Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. (President: Masatomo Nakamura) is pleased to announce that the Company's stake in Everwealth Paper Industries (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a manufacturer and processor of corrugated carton board in Shanghai, has been increased to 40%, up from the previous 23% through the purchase of shares.

Accompanying China's economic growth, the corrugated carton board market has been growing each year in China. To secure a base for the Group's corrugated carton board business in China, Nippon Paper Industries took a stake in Everwealth Paper Industries (Shanghai), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Everwealth Paper Industries, in 2003, and has since operated a joint venture business. To facilitate the growth and development of Everwealth Paper Industries (Shanghai), Nippon Paper Industries has increased its equity stake in Everwealth Paper Industries (Shanghai) by acquiring a 17% stake from Everwealth Paper Industries. With the new stake, Nippon Paper Industries will aim to bolster production facilities and strengthen the sales structure by focusing on the Huadong area, which encompasses Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu.