Kraft paper is the strongest riser in paper & board, up 2.3% over three months and 5.0% over a year as of 4 November 2026. The family as a whole gained 0.6% on average over three months and 2.0% over twelve, with 19 of its 25 materials up and 6 down. Cardboard follows kraft paper at +1.3% over three months, level with the corrugated boxes and cases, and +2.8% over a year.
Corrugated formats moved together. American cardboard boxes, RSC shipping cases, corrugated mailers, die-cut boxes and telescopic boxes each rose 1.3%, and corrugated pads 1.2%. Cardboard trays also added 1.2% and bag-in-box 1.1%. Folding cartons hardly moved: folding carton boxes, small folding cartons, carton sleeves and cardboard ballotin boxes are all up 0.1%.
Molded pulp and cups account for the declines. Molded-pulp trays and egg trays slipped 0.4% and molded-pulp inserts 0.2%. Cardboard cups, cardboard pots and paper cups also eased 0.2%, and they are the only annual fallers in the family, at -3.4%. Over twelve months, parchment paper and paper baking cups show the largest gain, 8.3%.
Liquid cartons were steady, with gable-top cartons up 0.5% and both aseptic brick cartons and the liquid & aseptic cartons line up 0.4%. Beyond corrugated cases and boxes, paper & board takes in kraft and parchment paper, folding cartons, molded pulp, cups and pots, bag-in-box and liquid cartons.
Market notes dated 2 November cover containerboard news. SCA reported higher kraftliner prices and robust demand in Europe for the third quarter in its 23 October update, and Fastmarkets RISI recognised a third containerboard price-hike wave in North America in September. In Spain, the competition authority CNMC inspected several corrugated board makers between 6 and 9 October over possible anticompetitive practices.
The cardboard note of 5 October records a Sonoco price increase on uncoated recycled board grades across EMEA, effective 15 September, and two small weekly moves in Chinese corrugated paper prices in September, one down, one up. On cups, news reported on 3 September that Canada-US tariffs pushed coffee chains toward Canadian-made paper cups.