Oyodo Paper Manufacturing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nichicmen, one of the largest trading companies in Japan, was given the order to shut down operations at its containerboard mill in Habinkino City at the end of January.

A company spokesman cited the weak containerboard market in Japan as the main reason for the decision.

Once before, Oyodo was forced to halt its production of testliner and corrugating medium in November of the previous year.