Kraft paper crumples on weak demand due to second Covid wave
April 21, 2021
Prices down 10 per cent in the last one month
The second wave of the Covid pandemic has pulled down prices of Kraft paper, used in the packaging industry, by 10 per cent in last one month due to a sharp fall in demand.
The sector was limping back to normalcy after the onslaught of the pandemic last year. In fact, demand and prices started picking up in the second half of last year as the consumer goods industry focused on packaging, with concern on cleanliness taking centre stage.
However, the demand for kraft paper started weakening from late last month and prices started declining across the board.
Mumbai: Steel user industries like auto, construction and engineering goods sector have welcomed the announcements made by the Finance Minister to slash customs duty on steel products to 7.5% from 12.5%, and exempting duty on import of steel scrap.
Reacting to the Budget proposals, Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) India chairman Mahesh Desai said that slashing customs duty uniformly to 7.5 per cent on key iron and steel items , along with customs duty exemption on steel scrap up to March, 2022 is a big positive. It is a great move for Atmanirbhar Bharat and the MSMEs who had been hit hard for an unprecedented increase in the recent months,” Desai said.