Nippon Paper Resources Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon Paper Industries, has entered into an agreement to jointly acquire all shares of Marusumi Whangarei Company Limited, a New Zealand-based softwood chip producer and exporter. The partnership with Pentarch Forestry will result in a shareholding ratio of 70% for Nippon Paper Resources Australia and 30% for Pentarch Forestry, according to Nippon Paper Industries.
The share transfer is expected to conclude by the end of February 2026, after which the company will be renamed NP Wood Fibre Company Limited and operate under a formal joint venture shareholders' agreement. The new entity will leverage New Zealand's forest resources to supply softwood chips to the Japanese market and across Asia, combining Nippon Paper's operational expertise from Brazil and Australia with Pentarch Forestry's timber industry capabilities.
