Sun Chemical Announces Price Increases

PARSIPPANY, NJ—Faced with what it described as continued increases in the costs of raw materials and volatility in the global supply chain, Sun Chemical revealed it will raise product prices in North America effective Feb. 1. The increases are as follows:

• $.14/lb. for sheetfed blending bases;
• $.10/lb. for sheetfed blacks, whites and varnishes;
• $.12/lb. for heatset process black and color inks;
• $.07/lb. for solvent-based liquid inks;
• $.10/lb. for all white liquid inks;
• 5 percent for screen inks;
• 8-12 percent for heatset Pantone Matching System (PMS), fluorescent, metallic inks and overprint varnishes;
• 5-10 percent for silicones and washes, and;
• 5 percent for fountain solutions.

Sun Chemical noted that raw materials cost and supply instability have significantly impacted the ink industry for more than two years. Other non-traditional factors that began to impact the price of major feedstocks and raw materials in early 2010 continue, including: supply base consolidation and capacity curtailment, declines in refinery margins, and rationalized operating rates to meet diminished demand. The result is elevated costs on such raw materials as TiO2, rosin and polyamide resins, nitrocellulose, among others.

“In some cases, such as for TiO2, we have seen the global capacity reduced by as much as 10 percent in three years, demand driven up, and raw materials for manufacturing TiO2 become tight,” said Tony Renzi, vice president of product management, liquid inks, North American inks, Sun Chemical.