Board Converting News, November 10, 2025

November 10, 2025

VOL. 41, NO. 45

BoardConverting Serving the North American Corrugated and Folding Carton Industries for 40 years

Tariffs Cause Uncertainty, Confusion In Box Industry BY GREG KISHBAUGH

Smurfit Westrock To Close California Corrugated Plant Atlanta, Georgia based Smurfit Westrock has announced its plans to permanently close a corrugated sheet and box facility in California, and 141 employees will be affected, according to a company worker adjustment and retrain- ing notification letter the state shared with Packaging Dive. The plant in City of Industry, California, is expected to close on Dec. 14, according to the WARN letter. All employees will be terminated at that time, and there are no bumping rights. The hourly employees are represented by the District Council 2 union. CEO Tony Smurfit referenced the closure during the company’s third-quarter earnings call on Oct. 29. He noted it was one of nine the company has undertaken since Smurfit Kappa acquired WestRock in July 2024 as part of footprint and headcount optimization efforts. The company will continue “closing down inefficient or loss-making operations, including the recently announced closure of a corrugated facility in California,” he said. In total, the company has lost 4,500 peo- ple since the business combination, Smurfit said. He also noted approximately 500,000

Uncertainty is the bane of business, an obstacle to growth, planning and ultimately success. As such, the recent turmoil revolving around tariffs have many boxmakers and manufacturers struggling to find solid ground. At the recent CorrExpo show in Savannah, Georgia, Tyler Potter, Senior Manager, Customs and International Trade Services, BDO USA, provided background on the current state of affairs in regards to tariffs and how things may shift in the near future.

What I’m doing in my day to day is cost mitigation, refund programs, and general compliance when it comes to importing into the United States. I am primarily a U.S. expert, but I do work in other regions and geographies. And other regions and geographies are going to be im- pacted by U.S. trade policy, whether it’s retaliatory or some ripple effect in U.S. influence over global trade. So as we’re navigating the tariffs, I just want to introduce a couple of key themes. The first one being that, there’s so much uncertainty about the future, whether it’s uncertainty about what kind of tariffs and when those tariffs are going to roll out. It’s very common these days to see a tariff threat and a number thrown out in the air, but have no clear sense of when it’s going to be implemented and how it’s going to impact businesses. There’s also political uncertainty on whether the President has the authority to implement certain tariffs that have already been rolled out. CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

WHAT’S INSIDE

6 x x 8 x x 12 x x 26 x x 10 Accurate Box Co. Celebrates Career Of Former CEO Hirsh 12 Bay Cities Hosts Mfg. Day At Its California Headquarters 16 TAPPI To Host 2026 Student Summit In Birmingham 20 AICC Releases Guideline For Ethical And Safe AI Use

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AVERAGE CONTAINERBOARD PRICES The average prices reported are tabulated from prices PAID by various sources throughout the United States the week previous to issue. Prices in some areas of the country may be higher or lower than the tabulated average. The prices tabulated here are intended only for purposes of reference. They do not connote any commitment to sell any material at the indicated average. Transactions may be completed at any time at a price agreed upon by seller and purchaser. REGION 42# Kraft liner 26# Semi-Chem. Medium $ 900.00-925. 00 $ 825. 00 -$850.00 U.S. Average CANADIAN LINERBOARD & MEDIUM The average prices reported are tabulated from prices PAID by various sources throughout Canada. Prices may be higher or lower in various areas of the country. The prices tabulated here are intended only for purposes of reference. They do not connote any commitment to sell any material at the indicated average. Transactions may be completed at any time at a price agreed upon by seller and purchaser. Prices are Canadian $ and per metric ton. 42# Kraft Liner 26# Semi-Chem Medium East $970.00 $960.00 West $1,015.00 $995.00 REGION

Share the story of your company’s success with an ARTICLE in Board Converting News. The corrugated and folding carton industries are waiting! Brand Owners, Converters & Decision-Makers READ BCN Don’t keep it a secret! Articles generate leads for converters and suppliers! Industry Stories (AKA Articles) May be hiding plain view. If spotted in your organization, approach with extreme excitement and report to BCN immediately!

