotel-amenity packaging to shift format ahead of EU-wide PPWR reuse targets.
- Retailers must allow customer-supplied containers for loose food purchases from 12 February 2027
- Food establishments must provide reusable takeaway containers starting in 2028
- Hotel amenity packaging (shampoo, shower gel) must switch to refillable dispensers, mandatory from 2030
- Packaging empty space is capped at 50% of product volume; double walls and false bottoms restricted
- E-commerce packaging faces new limits on fillers such as air pillows and polystyrene cushioning
- Consumers have been technically permitted to use their own containers since 2019 under an EU directive transposed into Bulgarian law
Brazil's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has published Portaria GM/MMA No. 1,778, which bans the use of credits or certificates to meet the country's 22% recycled-content target for plastic packaging and instead requires physical traceability of post-consumer material through ministry-approved platforms. Companies must file their first compliance report by 30 April 2027, while a separate reverse-logistics obligation targets 32% recovery of plastic packaging in 2026, due to be reported by 30 July. Brazil generated 5 million tonnes of post-consumer plastic waste in 2025, of which the recycling industry absorbed 1.27 million tonnes, with packaging recovery reaching 31.4%.
Why this mattersPlastic packaging makers selling into or exporting from Brazil must now prove recycled content with invoices and chain-of-custody data, raising compliance costs ahead of EU PPWR import requirements.
- Portaria GM/MMA No. 1,778, published 18 September 2026, bars credits or certificates for the 22% recycled-content target in plastic packaging.
- Only post-consumer waste counts, verified via ministry-homologated traceability platforms tracking mass, supplier identity and chain-of-custody.
- First recycled-content compliance report is due 30 April 2027.
- A separate reverse-logistics platform, Sisrev-BR, is created to track collection against the 32% plastic-packaging recovery target for 2026, reporting due 30 July.
- Brazil generated 5 million tonnes of post-consumer plastic waste in 2025; the recycling industry absorbed 1.27 million tonnes, with packaging recovery at 31.4%, per MaxiQuim/PICPlast data.
- EU PPWR (Regulation 2025/40), in force since 12 August 2026, sets recycled-content floors of up to 35% by 2030 and 65% by 2040 for plastic, with equivalent standards required for material sourced outside the bloc.
The US International Trade Commission has revised the preliminary schedule for trade-remedy investigations into corrugated die-cut cardboard boxes from China, Malaysia and Turkey, after the Department of Commerce extended its initiation-determination deadline by 20 days to no later than 19 October 2026. The Commission has not published the full replacement timetable and also renamed the case from "Corrugated Pizza Boxes" to "Corrugated Die-Cut Cardboard Boxes" to match Commerce's title.
Why this mattersA delayed timetable extends uncertainty for US corrugated box importers and overseas suppliers awaiting the outcome of the anti-dumping and countervailing duty case.
- Commerce extended its initiation-determination deadline by 20 days, to no later than 19 October 2026
- USITC's preliminary determinations are due within 25 days of receiving Commerce's initiation notice
- USITC must transmit its views to Commerce within five business days of its preliminary determinations
- The investigation was renamed from Corrugated Pizza Boxes to Corrugated Die-Cut Cardboard Boxes
- The case covers imports from China, Malaysia and Turkey
- The USITC had set an original schedule on 9 September 2026 under title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930
