Smurfit Westrock acquires CMPC’s Chilean packaging business in multi-million dollar deal

Smurfit Westrock is set to acquire the containerboard and corrugated business of Empresas CMPC (Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones) for US$420 million, strengthening its Latin American operations. 

CMPC’s business operations include paper production in Puente Alto, Chile, corrugated cardboard packaging solutions in Buin, Til Til, and Osorno, molded packaging through Chimolsa, and the recovery and recycling of paper and cardboard through a network of 12 collection points. 

“Opportunities to acquire a unique business like this one are rare,” says Tony Smurfit, president and CEO at Smurfit Westrock. “CMPC has grown this business over many decades and brings expertise into the Smurfit Westrock organization.”

He anticipates that the combination of extensive industry knowledge and geographic footprint will bolster future opportunities for growth and development across the region.

For example, a paper machine in Santiago, Chile, produces approximately 250,000 tons per year and allows Smurfit Westrock to integrate recycled paper into its operations in Argentina, Peru, and Ecuador, while also enabling it to route kraftliner from Brazil and North America into the acquired corrugated assets in Chile.

Smurfit adds: “I am equally pleased to expand our presence in the Chilean market, which, over decades, has shown strong growth and resilience.”

Strengthening capacity

CMPC assets are located close to the country’s key fishery and agricultural regions, enabling Smurfit Westrock to expand its containerboard and corrugated solutions in Chile.

The move combines industry knowledge and geographic footprint to bolster future opportunities across the region.Francisco Ruiz-Tagle, CEO at CMPC, says: “This operation is part of our long-term strategy and how we want to project CMPC in the coming decades. We seek to concentrate capabilities and resources where we have greater scale and competitive advantages.”

“At the same time, we want to strengthen our forestry and industrial capabilities and move toward a more agile and flexible structure, which will allow us to strengthen our position as a Chilean company with an international reach.”

Completion of the acquisition is expected during the first half of 2027, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

CMPC will maintain its presence in Puente Alto through the Softys plant, which is not part of the transaction.

Consolidating operations

Smurfit Westrock is one of the heavyweights in paper and containerboard packaging, with an annual turnover of US$31.2 billion in 2025, according to its annual report.

Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, its innovations span corrugated packaging, containerboard, and consumer packaging for markets worldwide.

Alvaro Henao, CEO at Smurfit Westrock Latam, says: “In our previously announced Medium-Term Plan, we identified Latam as a region of growth and development both through internal investment and acquisition.”

“I am happy to reach this agreement to acquire world-class assets in Chile with a formidable team that we look forward to welcoming into the Smurfit Westrock organization. This firmly establishes Smurfit Westrock as the leading player in Chile and further strengthens our regional footprint.”

In recent innovations, Smurfit Westrock provided Coca-Cola China with paper-based packaging for its 2026 World Cup campaign across its retail and e-commerce offerings. Meanwhile, it introduced ActiBlu, an adhesive that can be applied during the production of the packaging.

It also produced moisture-resistant and recyclable seafood packaging for Keltic Seafare, supporting the Scottish seafood company in its transition away from expanded polystyrene packaging.