Smurfit Westrock (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1)

tons of capacity closures in containerboard and consumer board grades. Smurfit Westrock announced in August that it would close a corrugated packaging facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with the closure and layoffs of 100 employees scheduled for this month. Previously, in April, the compa- ny announced that it would close a corrugated products plant in Portland, Oregon. That same month it also made an announcement about four facility closures to collective- ly affect 650 employees: a coated recycled board mill in St. Paul, Minnesota; a containerboard mill in Forney, Texas; and two converting facilities in Germany.

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International Paper Reports $1.1B Net Loss For Q3 2025

Georgia-Pacific Announces Closure Of Illinois Box Plant This December Atlanta, Georgia based Georgia-Pacific has announced its plans to permanently shut its box plant in Mt. Olive, Illinois, by Dec. 31, said Lauren Campen, senior manager of public affairs and communications for corrugated, via email. G-P chose to close this location based on a decline in orders along with an assessment of market factors that showed the facility can no longer competitively serve cus- tomers, Campen said. “The decision to close the plant is not a reflection of [employees’] work but rather based on our ability to be competitive at this location in the long-term,” she said. “We appreciate all the work our employees have done through the years to make this plant safe and productive.” The company is working to support the 134 affected employees with potential opportunities within G-P or other companies owned by Koch, G-P’s parent, as well as con- necting them with job fairs and opportunities for employ- ment outside the company, Campen said. Hourly employ- ees are represented by the United Steelworkers union. Closing this box plant marks Georgia-Pacific’s exit from full operations in Illinois, but the company will still use its warehouses throughout the state. G-P also has multiple locations in neighboring Wisconsin, including a paper mill, corrugated facility and innovation center.

Memphis, Tennessee based International Paper (IP) has re- ported a net loss of $1.1 billion for the third quarter (Q3) of 2025, reversing a profit of $150 million in the same period of the previous year. IP states that the result included $675 million of accel- erated depreciation tied to recent mill closures. However, net sales grew to $6.22 billion in Q3 2025 from $3.98 bil- lion a year earlier. Chairman and CEO Andy Silvernail stated: “We deliv- ered 28 percent sequential adjusted EBITDA improvement across both Packaging Solutions businesses, driven by price realization, cost management and lower fiber costs. “In North America, we saw year-on-year box shipment growth in September. While demand remained soft across both regions, we took decisive actions to reshape our portfolio — exiting non-core businesses, closing facilities and reinvesting in our most strategic assets. Despite near- term headwinds, we are confident in our trajectory.” The company closed four facilities in the US in 2025: the Red River containerboard mill in Campti, Louisiana, a recycling plant in Phoenix, Arizona, a box plant in Hazle- ton, Pennsylvania and a sheet feeder facility in St Louis, Missouri. This affected roughly 179 salaried employees – 1 percent of IP’s global workforce.

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Accurate Box Company Celebrates Career Of Former CEO Charlie Hirsh Paterson, New Jersey based Accurate Box Company is honoring and celebrating the remarkable 75-year career of current Chairman and former CEO and President, Char- lie Hirsh, whose vision transformed the company into an industry leader. This milestone celebrates both his remark- able career and the lasting impact he has made. Charlie joined Accurate Box in 1950, working alongside his father, Henry Hirsh, who founded the company in 1944. When Henry passed away in 1964, Charlie took on the role of CEO and President, guiding Accurate Box through decades of transformative growth. Under his leadership, the company evolved from a small folding carton manu- facturer into one of the largest independent producers of

high-graphic litho-laminated corrugated packaging in the United States. He also co-founded the Independent Car- ton Group (ICG), a network of privately owned packaging companies that collaborate to share resources, technolo- Charlie Hirsh at the start of his career with Accurate Box.

gy, and best practices across the industry. Charlie spearheaded the company’s transition to litho-laminated corrugated boxes—packaging that has since become synonymous with vibrant, photo-quality graphics used by Fortune 500 compa- nies in the club store, ecommerce, and quick-service restaurant markets. His commitment to reinvestment and innova- tion has left an enduring legacy, setting the stage for continued growth under the fourth generation of the Hirsh family.

