European Commission Approves Smurfit Kappa WestRock Merger The European Commission has approved the proposed merger between Smurfit Kappa Group plc, and WestRock Company, according to Competition Policy International. Dublin, Ireland based Smurfit Kappa and Atlanta, Georgia based WestRock announced plans of a possible combination in September 2023 that would create Smurf- it WestRock, a global leader in sustainable packaging. The Commission determined that the merger, despite its magnitude, would not pose significant competition is- sues, the report said. The decision clears a major regula- tory hurdle. Smurfit WestRock would be incorporated and domi- ciled in Ireland with global headquarters in Dublin and North and South American operations headquartered in Atlanta. The Potential Combination would be affected through an Irish scheme of arrangement involving Smurfit Kappa and a merger of a subsidiary with WestRock. The Boards of Smurfit Kappa and WestRock believe the combination will create the global “Go-To” packag- ing partner of choice by combining two complementary portfolios and unparalleled geographic reach across 42 countries. Additionally, they boasted improved operating efficiency and increased returns across over 500 con- verting operations and 67 mills.
Box Shipments ( U.S. Corrugated Product Shipments) Industry Shipments In Billions of Square Feet Month December 2023
Year
Actual
Percent Change Avg Week Percent Change
2023 2022
29.711 30.124
-1.4
7.819 7.927
-1.4
Industry Total
Year-to Date
December 2023
Year
Actual
Percent Change Avg Week Percent Change
2023 2022
380.555 400.520
-5.0
7.611 7.979
-4.6
Industry Total
Containerboard Consumption (Thousands of Tons)
Year
Month
Percent Change Year-to-Date Percent Change
2023 2022
2.4080 2.4260
-0.7
30.9333 32.5461
-5.0
Container Board Inventory - Corrugator Plants (Thousands of Tons)
Corrugator Plants Only
Date
Percent Change Weeks of Supply
Percent Change
Dec. Nov.
2.1892 2.1071
3.9
3.5 3.5
6.1
Shipping Days
Year
Month
Year-to-Date
2023 2022
19 19
250 251
SOURCE: Fibre Box Association
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April 22, 2024
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