Report Industry Investment Rating - Not provided in the content Core View of the Report - The supply of coniferous pulp is decreasing due to production cuts by major global coniferous pulp mills, while the increase in broadleaf pulp production makes it difficult to relieve the supply pressure, leading to a continuous differentiation between coniferous and broadleaf pulp. Geopolitical factors have reduced imports from North America, but increased imports from Brazil, Chile, Finland, and Uruguay have supplemented the supply. Overall, China's total pulp imports are at a historically high level. The pulp futures market has been in an adjustment trend since February this year, and attention should be paid to the stabilization of the market. Waiting for the recovery of demand, the market is expected to bottom out and rebound [2][3][14] Summary According to the Table of Contents 1. Market Review - In 2025, the pulp futures generally showed a downward trend from a high level. From January to October, it dropped significantly due to increased wood pulp imports, frequent macro disturbances, and poor profitability of downstream paper mills, resulting in weak demand. From October to the present, there has been a slight rebound as the traditional peak season for the paper industry arrived in October, new production capacity of tissue paper enterprises was continuously released, and pulp demand slightly recovered [8] 2. Pulp Fundamental Analysis Import Volume - China has a high degree of external dependence on pulp, especially for bleached softwood pulp. In 2025, from January to October, the cumulative import volume and amount increased by 4.8% and -2.0% respectively compared with the same period last year. Specifically, the cumulative import volume of coniferous pulp was 712.24 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 2.74%, and that of broadleaf pulp was 1382.63 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 10.33% [2][13] European Port Inventory - In September 2025, the total inventory of European ports decreased by 4.39% month-on-month and 0.49% year-on-year. Except for the inventory in Spanish ports remaining flat month-on-month, the inventories in ports of the Netherlands/Belgium/France/Switzerland, the UK, Germany, and Italy decreased by 1.36%, 2.17%, 6.87%, and 9.55% respectively month-on-month [19] Domestic Major Port Inventory - As of November 20, 2025, the total pulp inventory in Baoding, Tianjin Port, Rizhao Port, Qingdao Port, Changshu Port, Shanghai Port, Gaolan Port, and Nansha Port was 201.04 million tons, a week-on-week increase of 1.71%, with the growth rate narrowing by 2.51 percentage points [22] Pulp Consumption - In recent years, the global apparent consumption of pulp has been stable at 1.8 billion tons. In the long run, the global pulp supply and demand are basically balanced. Wastepaper pulp consumption is the main consumption method of pulp in China, accounting for 63% of the total pulp consumption; wood pulp consumption accounts for 31%, and imported wood pulp consumption accounts for 21%; non-wood pulp consumption accounts for 6% [24] Downstream Paper Mills - The operating load rate of downstream paper mills has decreased, the profitability of the paper industry has improved poorly, and they purchase raw materials based on rigid demand. High-price transactions in the pulp market are not smooth. As of November 20, the weekly average price of Silver Star spot was 5560 yuan/ton, and the current gross profit margin was below the break-even line [29] Domestic Market Prices - As of November 20, the weekly average price of imported coniferous pulp was 5567 yuan/ton, a 0.02% increase from last week, with the growth rate narrowing by 1.07 percentage points; the weekly average price of imported broadleaf pulp was 4392 yuan/ton, a 1.62% increase from last week, with the growth rate narrowing by 0.05 percentage points. The downstream paper mills' operating rate has decreased, and high raw material prices have suppressed their purchasing enthusiasm. The domestic broadleaf pulp supply is abundant, and the price increase is weak. The spot market price of imported broadleaf pulp is running weakly [34] 3. Future Outlook - China's high external dependence on pulp remains unchanged, and the import volume and inventory data are similar to the previous analysis. The supply situation of coniferous and broadleaf pulp continues to differentiate, and the pulp futures market has been in an adjustment trend. Attention should be paid to the stabilization of the market, and waiting for the recovery of demand, the market is expected to bottom out and rebound [36][37]