In 1997, Charlie transitioned leader- ship to his daughter, Lisa Hirsh, and her husband, Mark Schlossman, who has continued to drive the company’s growth through reinvestment, innovation, and company culture. Today, their daughter, Samara Ronkowitz, represents the next generation of leadership. This transition across four generations underscores Ac- curate Box’s enduring strength as a fami- ly-owned business and its commitment to future success. Charlie continues to serve as Chairman of the Board at Accurate Box, providing guidance and wisdom to the leadership team. Beyond his business accomplish- ments, his values of integrity, innovation, and resilience continue to inspire every- one at the company.

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Bay Cities Hosts Mfg. Day Event At Its California Headquarters In honor of Manufacturing Day, Bay Cities opened its doors on Friday, October 3, 2025, to welcome students, educa- tors, and community members to its Pico Rivera, California facility. The event invited guests to explore the company’s design, digital printing, and fulfillment operations, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how innovative packaging solutions come to life.

AICC Invites Entries For 2026 Member Milestone Awards

AICC, The Independent Packaging Association, invites member companies to submit entries for the 2026 AICC Member Milestone Awards, recognizing organizations that, in the 2026 calendar year, are celebrating significant anniversaries of continual operation at 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 years or more. Through the Member Milestone program, AICC hon- ors the legacy, resilience, and innovation of its members. Companies marking a qualifying anniversary or achieve- ment in 2026 are encouraged to share their story and be recognized. Members celebrating qualifying anniversaries who wish to be included in the 2026 recognition should pro- vide a professionally produced 2–3 minute video that: • Highlights the history of the company • Describes growth and evolution over time • Showcases significant milestones or achievements All members who submit a qualified video will be rec- ognized during the closing general session of the AICC Spring Meeting on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Entries are due by Friday, February 13, 2026. For more information, visit www.AICCbox.org/Milestone . Questions can be directed to Chelsea May, Meeting Manager, at cmay@AICCbox.org or (703) 836-2422.

Attendees had the opportunity to tour the manufactur- ing floor, speak with Bay Cities’ Employee Owners, and learn firsthand about the wide range of career opportuni- ties available in manufacturing. From concept to shelf, the event highlighted the creativity, technology, and teamwork that define Bay Cities’ role in shaping the next generation of makers and doers.

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November 10, 2025

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AICC Shares Latest Episode Of Breaking Down Boxes Podcast

can-do spirit that defines Atlas today. “We’ve been taking risks for decades,” he says. “You get knocked down, you get back up—and you keep going at it every day.” Listeners also get a candid look at the company’s open-book management philosophy, its focus on em- powering employees, and the deep family values and philanthropy that run through Atlas’s success story. “Paul’s background, story, and experiences are atyp- ical of how an AICC member came into the business,” said AICC President Mike D’Angelo. “This podcast deliv- ers some real pearls that listeners can relate to and uti- lize. All delivered in Paul’s inimitable style!” Since 1968, Atlas Container has been a trusted man- ufacturer of high-quality corrugated packaging and inno- vative design solutions. With a solid track record of oper- ational excellence and financial strength, Atlas continues to deliver extraordinary customer service, and compre- hensive packaging products and services that meet di- verse shipping, storage, and logistical needs. Breaking Down Boxes is

The latest episode of AICC’s Breaking Down Boxes, Punches, Pivots & Packaging , delivers an unfiltered and entertaining conversation with Paul Centenari, President and CEO of Atlas Container. Hosted by Jeff Pallini of Fosber America and George Perreira of Moyy, this episode traces Paul’s remarkable jour- ney—from Golden Gloves box- ing to founding a thriving inde- pendent packaging company alongside his brother, Peter. “Paul lived up to his repu- tation in telling his story unfiltered, honest, humble, and with humor. Love that guy,” said Pallini. Listeners will hear how a few humbling lessons and a few hard hits—both in and out of the ring—shaped Paul’s approach to leadership, risk, and resilience. What began with “other people’s money” and a desire to make some- thing evolved into one of the industry’s most respected, fast-moving operations. Paul’s story is equal parts grit and humor. He recounts lessons learned from early mentors, reflections on work- ing alongside family, and the culture of accountability and Paul Centenari

available on all major podcast platforms and www.AICCbox. org/Boxes . New episodes drop the first Monday of the month and feature independent pack- aging industry leaders sharing the challenges and triumphs that shaped their companies.

