Grupo Nutresa has asked Colombia's competition authority, the SIC, to pre-clear its purchase of 100% of Empaques Industriales de Colombia (Empicolsa), a corrugated box maker whose Chilean parent Sur Papel SpA would make a full exit. Empicolsa's boxes would supply Nutresa units including Galletas Noel and Compañía Nacional de Chocolates; the parties put its share of Colombian corrugated board below 5%. The deal is to close once the SIC grants Phase I clearance.
Why this mattersA food group buying its own box plant integrates packaging supply vertically; at under 5% share, Empicolsa leaves Smurfit Westrock and local converters leading Colombian corrugated.
- Grupo Nutresa filed request 26-454522-0000 with Colombia's SIC for pre-evaluation of the acquisition
- The deal covers 100% of the shares in Empaques Industriales de Colombia (Empicolsa)
- The seller is Chilean parent Sur Papel SpA, which would make a full exit from the company
- The parties state Empicolsa holds under 5% of Colombia's corrugated board market
- The boxes would supply Nutresa units including Alimentos Cárnicos, Galletas Noel, Compañía Nacional de Chocolates, Doria, Meals de Colombia, IRCC and Atlantic FS
- The filing names Smurfit Westrock, Cartones América, Empacor and Cartonera Nacional as active competitors in Colombian corrugated
A recycled-fibre kraft paper mill under construction in Giurgiu, Romania, is about 60% built and due to start in 2028, at an estimated cost of EUR 80-90m (USD 89-101m), businessman Vladimir Cohn said. Planned capacity is 120,000-130,000 tonnes a year of kraft paper from recovered paper, aimed at bags that replace plastic in retail; about 60% of output is earmarked for export to other European markets.
Why this mattersThe plant would add Romania's first domestic capacity for recovered-fibre kraft paper used in plastic-replacement bags, supplying both local and export demand.
- Investment estimated at EUR 80-90m (USD 89-101m)
- Construction about 60% complete, with completion targeted for 2028
- Annual capacity planned at 120,000-130,000 tonnes of kraft paper made from recovered paper
- Expected to create 150-200 jobs
- About 60% of output earmarked for export to Europe, 40% for the Romanian market
- Financing is a mix of own funds and bank credit, according to businessman Vladimir Cohn
Packages Limited, the Pakistani group spanning packaging, paper and board, plastics and consumer products, reported consolidated net sales of PKR 160.45bn for the nine months to 30 September 2026, up 8% from PKR 149.04bn. Consolidated profit rose to PKR 6.54bn from PKR 1.40bn, helped by a one-off PKR 1.23bn gain from a Sindh infrastructure cess settlement, while third-quarter profit fell to PKR 1.09bn from PKR 1.74bn.
Why this mattersA recovery in core Paper and Board and Plastics segments lifts group earnings, but a weaker third quarter and rising finance costs temper the outlook.
- Consolidated net sales of PKR 160.45bn for the nine months to 30 September 2026, up from PKR 149.04bn
- Consolidated operating profit rose to PKR 21.45bn from PKR 16.46bn on recovery in Paper and Board, Plastics and Corn Starch
- Nine-month consolidated profit rose to PKR 6.54bn from PKR 1.40bn; basic EPS PKR 49.49 against a loss per share of PKR 2.88
- Third-quarter profit fell to PKR 1.09bn from PKR 1.74bn
- Other income included a one-off net gain of PKR 1.23bn from the Sindh Infrastructure Development Cess settlement
- Finance costs rose to PKR 11.20bn from PKR 10.81bn over the nine months
Stora Enso Packaging has confirmed it will permanently close its corrugated packaging plant in Tiukka, Kristiinankaupunki, Finland, ending production there. The decision, finalised on Thursday, follows changes negotiations launched on 22 September 2026 covering around 50 employees. Some affected workers have already found new jobs; the plant's chief shop steward expects to be among the last staff to leave during 2027.
Why this mattersThe closure takes corrugated converting capacity out of western Finland, leaving local box buyers to be served from other plants.
- On Thursday 29 October 2026 Stora Enso confirmed it will end corrugated packaging production at its Tiukka plant in Kristiinankaupunki, Finland
- The closure ends the jobs of about 50 employees covered by the change negotiations
- Stora Enso Packaging announced the planned permanent closure and opened change negotiations on 22 September 2026
- Some affected employees have already found work elsewhere
- Chief shop steward Aki Hanka expects to be among the last employees to leave, during 2027
Analysis by Every Can Counts of data from RetuRO, administrator of Romania's deposit-return system, shows the aluminium can recycling rate reached 80.5% in the first nine months of 2026, up from 75% a year earlier. Cans were the only packaging category to grow in volumes placed on market, up 2%, while total guaranteed packaging volumes fell 2.4% and plastic and glass both declined.
