Feb 25, 2004. /Lesprom Network/. Pulp prices continued to grow in the majority of Asian countries. The prices set on certain softwood and hardwood species of pulp in February in Taiwan and South-East Asia rose to $10-20 per ton. Northern bleached softwood craft pulp (NBSK) price rose from $530-550 per ton to $530-550 per ton, while eucalyptus pulp price rose $20 to $460-480 per ton. The sale/purchase contracts prices in Japan and Korea are still being agreed and will by defined by the end of the month. The suppliers intend to boost NSBK prices additionally $30 per ton and $20-30 per ton of bleached hardwood craft pulp. The customers experiencing the shortage of long-fiber pulp are likely to accept the high softwood pulp prices. But the attempt to boost hardwood prices face a strong resistance, particularly in Korea. In November-January when spot-prices remained low major Korean enterprises created large stocks of short-fiber pulp and threaten to reduce the demand in case the suppliers increase the prices.