The market-price average of $998 per ton in July for cut-size office paper indicates that most buyers have accepted the $60/ton price increase the industry has been proposing since early spring. Behind the increase is the rising cost of wood pulp. The price hike supports a recent Purchasing survey of office products buyers, more than 90% of whom said they were either "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" about paper prices this year. Interestingly, statistics from the Pulp and Paper Products Council show that North American demand for cut-size paper was actually down 5.1% through May.