Wood-pulp prices are soaring thanks to speculators in China, with help from paper takeout containers, a weaker dollar and people using restrooms at home instead of the office. Bleached softwood kraft pulp futures have risen 48% on the Shanghai Futures Exchange since Dec. 1, to about $1,037 a ton. Meanwhile, producers around the world are boosting prices for the wood mash at unusually sharp rates. Domtar Corp., said it would raise prices this month between $100 and $130 a ton, depending on grade. …Prices are hottest for softwood pulp… (for premium toilet tissue, paper towels, junk mail and coffee cups). …Demand for virgin pulp… has been on the rise in China, which has limited scrap imports… Pulp producers in Europe and North America have been diverting shipments from local spot markets to China to capture the surging prices, analysts say. …If high prices are sustained, analysts say slimmer margins are likely among makers of tissues and hygiene products. [We respect the copyrights of the source publication – full access may require a subscription]