Christmas cards up to 25% more expensive due to pulp shortage

Consumers will notice the shortages on the paper market when the time comes to buy Christmas cards. Printers and paper producers warn of price increases up to 25 percent for Christmas cards, calendars and other printed goods, NOS reports.

"The paper market is changing, partly due to a shortage of paper pulp," Wouter Haan of print company Reclameland said to the broadcaster. "Paper has become 15 percent more expensive for us. Energy has become more expensive, the people, ink, transport from China. If this continues you will quickly arrive at a prince increase of 20 to 25 percent."

The coronavirus pandemic led to a massive increase in online shopping and meal delivery, all of which resulted in high demand of paper pulp for delivery boxes and little supply left for everything else. The shortage in the paper pulp these boxes and other paper products are made from already caused problems with school books supply, according to the broadcaster. 

Paper producer Sappi confirmed to NOS that it increased prices over the past months and will have to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. "We depend on raw materials that have increased in price by 50 percent in the short time since February," a spokesperson said. "The consumer who buys magazines, Christmas cards and calendars will feel it. That is inevitable."