NAPIM Reports on Raw Material Shortages and Ink Price Volatility

Published: March 01, 2011

WOODBRIDGE, NJ | The National Assn. of Printing Ink Mfrs. (NAPIM) has issued a bulletin offering insight into the current volatility facing the raw material printing ink market supply chain. The bulletin, sent to NAPIM's members, reviews the availability of critical raw materials likely used in the inks that printers' purchase in all of the major printing processes, including flexographic, gravure, lithographic, and inkjet.

Availability, driven by capacity and demand from competing regions and industries, remains the determinant on how much product any one manufacturer can obtain and at what cost. Some of the key raw materials causing price increases include rosin, acrylic acid, carbon black, titanium dioxide, nitrocellulose, crude oil and natural gas, vegetable oils, and colored organic pigments.

Ink manufacturers expect feedstock inflation, tight markets, and shortages to continue in 2011. They will likely see an increase in issues related to nitrocellulose, titanium dioxide, and additives, as well as persistence of the issues in rosin resin and some pigments.

Oil prices are expected to be higher in 2011 and subjected to high volatility, with petrochemicals and oil derivatives following.

For more information on this bulletin, visit the association's website at www.napim.org.

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