Technology major Fujifilm has announced price increases to a range of its hardware products, consumables, and services as the European market continues to be impacted by geopolitical influences and inflationary pressures.
The company has cited a list of challenges including an unprecedented increase in labour costs, sharply rising freight and warehousing rates, surging energy prices, and increased prices from Fujifilm’s own suppliers.
Taku Ueno, Senior Vice President, Fujifilm Graphic Communications, Europe, comments, “Despite our best efforts to absorb the impact of these increases, we can no longer avoid raising the prices of many of our products and services. The prices will be increased by double digit percentages, the exact amount dependent on the product range, and be effective from 18 March, 2024, with the news communicated directly to customers affected.”
In an earlier development, Fujifilm had shuttered its offset plate production facility in Tilburg, The Netherlands, citing declining demand for offset plates, accelerated by the COVID pandemic and the influence this had on the way people consume print. The impact of Europe’s higher inflation, the volatility of the energy market, and raw material costs going through the ceiling further compounded the situation. Fujifilm’s European customers are now supplied with plates manufactured at plants in Japan and China.
Despite the odds, Ueno adds, “At Fujifilm we remain committed to providing high quality products and services and will continue to work to mitigate any further costs.”
