Mercer International Inc
NASDAQ:MERC
Mercer International Inc
Mercer International, Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of pulp. The company is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia and currently employs 2,415 full-time employees. The firm operates through two segments: Pulp and Wood Products. Its Pulp segment consists of the manufacture, sale and distribution of pulp, electricity and other byproducts at its pulp mills. Its pulp mills include Rosenthal mill, Stendal mill, Celgar mill, and Peace River mill. The company is a producer of northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) pulp, which is the pulp that is sold on the open market. The firm operates two NBSK mills in Eastern Germany and one NBSK mill and a swing kraft mill in Western Canada, which produces both NBSK and northern bleached hardwood kraft (NBHK). The company also produces and sells tall oil, a byproduct of its production process, which is used as both a chemical additive and as a green energy source. Its Wood Products segment consists of the manufacture, sale and distribution of lumber, electricity and other wood residuals at the Friesau mill, Germany.
Mercer International, Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of pulp. The company is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia and currently employs 2,415 full-time employees. The firm operates through two segments: Pulp and Wood Products. Its Pulp segment consists of the manufacture, sale and distribution of pulp, electricity and other byproducts at its pulp mills. Its pulp mills include Rosenthal mill, Stendal mill, Celgar mill, and Peace River mill. The company is a producer of northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) pulp, which is the pulp that is sold on the open market. The firm operates two NBSK mills in Eastern Germany and one NBSK mill and a swing kraft mill in Western Canada, which produces both NBSK and northern bleached hardwood kraft (NBHK). The company also produces and sells tall oil, a byproduct of its production process, which is used as both a chemical additive and as a green energy source. Its Wood Products segment consists of the manufacture, sale and distribution of lumber, electricity and other wood residuals at the Friesau mill, Germany.
Challenging Quarter: Mercer reported negative EBITDA of $28 million for Q3, worse than the previous quarter, driven by weak pulp pricing and global trade uncertainty.
Pulp Prices & Demand: Pulp prices fell sharply across all markets, with a $44/tonne drop for Chinese NBSK; persistent softwood-hardwood price gap is causing ongoing substitution and pressure.
Cost-Saving Initiatives: The company expects $30 million in cost and reliability savings by end of 2025 as part of its One Goal One Hundred program targeting $100 million by 2026.
Liquidity Focus: Liquidity remains strong at $376 million but management is prioritizing further cost reductions, CapEx cuts, and working capital measures amid tough market conditions.
Trade & Tariffs: New US tariffs on European and Canadian lumber are pressuring supply chains and fiber costs, with additional sawmill curtailments expected to impact pulp operations.
Mass Timber Growth: Despite weak construction markets, Mercer’s mass timber backlog is $80 million with rising demand, especially from data center projects, and plans to ramp production in 2026.
Outlook: Modest price improvements for NBSK pulp are expected late Q4 into early 2026, but overall industry headwinds are anticipated to persist in the near term.
