What started as a threat became a reality last month when the Trump Administration decided to levy a 10% tariff on imported aluminum and a 25% tariff on imported steel. At present, the tariffs are having the biggest impact on manufacturers of aluminum plates—although that may be just the beginning.

“Aluminum is in excess of 50% of our overall manufacturing costs of litho plates and that would be consistent among all the manufacturers,” said Richard Rindo, General Manager, Offset Print, and Vice President, Print Systems Division, at Eastman Kodak.

For Agfa, the 10% tariff was just the start. “As part of this, there was also a change in the ‘preference status’ of a free trade zone that Agfa was operating, making aluminum imports now also subject to a 3% customs duty,” said Gunther Mertens, President, Region North America, Agfa Graphics. “The impact on Agfa is a 13% cost increase on our aluminum imports—aluminum is the single biggest cost element in manufacturing offset printing plates.”