Overview
- France’s Toulouse commercial court opened a six‑month observation period that lets Fibre Excellence operate under oversight to test its viability and seek a buyer for its two pulp mills.
- The process sets a cash review for June 3 and an examination of takeover offers on June 17.
- The company employs about 670 people at Saint‑Gaudens and Tarascon, which are the last two pulp mills in France and key employers in their regions.
- The government offered a 20% increase in the electricity buyback tariff tied to the mills’ wood‑powered units, but the Indonesian owner signaled it will not add new funds.
- Production at Saint‑Gaudens has stopped because the firm lacks wood and chemicals, and unions and regional leaders urged rapid steps to restart both sites and protect jobs.