Why this mattersRising can collection and return rates support closed-loop aluminium supply for can makers such as Canpack, reinforcing cans' share gains against plastic and glass in deposit schemes.
- Aluminium can recycling rate in Romania's deposit-return system reached 80.5% in the first nine months of 2026, versus 75% in the same period of 2025
- Can return rate reached 85% in the nine months to September 2026, up from 82% a year earlier, after rising from 80.9% at end-July to 85% at end-September
- Cans placed on market rose 2% year on year in the nine months, the only packaging type to grow, while total guaranteed packaging volumes fell 2.4%
- Number of cans returned rose 6.3% year on year in the nine-month period
- Cans held a 29% share of guaranteed packaging placed on market in the third quarter, unchanged from the prior quarter and up from just over 20% in early 2024
- Every Can Counts in Romania is supported by Canpack and European Aluminium's Packaging Group
Beta Glass Plc, the Nigerian glass bottle maker, reported pre-tax profit down 6.6% to NGN 37.64bn for the nine months to 30 September 2026, as finance costs rose 44.69% and the company booked a foreign exchange loss. Revenue grew 4.98% to NGN 120.08bn, but profit after tax fell 8.44% to NGN 24.93bn and operating cash flow dropped 29.3%.
Why this mattersFinance costs and currency losses, not demand, are squeezing Beta Glass's earnings, while a 65% rise in exports shows the bottle maker finding buyers beyond Nigeria.
- Pre-tax profit fell 6.6% to NGN 37.64bn for the nine months to 30 September 2026, from NGN 40.32bn a year earlier
- Revenue rose 4.98% to NGN 120.08bn from NGN 114.38bn
- Profit after tax dropped 8.44% to NGN 24.93bn, with EPS down to NGN 41.55 from NGN 45.38
- Finance costs rose 44.69% to NGN 8.93bn, producing a net finance expense of NGN 373.56m versus net finance income a year earlier
- Export revenue grew 65.2% to NGN 7.23bn, lifting exports to about 6% of total revenue from 3.8%
- Operating cash flow fell 29.3% to NGN 22.38bn and total borrowings stood at NGN 40.28bn at period end
Bahrain's Ministry of Industry and Commerce and India's PG Foils Limited have signed a letter of intent to build a downstream aluminium foil plant in the kingdom, aimed at supplying foil for electric vehicle batteries and pharmaceutical packaging. The agreement, signed at the Gateway Gulf investment forum in Manama on 1 November 2026, sets no disclosed investment value or timeline and remains at the intent stage.
Why this mattersThe letter adds a possible Gulf source of pharmaceutical packaging foil, but with no investment, capacity or timetable disclosed it commits neither side to building.
- Bahrain's Ministry of Industry and Commerce and PG Foils Limited signed a letter of intent on 1 November 2026
- The planned downstream aluminium plant would produce foil for electric vehicle batteries and pharmaceutical packaging
- The agreement was signed at the fourth Gateway Gulf expo in Manama, hosted by the Bahrain Economic Development Board
- No investment value, capacity or start-up date was disclosed
- PG Foils Joint Managing Director Sahil Shah and Industry and Commerce Minister Abdullah bin Adel Fakhro signed the letter
Tri-Pack Films, a Pakistani BOPP packaging film producer, reported an after-tax profit of PKR 339.44 million for the nine months to 30 September 2026, against a net loss of PKR 372.89 million a year earlier, helped by a one-off PKR 599.45 million infrastructure-cess settlement gain. Separately, Pakistan's BOPP film industry has petitioned the National Tariff Commission for anti-dumping investigations against Chinese imports amid ongoing volume pressure.
Why this mattersAn anti-dumping case against Chinese BOPP imports could reshape competitive and pricing dynamics for Pakistan's plastics film producers already facing volume pressure.
- Pakistan's BOPP film industry filed a petition with the National Tariff Commission for anti-dumping investigations against Chinese imports
- Tri-Pack Films' revenue for the nine months to 30 September 2026 rose 7% year on year to PKR 24,892.98 million
- Profit after tax reached PKR 339.44 million versus a net loss of PKR 372.89 million in the same period a year earlier
- Earnings per share were PKR 8.75 against a loss per share of PKR 9.61 in the prior-year period
- Pre-tax profit included a one-off PKR 599.45 million remeasurement gain from settling the Sindh Infrastructure Cess under a 2026 amendment act
- No cash dividend, bonus shares or rights entitlement were declared
Bucher Industries reported nine-month 2026 sales of CHF 2.10bn, 2.8% lower year on year, with order intake down 1.4% to CHF 2.03bn and the order backlog down 1.8% to CHF 1.04bn. Glass container machinery division Emhart Glass posted a marked revenue fall after weak earlier orders and no large projects, and Kuhn farm machinery was hit by weak farmer investment, while Hydraulics grew. Bucher kept its guidance for slightly lower comparable 2026 sales and an operating margin below 2025.
