Fujifilm Corporation has announced that it has increased the price of its offset printing plates, processing chemicals, PWB films and inks on a global basis as of 1 May.
The company said, in a statement, that the price will be increased by a double-digit percentage and will differ depending on the region and the product.
“While the price of various raw materials, including aluminium and silver, are soaring significantly and freight costs are rising globally, Fujifilm has been working tirelessly to absorb the increases by reducing costs and improving productivity,” the company said.
“However, the magnitude of rising costs can no longer be sustained by the company. Details of the new pricing structure will be communicated to all customers worldwide.”
The increase in freight and shipping costs, coupled with the impact of COVID-19 has been causing disruptions and increased costs to the print industry, especially when consumables, paper, board and other materials are involved.
At a recent Visual Communications AGM presentation, shipping agent Agility Logistics manager Benjamin Wilson said over 80 per cent of cargo arriving into Australia is via passenger aircraft and that while global air cargo capacity was down 75 per cent in early April as a result of widespread passenger flight cancellations, air freight rates are still rising due to capacity availability, ocean freight downturn in capacity and the increase in e-Commerce.
In January, employer association Ai Group also found that suppliers in Australia that rely on sea freight are experiencing “significant issues” as the country’s ports continue to bring risks.
In March, Flint Group Packaging announced its intent to increase the prices of its ink and coating products globally, effective from 1 April.
The company said the move was a result of its business facing an “extraordinarily turbulent set of supply chain conditions”, exacerbated by the global pandemic.
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