Jan 30, 2009. /Lesprom.com/. Unexpectedly, the prices for imported newsprint in India have dropped to $650 per ton, down 27.7% from $900 last quarter, Lesprom Network said according to the article on Branschnyheter.se. Newsprint prices, which were at $560 in early-mid 2007, have climbed steadily to reach $920 by end-2008, in India. Many expected that newprint would breach the all-time high price of $1,000. Concerns about solvency issues at big newsprint manufacturers such as Canadian AbitibiBowater could result in capacity-cutting and complete unavailability of newsprint, led to panic and many of the major publishers purchased all the available stock. Subsequently, Indian publishers adopted several measures to tide over the high costs, such as cutting pagination, width and thickness of pages. Normally cost of newsprint represents the single largest expense for a publishing house, accounting for 55-65% of total costs. According to experts, the new lower prices are likely to prevail at least for two quarters. But despite the low prices, demand is also very low. India’s annual newsprint import is estimated at one million tonnes.