Why this mattersEmhart's revenue drop for want of large projects points to restrained investment in forming equipment by container-glass makers.
- Nine-month 2026 sales CHF 2.10bn, down 2.8% year on year
- Order intake fell 1.4% to CHF 2.03bn; order backlog fell 1.8% to CHF 1.04bn
- Emhart Glass revenue fell markedly on low orders in earlier periods and no large projects
- Kuhn Group was hit by weak farmer investment, drought in Europe and higher operating and financing costs
- Bucher Hydraulics demand rose; Bucher Municipal order intake rose while its revenue fell
- 2026 guidance unchanged: slightly lower comparable sales and an operating margin below 2025, excluding a CHF 43m 2025 property gain
LEAP India has acquired plastics maker Vimprotech and container pooler Total International Packaging Solutions (TIPS) by slump sale for INR 1.42bn (USD 15.0m), adding in-house plastics design, mould making and manufacturing. The returnable packaging and pooling company also reported second-quarter net profit up 62% to INR 178m (USD 1.87m) on total income of INR 2,159m (USD 22.7m), with net debt down 46% after its August 2026 listing and a credit-rating upgrade from India Ratings.
Why this mattersIn-house plastics design, mould making and manufacturing and a deleveraged balance sheet give LEAP more control over pooled-asset costs as it funds planned expansion into Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
- Acquired Vimprotech and TIPS by slump sale for INR 1.42bn (USD 15.0m); together they had FY26 revenue of INR 650m (USD 6.8m) and more than 200 customers
- Q2 FY27 net profit rose 62% to INR 178m (USD 1.87m), after a one-time INR 68m (USD 0.72m) charge for prepaying long-term debt
- Q2 total income rose 23% to INR 2,159m (USD 22.7m); EBITDA rose 25% to INR 1,097m (USD 11.6m), a 50.8% margin
- Net debt fell 46% to INR 4,337m (USD 45.7m) at September 2026, helped by INR 3.6bn (USD 37.9m) of IPO proceeds applied to repayments
- India Ratings upgraded the long-term bank loan rating to IND A+/Stable from IND A and the short-term rating to IND A1+ from IND A1
- Management targets FY27 revenue of INR 9.18-9.20bn (USD 96.7-96.9m), INR 4.5bn (USD 47.4m) of capex this year and expansion into Saudi Arabia and the UAE
Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has drafted a decree under which shopping malls, supermarkets, hotels and tourist sites could no longer give away non-biodegradable plastic bags and single-use plastic items, which customers would pay for instead of an outright ban in 2026. The draft would halt production and import of plastic straws, cutlery and styrofoam food containers, and of non-biodegradable bags thinner than 30 microns, from 2031, and set minimum recycled content of 10% for certain plastic packaging and 20% for paper packaging.
Why this mattersA recycled-content mandate and 2031 plastics phase-out in Vietnam would force packaging converters and brand owners serving the market to shift material and sourcing strategies.
- The draft decree would end free distribution of non-biodegradable bags and single-use plastics at malls, supermarkets, hotels and tourist sites, instead of a full ban in 2026
- Production and import of plastic straws, knives, spoons, forks and styrofoam food containers would stop from 2031
- The deadline for thin non-biodegradable plastic bags would be pushed back five years to 2031
- The bag thickness threshold would fall to under 30 micrometres from under 50, and the size criterion would be removed
- Plastic packaging for beverages, food, carrier bags and goods transport would need at least 10% recycled content; paper packaging at least 20%
- The draft revises the roadmap set in Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP
Maine's Department of Environmental Protection said on 28 October 2026 that the 111 municipalities signed up to its packaging extended producer responsibility programme will receive no reimbursement for material recycled in 2025 and 2026. The gap follows the failure of DEP's first tender for a stewardship organisation, which closed on 18 August with no bids; a revised RFP is now with the state's procurement office and no new timeline will be set until a contract is signed. Producer payment and registration deadlines, which run from the contract date under 38 M.R.S. section 2146, remain undefined five years after the law was enacted in July 2021.
Why this mattersProducers selling into Maine face an open-ended delay on EPR fee obligations, while towns absorb two years of recycling costs with no contracted stewardship organisation in sight.
