Sonoco slaps US$92.5/tonne hike on paperboard, 8% on tubes across EMEA from April 15

EMEA – Sonoco has announced price increases across its Europe, Middle East, and Africa markets, adding €80 (US$92.50) per tonne to uncoated recycled paperboard grades and applying an 8 percent rise to all tube and core products sold in the region, effective for shipments from April 15, 2026.

The company called the increase “necessary” in response to continued escalation of inflationary pressures across its operations.

Karsten Kemmerling, vice president of sales and marketing for Sonoco EMEA’s industrial paper packaging division, explained that the company continues to experience cost increases in all sectors related to energy, natural gas, fuel, chemicals, and additives across the supplier base.

He noted that Sonoco is forced to pass these costs to the market as it cannot absorb them further, adding that supply security and quality remain the company’s primary focus.

Why Prices Are Rising

The €80 per tonne hike on uncoated recycled paperboard reflects intense pressure on recycled fiber markets, where energy-intensive recycling processes have seen power costs surge.

The separate 8 percent increase on tubes and cores, products used extensively in textile, film, paper, and metal winding applications, demonstrates that cost inflation is hitting converted products as hard as base materials.

For packaging buyers, the dual increases mean higher bills whether purchasing raw paperboard or finished cores.

A Strong Financial Backdrop

The increases arrive despite Sonoco’s robust 2025 performance. The company, which employs around 22,000 people across 265 sites in 37 countries, recorded net sales of US$7.5 billion last year.

Fourth-quarter net income reached US$332.2 million, swinging from a US$43 million loss a year earlier. Operating profit in the packaging business climbed to US$520.2 million from US$56.1 million.

Full-year net income hit US$1 billion, compared with US$164 million in 2024.

The Bottom Line

For converters and brand owners across EMEA, Sonoco’s price increases signal that inflationary pressures have not eased.

The April 15 effective date leaves little time for forward buying or contract renegotiation.

With energy, natural gas, fuel, chemicals, and additives all cited as cost drivers, the increases reflect systemic pressure on the entire packaging supply chain.

As Sonoco itself noted, supply security and quality remain the primary focus, but at a price that customers must now absorb.

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