Agfa will increase the price of its offset printing plates and some pressroom chemicals for the third time in less than 10 months. Raw material shortages remain an ongoing concern and the competitive environment to secure aluminum and other raw materials has further accelerated more cost increases, the OEM pointed out. Recently, aluminum futures traded to a 30-year high on the London Metal Exchange, reporting now at over double the cost it was only 18 months ago. In addition to these raw-material cost pressures, logistics and operational costs have also soared, as the economic recovery drives demand for them.
“Initially, we were hoping the inflationary pressure would be of a temporary nature, but the issues with global supplies of crucial raw materials have not shown any signs of stabilization,” said Frederik Dehing, Vice-President of Global Sales at Agfa. “They are likely to stay at these levels in 2022. Agfa will be reviewing the need for further pricing actions on a quarterly basis.” As used aluminum offset plates are being recycled, the price increases will, to a large extent, be compensated for by the increased value printers will get from their scrap aluminum. The specific – but double-digit – price increases will apply from November 1 onwards and will be communicated directly to Agfa’s customers by Agfa customer representatives.