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November 10, 2025

TAPPI To Host 2026 TAPPI-PIMA Student Summit In Birmingham TAPPI has announced the return of the TAPPI-PIMA Stu- dent Summit, to be held January 17–19, 2026, at the Sher- aton Birmingham Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama. Bringing together 200 engineering and technical students from more than 15 universities across the U.S., the Summit is the industry’s only event designed to connect students directly with employers while showcasing the excitement and opportunities in forest products. The Summit blends interviews, networking, and team- based activities that help companies build relationships with future professionals. The Interview & Career Fair sponsorship opportunities include early access to student resumes, a Career Fair ta- bletop, and two complimentary registrations. Companies expand their presence with Platinum, Gold, or Silver pack- ages, which include a specialty add-on such as event Wi- Fi, the Summit app, or Sunday night’s Graduation. Even if you're not currently hiring, the Summit still offers high-impact touchpoints through a la carte options, includ- ing Student Shuttles, a branded premium item, Notepads & Pens, Printing & Charging Station, or sponsoring a first- time student attendee. For sponsorship information, contact Shane Holt at (352) 333-3345 or sholt@naylor.com.

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November 10, 2025

Fastmarkets RISI Releases Industry Outlook Report Exclusively For PPC Fastmarkets RISI has released its 2025–26 Trends In- dustry Outlook & Market Data Report, an exclusive re- source for members of the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC). The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the North American folding carton market, offering PPC members valuable insights into economic trends, market performance, and growth opportunities across the United States and Canada. Developed by Fastmarkets RISI, this annual report pro- vides members with an in-depth examination of the key drivers shaping the folding carton industry, including con- sumer behavior, production trends, and the growing mo- mentum surrounding sustainable and recyclable packag- ing solutions. Fastmarkets RISI’s analysis segments U.S. end-use mar- kets into growth, mature, and declining categories. Seven markets are projected to grow by more than 1 percent an- nually, and eight markets are expected to remain stable, while two are forecasted to decline. These insights under- score the importance of diversification among converters seeking to capitalize on demand in higher-growth sectors. “Data-driven insights like these are essential for our members to stay competitive and forward-looking,” said Emily Leonczyk, Executive Director and Vice President of PPC. “The folding carton industry continues to be well-po- sitioned to meet the growing demand for sustainable and innovative packaging solutions.” The 2025–26 Trends Industry Outlook & Market Data Report is available as a free summary for the public. For more information, please visit www.paperbox.org or con- tact info@paperbox.org. AF&PA Releases Q3 2025 Containerboard Report The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) re- leased the Q3 2025 Containerboard Quarterly report on October 31. According to the report, total Containerboard production in Q3 decreased 3.1 percent compared to Q3 2024. It was down 3 percent when compared to the same nine months of 2024. • The operating rates for all four major grades increased from Q2 as capacity declined 1.7 percent over the same period. Year-to-date operating rates are flat compared to 2024. • Domestic new supply in Q3 was essentially flat com- pared to Q1 2025, which was an improvement from a weak second quarter. • Inventories at mills peaked in August to nearly 462 thousand short tons, climbing to their highest level in over 15 months, and then declined eight percent in September.

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AICC Releases Guideline For Ethical And Safe AI Use

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Tariffs (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1)

Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY

I’m not going to say that I have a crystal ball, but what we do know is expect uncertainty, and expect tariffs to be in the future. There’s no situation where tariffs go away. In addition to the future uncertainty, what we are see- ing is the timeline from announcement to implementation being extremely short. This is a negotiating tactic of the President to get a little shock and awe and bring compa- nies or countries to the table, but it allows for very little room for companies to plan. And so what we’re seeing out there in the market is that businesses are very reluctant to make major purchases or changes in supply chain or change their purchasing because it’s unclear what the fu- ture holds —whether this is a temporary tariff or that tariff threat is going to be implemented in a week or six months. There’s just so much lack of clarity. Lack Of Future Clarity When we talk about lack of clarity about the future and things that have not already been implemented, there’s also tariffs today where the rules are very unclear. Because of the pace that some of these tariffs are being rolled out at the executive level, the administrative function of the government does not have enough time to think about ev- ery single circumstance that could apply to a business and whether they need a rule for it or they need to be clear about the guidance or whether there needs to be an ex- emption. So when the President signs an executive order, typically he wants things to happen right away. However, the regulatory process takes time and input from the busi- ness community to make sure that the law and regulation that gets rolled out is clear. So there’s a lot of question marks about how to properly comply and how much com- panies are supposed to be paying, which also opens the door to overpayments. Companies have overpaid tariffs over the last couple of months due to confusion and the rapid roll out of these policies. So what I get to work on a lot is preparing those refund claims and saying, “the customer’s broker messed up or the company didn’t really understand this policy, and we’d like our cash back.” And they will give it back so long as the gov- ernment’s not shut down and Treasury is issuing checks. Customs And Border Protection We’re seeing a lot of enforcement activity from Cus- toms and Border Protection, which is the primary agen- cy responsible for implementing and enforcing the tariffs. They’ve received an additional $1 billion in their budget, and very few of Custom’s staff was laid off or furloughed during the government shutdown. They only furloughed the lawyers. So Customs is fully operational. If the government is out there doing enforcement and the President is out there implementing a bunch of new rules and tariffs, what does that mean for companies? It’s that there’s a lot more paperwork involved. A lot more peo- ple like me, consultants, attorneys, accountants, we are all making a killing. Because it’s not making business easier,

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Advantzware provides a comprehensive system to address the business management needs of the independent box business, as well as the ERP requirements of full scale pack- aging plants and integrated companies. With modules for estimating, scheduling, production, inventory and account- ing, this scalable system supports companies that produce corrugated boxes, folding cartons, point of purchase dis- plays, assembled partitions, and paperboard products. AIR CONVEYING CORPORATION www.accfilter.com Air Conveying Corporation is a leader in the industry of Pneumatic Conveying Systems and has been in business since 1968. As an equipment manufacturer rather than sim- ply a sales organization, we have complete control over the quality of material and products which make up your pro- posed system. Our equipment is found in printing, folding carton and corrugated plants throughout the world. We've been designing, manufacturing and engineering pneumatic conveying systems since 1984. We partner with our customers to ensure they operate efficiently and guar- antee our systems meet or exceed their specifications. ASDI specializes in full pull-through systems trim separators, and NFPA compliant systems with full electronic controls. AMTECH SOFTWARE www.amtechsoftware.com AIR SYSTEMS DESIGN, INC. www.airsystemsdesign.com Amtech offers the industry’s most innovative and com- prehensive corrugated and packaging ERP, integrated scheduling software, and engineered automation technol- ogy. For over 30 years, Amtech has kept our customers competitive in an ever-changing economy with customer digital storefronts and workflows, business intelligence, automated scheduling for corrugators, converting and shipping, proactive roll stock and inventory management. APEX INTERNATIONAL www.apexinternational.com World’s largest Anilox and Glue & Metering roll manufac- turer, providing the widest selection of corrugated engrav- ings and complementary services. Anilox engraving options available from our North American manufacturing facility include elongated 75°, 60°, 45°, plus Apex’s patented GTT technology. Glue rolls are produced with Hardened Stain- less Steel and a max TIR of 10 µ for Single, Double Facers.

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November 10, 2025

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Tariffs (CONT’D FROM PAGE 22)

Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY

unfortunately. Companies are saying, “I don’t understand what I need to fill out. This paperwork, I don’t understand the regulatory analysis. This is not in my wheelhouse and all these rules are new.” So it’s creating more cost, both internally and expenditures with third party experts, to make sure that the company is paying the right amount or looking at the strategies to avoid it. Traditionally, we’ve seen with this kind of administration, less paperwork, but unfortunately, now it’s more paperwork. There’s a lot of tariffs, and they’re implemented un- der different laws and regulations. Each tariff may fall into the same legal grouping of the President’s authority, but they’re very different. Then you have tariffs that are in to- tally different legal buckets, some which are currently un- der dispute. Congress has the primary authority to levy taxes and duties. However, some of that authority over time has been delegated to the President. And so the President is using his delegated authority to implement tariffs. Reciprocal Tariffs The reciprocal tariff or the International Emergency Economic Power Act are being challenged at the court; whether or not the President can use that authority to im- plement tariff is currently in the Supreme Court. The Sec- tion 232 National Security Tariffs are not under any signif- icant legal dispute. They have the strongest grounding in the President’s authority, and that’s steel and aluminum, copper, automotive, and then we’ve got furniture, heavy trucks, light trucks, passenger vehicles, a long list of things that have been implemented under the Section 232 provi- sion for national security. Let’s think about a situation where the reciprocal tariffs are challenged. And this is my opinion, but the President is unlikely to just roll over. He’s just going to switch tariffs to other powers. The reciprocal tariffs are those tailored country-specific rates. And if you’re hearing news about deals with individual countries, that is the tariff mechanism he’s using to drive deals with these individual countries. A lot of machinery is currently not subject to the steel and aluminum tariff. However, the domestic industry and interested parties have the ability to request that certain things be put on the list. Now, whether or not there’s a vested domestic interest in having machinery on the steel and aluminum tariff list is another story. But if your machinery, for whatever reason, did end up on the list, the tariff is only assessed on the value of the metal content, not the value of the entire machine. There’s a lot of ambiguity about this right now. Where there is gray area, there’s potentially room for aggressive positions or more conservative positions, depending on how you look at it. But for steel and aluminum tariff, if you find yourself needing to evaluate or looking at those tariffs, that’s a big theme right now. And you want to make sure that you’re only paying the amount of tariff that you have to, which is

ARC INTERNATIONAL www.ARCInternational.com

ARC International is a world leader in the manufacturing of roller products for flexography. The latest nano-technology laser engraving in our NC and NV manufacturing facilities ensures superior quality and consistency in anilox rollers.

AES (ADVANCED EQUIPMENT SALES) www.aesales.net

AES is a leading full-service provider of integrated convey- ance systems specializing in scrap, trim, and dust. AES en- gineers custom scrap systems and works as a partner in process improvement to help businesses achieve greater profitability, productivity, and sustainability. Products include balers, shredders/hoggers, core shredders, filters, fans, and specialized dust control and collection systems. AES is the ex- clusive distributor for the AirShark Rotary Material Separator. For a wide variety of new and used equipment on to- day’s market, visit our website at www.acm-corp.com. BAUMER HHS CORPORATION www.baumerhhs.com hhs is a global leader in advanced gluing, camera verifica- tion and quality assurance systems for the packaging indus- try. Zero-defect quality and elevated production speeds are key parameters in the manufacturing of corrugated boxes. With hhs Xcam Box Monitoring and non-contact flap gluing of corrugated board, hhs offers every option for quality as- surance in the production of boxes with flexo folder gluers. AMERICAN CORRUGATED MACHINE www.acm-corp.com BLOWER APPLICATION COMPANY (BLOAPCO) www.BloApCo.com BloApCo has served the corrugated industry since 1933 with a variety of scrap handling solutions, including Hori- zontal Floor Shredders, Trim Cutters, and Material Handling Fans and Conveying Systems. BloApCo Shredders allow for continuous shredding and pneumatic removal of sheet waste stacks of all sizes, roll slab, cores, and carton scrap.

CORRUGATED MACHINERY SPECIALISTS www.cmsretrofits.com

Leading manufacturer and installer of quality retrofits, up- grades and replacement parts for S&S and Prime Flexo Folder Gluers. Specialists in reconditioning of S&S Flexo Folder Gluers, including ink, air and electrical systems.

CORRUGATOR BELT SERVICE LLC www.corrugator.com

Serving the corrugated box industry since 1991, Chicago- based Corrugator Belt Service LLC maintains corru- gator belts for peak board quality and performance.

