FORM
6-K
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Report of
Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant
to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the
month of March 2010
Commission
file number: 1-14872
SAPPI
LIMITED
(Translation
of registrant’s name into
English)
48
Ameshoff Street
Braamfontein
Johannesburg
2001
REPUBLIC
OF SOUTH AFRICA
(Address
of principal executive offices)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under
cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
|
Form
20-F
|
X
-------
|
Form
40-F
|
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b) (1):
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b) (7):
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in
this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant
to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
|
Yes
|
No
|
X
-------
|
If “Yes” is marked,
indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with
Rule 12g3-2(b):
INCORPORATION
BY REFERENCE
Sappi
Limited’s information below is furnished by the Registrant under this Form 6-K
is incorporated by reference into (i) the Registration Statements on Form S-8 of
the Registrant filed December 23, 1999, December 15, 2004 and February 2, 2010
in connection with The Sappi Limited Share Incentive Scheme, (ii) the Section
10(a) Prospectus relating to the offer and sale of the Registrant’s shares to
Participants under The Sappi Limited Share Incentive Scheme, (iii) the
Registration Statements on Form S-8 of the Registrant filed December 15, 2004
and December 21, 2005 in connection with The Sappi Limited 2004 Performance
Share Incentive Plan and (iv) the Section 10(a) Prospectus relating to the offer
and sale of the Registrant’s shares to Participants under The Sappi Limited 2004
Performance Share Incentive Plan.
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
In order
to utilize the “Safe Harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Reform Act”), Sappi Limited (the “Company”)
is providing the following cautionary statement. Except for historical
information contained herein, statements contained in this Report on Form 6-K
may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Reform
Act. The words “believe”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “intend”, “estimate “, “plan”,
“assume”, “positioned”, “will”, “may”, “should”, “risk” and other similar
expressions, which are predictions of or indicate future events and future
trends, which do not relate to historical matters, identify forward-looking
statements. In addition, this Report on Form 6-K may include forward-looking
statements relating to the Company’s potential exposure to various types of
market risks, such as interest rate risk, foreign exchange rate risk and
commodity price risk. Reliance should not be placed on forward-looking
statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors which are in some cases beyond the control of the Company, together with
its subsidiaries (the “Group”), and may cause the actual results, performance or
achievements of the Group to differ materially from anticipated future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements (and from past results, performance or achievements). Certain factors
that may cause such differences include but are not limited to: the impact of
the global economic downturn, the risk that the European acquisition (the
“Acquisition”) will not be integrated successfully or such integration may be
more difficult, time consuming or costly than expected, expected revenue
synergies and cost savings from the Acquisition may not be fully realized or
realized within the expected time frame, revenues following the Acquisition may
be lower than expected, any anticipated benefits from the consolidation of the
European paper business may not be achieved, the highly cyclical nature of the
pulp and paper industry (and the factors that contribute to such cyclicality,
such as levels of demand, production capacity, production, input costs including
raw material, energy and employee costs, and pricing), adverse changes in the
markets for the group’s products, consequences of substantial leverage,
including as a result of adverse changes in credit markets that affect our
ability to raise capital when needed, changing regulatory requirements, possible
early termination of alternative fuel tax credits, unanticipated production
disruptions (including as a result of planned or unexpected power outages),
economic and political conditions in international markets, the impact of
investments, acquisitions and dispositions (including related financing), any
delays, unexpected costs or other problems experienced with integrating
acquisitions and achieving expected savings and synergies and currency
fluctuations. These and other risks, uncertainties and factors are discussed in
the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F and other filings with and submissions
to the Securities and Exchange Commission, including this Report on Form 6-K.
Shareholders and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance
on these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made
as of the date of the submission of this Report on Form 6-K and are not intended
to give any assurance as to future results. The Company undertakes no obligation
to publicly update or revise any of these forward looking statements, whether to
reflect new information or future events or circumstances or
otherwise.
 |
Fine Paper Europe |
Media Release
Brussels, 17 March 2010
Sappi calls for speedy end to Stevedores strike in
Finland
Sappi today called upon all parties involved in the
Stevedores strike in Finland to redouble their efforts to find a speedy
resolution to the impasse which has lead to an effective blockade on the export
of paper and pulp from Finland since 04 March 2010.
In reaction to the strike Berry Wiersum, the CEO of Sappi
Fine Paper Europe said: “The global economic recession of 2009 had a significant
impact on Sappi in Europe. However, the subsequent healthy improvement in demand
for Sappi’s products confirmed that a sustained recovery was underway.
Unfortunately this recovery is weakest in the mechanical coated market which has
lead to the closure of Sappi’s Kangas Mill. It is therefore very disappointing
that the industrial action by the Stevedores threatens to delay this recovery
even further.”
Sappi, the leading producer of coated fine paper in Europe
and globally, invested some €750 million at the end of 2008 to acquire the
coated graphics business of M-Real OYj, thereby becoming one of the largest
foreign investors into Finland. Sappi’s Kirkniemi Mill in Lohja, a world class
asset producing the Galerie brand of coated mechanical paper for many of the
world’s leading magazines and journals, has had to cease production in line with
actions taken by the rest of the industry. To minimise the impact on customers
once the possibility of a strike became apparent, Sappi shipped orders early and
some production was moved to other operations in Europe.
Commenting on the prolonged nature of the dispute, Ralph
Boëttger, the CEO of Sappi Limited said: “The pulp and paper industry in Finland
has an enviable global reputation for excellence, responsibility and
reliability. We therefore very much hope that the strike will be resolved
quickly.”
**ENDS**
Issued by Brunswick South Africa on behalf of Sappi,
+2711502 7300
For
further information, please contact:
|
Claudia
Hammerich
Manager
Corporate Communications
Sappi Fine
Paper Europe
Sappi Europe
SA
Chaussée de
la Hulpe 154
B-1170
Brussels
Tel: +32 2
676 97 84
Mobile: +32
472 61 89 66
Claudia.Hammerich@sappi.com
|
SIGNATURE
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized.
Date: March
17, 2010
|
SAPPI
LIMITED,
|
|||
|
by
|
/s/ L.
Newman
|
||
|
Name:
L. Newman
|
|||
|
Title:
Group Financial Controller
|
|||