Fastmarkets has proposed the launch of a Corrugated Cost Benchmark (CCB) for North America, a calculated benchmark measuring changes in the principal costs associated with manufacturing and delivering corrugated boxes in North America, effective October 19, 2026.
The proposed CCB is intended to provide greater transparency into changes in the underlying costs of manufacturing and delivering corrugated boxes in North America and respond to market demand for a robust and consistent measure of those changes.
The proposed CCB would combine Fastmarkets’ virgin and recycled fiber price data with third-party economic and cost indicators covering labor, energy, chemicals, maintenance, other manufacturing costs and transportation.
The CCB is a calculated benchmark expressed in index points that measures changes in values to the inputs over time. The January 2019 price provides a baseline of 100, against which subsequent changes are measured. It would measure changes in a modelled industry-average cost basket and would not represent the absolute cost or market price of a corrugated box.
To see all Fastmarkets pricing methodology and specification documents, visit www.fastmarkets.com/methodology.
