Paper Excellence Group informed North American customers its baled paper grade bleached softwood kraft market pulp prices will increase, effective May 1, Fastmarkets has learned. Richmond, BC-headquartered PE announced a northern bleached softwood kraft list price of $1,690/tonne. PE did not state how much that’s up, however it is $80/tonne higher than its last announced price. On southern bleached softwood kraft (SBSK), PE announced a new list price of $1,620/tonne, market contacts told Fastmarkets. That’s up $100/tonne vs its last announced price. PE Group was the only known paper grade BSK producer to announce May prices in North America through midday Tuesday. …Prior North American price hikes came from Brazilian producers Suzano, Eldorado, and Klabin on bleached eucalyptus kraft as well as Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries on northern bleached hardwood kraft.