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November 10, 2025

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Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY

on the steel or aluminum content within that product. Moving on to the reciprocal tariff side. And this is where you’re going to see a lot of the activity around trade deals, as well as the China tariff threat. November first, there was an open threat to escalate to currently 10 percent recipro- cal tariff against China to 100 percent. If you do recall, we did have a few weeks of very high tariffs against China, and that went away. And now it’s coming back again because there’s a dispute over critical of minerals. China is using its leverage in this trade dis- pute, and the President is coming back and saying, “You retaliated. I’m going to retaliate.” Hopefully, there’s a bit of a pause. There should be a meeting between the two govern- ments coming up [soon]. So more will be revealed on that front. But again, we might be in a situation where there’s 100 percent tariffs for a bit.

CORRUGATED REPLACEMENTS, INC. www.corrugatedparts.com

Corrugated Replacements, Inc. is a production powerhouse that manufactures high quality machine parts and replace- ment parts for the corrugated and paperboard converting industries. CRI can redesign, engineer, and manufacture any part while providing a rapid turn-around rate, keeping machines running at their peak performance and limiting down time.

C.U.E., INC. www.AnvilCovers.com

Makers of single and dual-width Timesaver® Anvil Covers, the premier urethane anvil cover for corrugated die cutting. Timesaver® covers feature construction of solid steel back- ing and solid steel locking components to ensure a precise fit every time. C.U.E., Inc. also offers Dura-Latch and Cor- Lock anvil covers, and urethane Lead Edge Feed Wheels.

EMBA www.embausa.com

The EMBA group supports a complete line of corrugated converting machinery for the worldwide market. EMBA’s Quick Set technology enables the highest productivity across a broad range of converting equipment, from mini to super jumbo. EMBA also includes the McKinley jumbo line of flexo folder gluers and rotary die cutters as well as ser- vice, rebuilds and upgrades for both EMBA and McKinley.

EAGLEWOOD TECHNOLOGIES, LLC www.eaglewoodtech.com

When it comes to the emergency powers, [companies should] continue to monitor that court case on whether or not the President has the authority to implement these tar- iffs, because it could have opened the door to refunds. The government is not going to make it easy to get that money back, but if the Supreme Court knocks this down, there will be cash refund eligibility. Another thing to highlight in terms of machinery is that for the recyclable tariff, if any of the machinery’s value, a minimum of 20 percent, is of U.S. origin, you can deduct that from the tariff calculations. This might not be easy, but it’s a potential planning tool to see if you can integrate more U.S. origin components into it to deduct the tariff as- sessed value. Unfair Trade Practices The Section 301 law, which is the unfair trade prac- tices law, allows the President to implement tariffs when he says another country or entity is participating in unfair trade practices. That’s the law that the original China Tar- iff has been implemented under since 2018, and also the law that is being used to implement recent Chinese vessel fees. Any Chinese-owned or operated vessel coming to the United States is going to be required to pay $50 per net ton on that vessel, increasing costs for everybody who

Eaglewood Technologies offers trusted cleaning technolo- gies for the world’s best printers and converters. Solutions include the award winning Sitexco+ Anilox Laser System, the Nanovis Parts Washing System, the Sitexco L10 Label System, the innovative Sanilox™ System or Alphasonics solutions. We also offer Xpress™ mobile cleaning service at your facility or ours. ESKO www.esko.com ArtiosCAD and Kongsberg are the most trusted names in CAD/CAM solutions. Esko’s ArtiosCAD is the most widely used CAD software in the world. Esko’s Kongsberg series of tables brings you reliable, outstanding quality for sample- making and short run production.

DOMINO www.dominodigitalprinting.com

Domino is a leading manufacturer and distributor of digital printing and product identification solutions. Celebrating its 44th year, Domino is headquartered in the UK and North America headquarters are Illinois. Domino has 25 subsid- iaries, representation in over 120 countries, and over 2,900 employees worldwide .

