Newspaper and web printers can expect a surcharge on Flint Group deliveries from next month.

Commercial publication web division president Tony Lord says meeting supply obligations has meant meeting “previously unparalleled price levels”. Rather than impose a general price increase, a monthly surcharge is being applied pending further market developments.

“The first responsibility of a supplier is to meet its obligations to its customers for provision of required volumes to maintain the integrity of the supply chain,” he says.

“To meet this requirement we have been successful in responding to the post pandemic’s unprecedented disruption in both global raw material and energy markets by ensuring both product and energy availability to meet our customers’ demands. This has, however, been at previously unparalleled price levels across our entire portfolio of raw materials and manufacturing locations.”

Lord said hoped-for stabilisation of raw material availability and pricing has so far failed to materialise in 2022, with products remaining scarce and their pricing continuing to escalate.

“This, coupled with the exponential increase in energy tariffs, has created a situation where current selling price levels for our products are simply not sustainable,” he said.

To respond to the sudden rise in costs, Flint says it is avoiding avoid a general price increase by applying a monthly surcharge – effective from March 1 – in order to maintain supplies.

The entire publication ink portfolio is affected.

Regretting the move, Lord committed to reducing or eliminating the surcharge when the situation normalises.