Underlying the rot at Gunns is a subtle shadow game over a possible Nordic takeover of the pulp mill or variations thereof .Press reports confirm that UPM - Kymmene from Finland are running the wet towel over the numbers. The Finnish pulp and paper mafia have inside chanels to all the figures from Jaakko Poyrys used cheque feasibility studies on the Tasmanian saga. The deal has been touted around Finland and Sweden for a couple of years.Given that Norske Skog the Norwegians are ensconed in Oz it would mean a Nordic clean sweep. Australia is one of the few safe investment markets in Asia Pacific and a historical market for Nordic pulp and paper products and a very profitable one. UPM have been busy closing down Finnish mills and their share - debt based takeover of Myylykoski will consolidate their dominance in magazine papers for which Australia is an important historical market. They are also in China with the requirement for short fibre pulp at their paper mill. Stora Enso is also moving fibre sourcing out of Finland but they have hitched their wagon to the Brazilian and Uruguay - Chile eucalypt area with large current investments. The price of Gunns shares would be a ultra cheap means to buy fibre plantations at a bargain price hardly imaginable in a so called advanced economy. Vihrea Kulta in Finnish means Green Gold ... the trees that is .
Add to My Watchlist
What is My Watchlist?