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Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY

has cargo on that vessel. It does not necessarily need to be built in China. It’s owned or operated. It is a per net ton or $120 per container, whichever is higher. This is interesting and new, and there’s a lot of confusion out in the industry on how exactly this is going to be interpreted, especially with Chinese ownership, be- cause you know when this comes out, companies will be planning their ownership structures and trying to find loop- holes around this because it’s tremendous cost. It very quickly gets up to the millions of dollars per port arrival under these fees. The underlying policy objective is to, I don’t want to say cripple, but the idea is that there should be more U.S.-built machinery. This is part of the overall strategy to combat Chinese-built imports and also to try to combat Chinese dominance over ocean transportation. With the de minimis provision, you used to be able to import anything that was $800 or less into the coun- try completely duty and tariff-free. That has been entirely eliminated from any country. This mostly impacts e-com- merce. But any spare parts or small tools that a company may have gotten in duty free are also impacted. How Tariffs Are Assessed So how are tariffs assessed? It’s going to be three main prompts. It’s going to be tariff classification, which is a code that’s created by Congress that can classify anything. So when the President issues an order he will say, “These are the codes that are covered.” Number two is going to be country of origin. And there’s two types of country of origin. There’s general country of origin for marking purposes, and then there’s country of origin for free trade agreement purposes. So, for instance, if a company is trying to qualify for the U.S., Mexico, Can- ada free trade agreement, they technically could have a Mexican article that does not meet the rules of the free trade agreement, so you do not get the benefits of the free trade agreement. But when we talk about origin, if it’s Chinese in origin, we’ve got the entire classification. We know the product is covered. We’ve got the origin. We know it’s China. And then we move on to how it’s assessed, which is the cus- tomer value. Most typically this is the price for the goods when sold for export to the United States. But that the price is potentially debatable for customs purposes. Customs valuation becomes an important planning mechanism in addition to origin and tariff classification. As the President goes out and makes trade deals and continues his tariff policy, it becomes confusing on a reg- ular basis. How do I calculate what I’m going to pay when this thing lands? So this almost needs to become a live cal- culus for businesses, especially when making long-term purchasing commitments. [A customer] has committed to buy a product and the tariff is 20 percent. Ten months later, it’s going to get on the boat, and now it’s 50 percent. I do hope things will stabilize, but that’s not guaranteed.

THE HAIRE GROUP www.hairegroup.com

Haire Group is the premier provider of new machinery for the corrugated industry. From the Apstar line of flexo folder gluers and rotary die cutters, the Encore line of flexo folder gluers and rotary die cutters, and the Engico flexo folder glu- er, Haire is able to pair clients with the best machinery solu- tions for the best value to meet their needs. Haire Group’s service department helps its customers maximize uptime and profitability through superior 24/7 service and support, a pre-install training center, and over a million dollars’ worth of spare parts at their offices just outside of Chicago. Haire Group has been the industry’s #1 pre-owned machinery bro- ker and plant equipment appraiser since 1976. HarperLove is the leading provider of specialty adhesives, performance additives, and wet-strength resins to corru- gated packaging manufacturers. With the largest and most experienced field service and technical support team posi- tioned throughout the U.S. and Latin America, HarperLove has a long-standing reputation for providing outstanding service and delivering demonstrable performance improve- ments. HarperLove’s renowned services include not only innovative product development and custom product for- mulation, but also machine and process assessments, ad- hesive formula adjustments, machine tuning, detailed ser- vice reporting, and more. HARPERLOVE www.HarperLove.com Kernic Systems has been a leading global provider of re- cycling equipment solutions since 1978. For over 40 years, Kernic Systems has provided balers, air conveying and dust collection systems, shredders, industrial vacuums, and re- cycling equipment to a wide range of markets. Today, Ker- nic Systems serves customers with an expanded offering of standard products and custom-engineered systems through three primary business divisions: Recycling Solu- tions, Dust Collection and Air Pollution Control, and Material Handling. Kiwiplan provides state-of-the-art software solutions to cor- rugated, folding carton, plastics and flexible packaging fa- cilities around the globe. Kiwiplan’s Total Solution delivers comprehensive, seamless real-time flow of information from sales order management to dynamic total plant scheduling and inventory control through shipping. With deep manu- facturing and distribution expertise, Kiwiplan knows the specific problems customers face and provides the spe- cialized software they need to adapt, compete, and win in today's rapidly changing world. KERNIC SYSTEMS www.kernicsystems.com KIWIPLAN www.kiwiplan.com

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