- Maine DEP's 28 October 2026 bulletin says towns will get no reimbursement for packaging material recycled in 2025 and 2026
- 111 municipalities have told DEP they intend to join the packaging EPR programme
- DEP's first tender for a stewardship organisation, RFP-202605094, issued 15 June 2026, closed 18 August 2026 with no proposals
- A revised RFP has been sent to Maine's Office of State Procurement; no new timeline will be set until a contract is signed
- Producer deadlines under 38 M.R.S. section 2146 run from the contract date, five years after the law's enactment in July 2021
- Producers must pay within 180 days of the contract taking effect and register within 90 days of the stewardship organisation opening registration
The European Commission adopted Regulation (EU) 2026/2412 on 28 October 2026, adding four substances, among them carbon fibres from carbonised polyacrylonitrile and uncoated nano-precipitated calcium carbonate, to the list of authorised substances for food-contact plastics under Regulation 10/2011. It applies in all member states from the 20th day after publication in the Official Journal, around mid-November 2026; manufacturers using the new substances must check them against the attached restrictions and update compliance documentation where needed.
Why this mattersFour additional authorised substances widen formulation options for EU food-contact plastics, while suppliers must update compliance documentation from mid-November 2026.
- European Commission issued Regulation (EU) No. 2026/2412 on 28 October 2026, amending Annex I of Regulation 10/2011.
- Four substances are added under FCM reference numbers 1086, 1087, 1088 and 1090, including carbon fibres from carbonised polyacrylonitrile and nano-precipitated calcium carbonate.
- Two new compliance-verification provisions are added to Table 3 of the regulation.
- The rule takes effect 20 days after Official Journal publication, around mid-November 2026, and applies directly across all EU member states.
- Manufacturers must review formulations and usage restrictions, including for materials used with infant food.
Spanish plastics converters' association Anaip says the country's trade deficit in converted plastics reached 810,000 tonnes in 2025, almost double the 446,000 tonnes of 2016, with imports from China up more than 130%. Anaip blames Spain's tax on non-reusable plastic packaging, the only one in the EU, for a tripling of film imports since 2023, mainly from Brazil, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and says Spain accounts for 81% of the EU's film trade deficit by value; European converters' body EuPC is studying the Spanish case.
Why this mattersAnaip presents Spain's national plastic packaging tax as shifting stretch-film output to non-EU suppliers, a case EuPC is examining against the PPWR's 2030 targets.
- Spain's plastics converting trade deficit reached 810,000 tonnes in 2025, against 446,000 tonnes in 2016
- Imports of converted plastics from China rose more than 130%
- Film imports have tripled since 2023, mainly from Brazil, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which Anaip attributes to Spain's plastic packaging tax
- Spain accounts for 81% of the EU's film trade deficit by value and 59% by volume
- The converting industry had 3,171 companies, 98% of them SMEs, and 82,433 direct jobs in 2024
- Sector investment reached a record EUR 1,141m (USD 1,275m) in 2024, while employment has been flat since 2021
Oak Ridge National Laboratory has launched the Center for Research and Advancement of Forest Product Technologies (CRAFT), a national initiative joining national laboratories, universities and more than 50 companies to develop and commercialise new pulp, paper and packaging technologies. The programme is based in East Tennessee and aims to make US paper and packaging manufacturing more cost-competitive and help reverse mill closures in the region.
Why this mattersA federally backed research consortium spanning over 50 companies could accelerate new fibre-based packaging technologies and reshape the competitiveness of US paper mills.
- CRAFT (Center for Research and Advancement of Forest Product Technologies) was launched by Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
- The initiative involves multiple national laboratories, universities and more than 50 participating companies.
- CRAFT is led nationally by director Dan Coughlin.
- The programme is based in East Tennessee, citing regional forest resources and research infrastructure including the University of Tennessee.
- Stated goals include commercialising next-generation paper and fibre packaging products, such as e-commerce packaging used by Amazon.
- Coughlin said the effort aims to reverse pulp and paper mill closures in the US Southeast.
China's homo-PP raffia export offers rose a further USD 40/ton this week, pushing the upper end of the FOB China range beyond USD 1,400/ton for the first time since tracking began in January 2021. The rally, driven by higher crude oil and feedstock costs and roughly 24% of China's PP capacity still offline, has lifted the weekly average about 40% since mid-July, even as overseas buyers grow reluctant to commit at current levels.
Why this mattersRecord Chinese PP raffia offers, about USD 120/ton above Middle Eastern material, weaken China's position as an alternative resin source for woven-bag and sack converters.
- FOB China homo-PP raffia offers rose USD 40/ton week-on-week, crossing USD 1,400/ton FOB for the first time since January 2021
- Weekly average FOB China price has climbed around 40% since mid-July 2026 to a record high
- About 24% of China's PP capacity remains shut, keeping operating rates low, according to a Chinese trader
- FOB China homo-PP raffia offers now trade at a USD 120/ton premium over CIF China Middle Eastern material
- The China-Middle East price gap widened sharply after a March energy-driven surge, briefly turned negative in May-June, then widened again from July
- International buyers are increasingly cautious about purchasing PP raffia at current record price levels
