David Savastano, Editor09.23.16
Stability is a wonderful word for ink industry purchasing executives, and one they haven’t had the opportunity to use very often for nearly a decade. During this period, the prices of key ink ingredients have dramatically shot up, while availability has sometimes been scarce.
Even when pricing of goods became stabilized and the cost of crude oil declined substantially, ink executives found themselves battling volatile currency rates, as the euro declined more than 20% against the dollar last year.
The good news is that, right now at least, purchasing executives report that for the vast majority of ingredients, prices are stable and availability is fine. There are trouble spots, such as TiO2 and some pigment intermediates, but this is normal. As Robert Doerffel, corporate communications Europe for hubergroup, succinctly put it, “Generally speaking, we like how boring it is right now.”
That said, much can change in an instant – the US presidential election, Brexit, geopolitical issues and more – but right now, the raw material market is as calm as it has been since the global recession of 2008.
China has the world’s second largest gross domestic product (GDP), this year reaching nearly $11 trillion. It also has one of the largest printing and ink industries, with printing thought to reach $160 billion in sales and ink estimated by Ink World at more than $1.5 billion in annual sales.
In my article, “The 2016 Chinese Ink Market,” international and domestic ink manufacturers discuss the latest growth areas for printing, as well as their most recent investments. Considering the size of the market, it is no surprise that ink companies are investing heavily in new facilities, with packaging ink plants leading the way.
Our issue also includes Ink World’s annual Buyers’ Guide, the most comprehensive listing of raw materials, equipment and services, distributors and trade associations for the printing industry. In addition to our September/October issue, our Buyers’ Guide is available online at www.inkworldmagazine.com. I hope you find it very useful!
Even when pricing of goods became stabilized and the cost of crude oil declined substantially, ink executives found themselves battling volatile currency rates, as the euro declined more than 20% against the dollar last year.
The good news is that, right now at least, purchasing executives report that for the vast majority of ingredients, prices are stable and availability is fine. There are trouble spots, such as TiO2 and some pigment intermediates, but this is normal. As Robert Doerffel, corporate communications Europe for hubergroup, succinctly put it, “Generally speaking, we like how boring it is right now.”
That said, much can change in an instant – the US presidential election, Brexit, geopolitical issues and more – but right now, the raw material market is as calm as it has been since the global recession of 2008.
China has the world’s second largest gross domestic product (GDP), this year reaching nearly $11 trillion. It also has one of the largest printing and ink industries, with printing thought to reach $160 billion in sales and ink estimated by Ink World at more than $1.5 billion in annual sales.
In my article, “The 2016 Chinese Ink Market,” international and domestic ink manufacturers discuss the latest growth areas for printing, as well as their most recent investments. Considering the size of the market, it is no surprise that ink companies are investing heavily in new facilities, with packaging ink plants leading the way.
Our issue also includes Ink World’s annual Buyers’ Guide, the most comprehensive listing of raw materials, equipment and services, distributors and trade associations for the printing industry. In addition to our September/October issue, our Buyers’ Guide is available online at www.inkworldmagazine.com. I hope you find it very useful!
