Ink prices start to rise

Flint Group’s Packaging division has warned that it will be increasing the prices of its ink and coating products from 1st April 2021.

Flint has put this down to difficulties in its supply chain, exacerbated by the global pandemic, which is causing shortages, and therefore rising costs, of raw materials. This has particularly affected petrochemical derivatives – such as resins, solvents and pigments – as well as freight.

Doug Aldred, president of Flint Group Packaging Inks, commented: “The unusual set of supply chain conditions currently witnessed are some of the most severe I have seen. Our business is facing substantial cost and availability headwinds, across multiple raw material categories. Resins, solvents and pigments including Titanium Dioxide, are particularly problematic.”

Emmanuel Bareaud, president of Flint Group Narrow Web, added: “Regrettably, despite our tenacious efforts to offset cost and risk for our valued customers, the pronounced and prolonged pressure – experienced in some categories since mid-2020 – has forced us to act. Some raw materials, such as UV resins, additives and pigments, are reaching cost peaks not witnessed in the last ten years or more.”

Earlier this year, Sun Chemical also announced price increases across its range of packaging and commercial sheetfed inks, coatings, and adhesives in Europe, Middle East, Africa. 

Sun Chemical attributed this to a combination of raw material shortages, including petrochemical, vegetable oils and derivatives, as well as dramatically increased international freight transport costs, but also pointed out that now that some regions are seeing economic recovery so this is pushing up demand and therefore prices.

Nicolas Bétin, director of product strategy for the EMEA region at Sun Chemical, explained: “The pressure across the supply chain is causing an abrupt rise in raw material costs and unfortunately requires us to increase customer prices. We will continue to work with our sourcing partners to manage and minimise the impact on our customers.”

It’s inevitable that the prices of inks and coatings will go up right across the board as all the suppliers are bound to feel the same pressures. This will be an additional unwelcome problem for many printers and converters on top of all the upheaval we’ve all experienced over the past 12 months, and this will be exacerbated as different regions and market sectors will start to pick up – hopefully – at different rates, depending on regional variances on the virus and the vaccination program.