Aluminium costs push plate prices up

The pressure is on for Kodak to increase the price of its plates following the rising cost of aluminium.

Kodak is likely to follow the lead of Agfa, which earlier this year announced that as of May 1, it would introduce a surcharge to cover the soaring costs of aluminium and silver raw materials increases in plates and film. Based on the average pricing of aluminum and silver on the LME, the increase will be in the region of 1-2 per cent for plates and 4-5 per cent for film.

"We see an aluminium surcharge as a fair and reasonable mechanism for our customers and ourselves to ride out the massive price hikes we have recently experienced with metal pricing," said Agfa's Oceania regional president, Frederik Dehing at the time.

Steve Venn, who has recently returned to Australia to take over from Nick Notaras as new regional Kodak GCG chief, said that the company was experiencing similar issues to Agfa and considering its options in relation to plate pricing.

"We are all under the same presses," he said. "It's not something we will take lightly and will look carefully at what we can do."

An exception to the trend could be Fujifilm. Peter Carrigan, general manager, graphic systems division, maintained that price increases were not on the immediate horizon for the company. "I wouldn't see that happening at this stage," he said.