San Francisco, Oct. 18, 2001 (Forestweb) - Weyerhaeuser Co. will increase the U.S. price of its northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) price by $20/tonne to $500/tonne effective Nov. 1, according to a buyer source. Another buyer source said Weyerhaeuser has increased his price by $20/tonne on the sawdust pulp that he buys, "and I assume on the others." Weyerhaeuser officials were not available for comment. Weyerhaeuser has been the lone holdout at the U.S. price of $480/tonne for Oct. 1, when other North American producers went to $500/tonne. The competitors have complained that Weyerhaeuser's price was a drag on their efforts. Producers and buyers alike have said that $500/tonne has been a hard sell in October, partly because of the market, but also because demand has been so slow. A number of sources say NBSK is at $480/tonne for October, though a few are paying the $500/tonne price. "I don't think we will pay $500 (in November)," a buyer said today. "I think it will be $490." An agent today described the Weyerhaeuser news as "a plus," but added, "Now all we need is for demand to pick up." Another agent also responded cautiously. "There is no indication anywhere in the world where demand has picked up, certainly not in the paper business. Without that, (producers) can announce what they want to, but it is not a slam dunk," he said. As for October transaction , aid that in most cases, they didn't move. "I know everyone needs (price increases) and I know the inventories have gone down, but my feeling is they will go up again," he said, noting typical late-fall patterns.  said that in contrast to the past, paper companies have not been able to make money off of low prices. "It's going to be a battle, for sure," he said. "There's a lot of fighting going on, a lot (of buyers) are saying they're not going to pay it."