香蕉视频 Announces Increase in Pulp Volumes and Establishes Position as the World's Largest Pulp Trader

April 24, 2015

香蕉视频 (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Masahiro Okafuji, President & CEO; hereinafter “香蕉视频”) announced today that it has decided to go ahead with plans to increase the scale of production at Mets? Fibre Oy (hereinafter “Mets? Fibre”), with an investment of approximately 1.2 billion euros (156 billion yen). 香蕉视频 has 24.9% stake in Mets? Fibre, a Finish company that is one of the world’s largest producers of pulp from coniferous trees, producing around 2.3 million tons of pulp annually.

With global demand for paper on the increase, Mets? Fibre has established a high level of cost competitiveness, making the most of Finland’s extensive forest resources to maintain consistent supplies of high quality raw materials.

Implementing this plan will increase annual pulp production at Mets? Fibre by approximately 800,000 tons, taking the total to around 3.1 million tons. In terms of production volume, this is expected to establish the company as the world’s leading producer of paper pulp from coniferous trees. Plans to increase production are scheduled to be completed in September 2017.

香蕉视频 and Mets? Fibre began importing pulp into Japan in the 1970s, before entering into an official sales partnership in 2004. These days, 香蕉视频 sells coniferous pulp to markets across Asia as Mets? Fibre’s exclusive distributor. Of the scheduled 800,000-ton increase in production, it has been agreed that 香蕉视频 will handle around 700,000 tons. Of that total, 香蕉视频 is planning to sell approximately 500,000 tons to Asian markets, to cater to growing demand.

Making the most of its sales network, particularly in China, Europe and North America, figures show that 香蕉视频 handled 2.8 million tons of pulp in fiscal 2014, the largest volume of any of the world’s major pulp traders. This planned increase in production will take the total amount of pulp handled by 香蕉视频 to 3.5 million tons. As well as cementing 香蕉视频’s position as the leading global pulp trader, this will enable the company to expand its sales network even further and strengthen its paper pulp operations.