European printers find themselves caught in a vice. In the space of a few weeks, Navigator, Sappi, SCA, Hubergroup and Eco3 have announced price increases on all basic consumables: paper, board, inks, varnishes and offset plates.
Navigator: two rises and a warning
The Navigator Company will apply a 4-7% price increase to its UWF papers in Europe from April 6, with the high end for entry-level grades. The Portuguese pulp, paper, packaging and bioenergy producer doesn't stop there: it warns that energy tensions and logistical disruptions linked to the conflict in the Middle East could render "further price rises will soon be necessary" .
Sappi: new ranges hit by price hikes
Sappi Europe strikes on several fronts. Since March 16, the South African group's European division had already raised prices on its range of coated woodfree papers (WFC) by 50 euros per tonne. As of April 1, it's the turn of Fusion coated and uncoated liner with a 7-8% increase, and Parade Label label papers at 8-10%. The manufacturer points to a "growing structural gap between actual costs and market prices, despite several years of restructuring and operational optimization.
SCA: 100 euros per tonne on kraftliner
Swedish papermaker SCA, for its part, doesn't even bother to justify itself, announcing, in a single sentence, plus 100 euros per tonne on all its kraftliner grades in Europe from April 1. And it doesn't sound like a joke.
Hubergroup: the entire portfolio concerned
Hubergroup had already announced these adjustments. The German ink manufacturer confirms that it is raising prices across its entire portfolio of inks, varnishes and chemicals. Resins, solvents, pigments, additives: raw materials depend on oil and gas markets, which have been directly affected by the conflict in the Middle East. " The scale and persistence of current cost pressures make price adjustments inevitable." says Premal Desai, General Manager.
Eco3: Offset plates up by double digits
Offset plates are not spared. Belgium's Eco3 had already announced a double-digit increase on its plates and associated chemicals, applicable from March 1. The reason: the continuing rise in aluminum prices and associated processing costs. "Despite our ongoing efforts to improve internal efficiency, the sharp rise in production costs makes this tariff change unavoidable." said Frederik Dehing, Global Sales Director. He warns that these factors "are structural, global and unlikely to be reversed in the near future ".
