Sappi Europe has announced that price increases of 10%-25% would be implemented by the beginning of next month.

“The continuing escalation of energy costs added to the already high increases for raw materials and transportation, presents an extraordinary challenge for Sappi and for the industry as a whole,” the group stated. 

Merchant EBB wrote to customers last week saying that “the majority of our suppliers are imposing another increase at the beginning of February”.

Separately, Mitsubishi HiTec Paper said that it would be implement a global price increase of 10% across all its speciality papers, effective 1 March. 

“The reason for this is the continued increase in the cost of gas, chemical raw materials and logistics services,” the firm explained. 

The products affected are Thermoscript, Jetscript, Giroform, Supercote and Barricote.

German coatings, inks and adhesives manufacturer Actega, part of the Altana Group of companies, has announced that prices for its water-based coatings will have to go up by an unspecified amount from the beginning of next month. 

“These price increases are a necessary and direct result of the escalating costs associated with manufacturing products in Europe, including raw material, transportation, packaging, and energy costs,” Actega said in a statement.

The industry has been buffeted by continuing price increases since the beginning of last year. 

One print boss told Printweek: “Paper is an absolute nightmare at the moment. It’s almost impossible to manage.”

The Bookseller has also reported fears that some independent publishers will not be able to cope with rising printing costs in the UK, or will be force to print in the Far East, with one indie reporting that production costs had gone up by 40%.