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On October 22, the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) voted in favor of Kodak, concluding that imports of aluminum lithographic printing plates from Japan and China have caused material injury to the US manufacturer. As a result, plates from Japan will face an antidumping (AD) duty of 91.83%, while imports from China will be subject to a combined AD and countervailing duty (CVD) rate of 151.51%. This verdict concludes a months-long dispute led by Kodak, which petitioned for relief from what it described as unfair trade practices.
Kodak’s Response to the Ruling
Kodak has welcomed the decision as a win for the company and potentially for the broader US print industry. The company emphasized that these measures would level the playing field, allowing American manufacturers to compete fairly and secure the long-term future of the industry. Kodak’s stance on the issue was made clear that, without these tariffs, the US print industry risked losing its foothold with the potential for more jobs and printing volume to move offshore.
Dissenting Voices
Not everyone in the industry shares Kodak’s view of the decision. Fujifilm North America, a leading supplier of aluminium lithographic printing plates, expressed disappointment with the ITC’s ruling. In a company statement, Hidetoshi Kino, General Manager of Fujifilm’s Graphic Communication Division, criticized the decision, noting that the company’s products are widely used because of their “innovative technology and superior features.” Fujifilm indicated that it would await the ITC’s written rationale, which is expected to be published on November 12, before evaluating next steps and whether to appeal the ruling.
Keypoint Intelligence Opinion
Kodak believes that this decision will be good for the American printing industry. However, various industry associations have raised concerns that these tariffs could lead to increased costs for US businesses, jeopardizing jobs and limiting access to essential products.
We spoke with several print service providers (PSPs), and their reactions were more neutral compared to Kodak’s positive response and the concerns raised by industry associations. In fact, they expressed little worry, noting that aluminium plates make up only a small fraction of their overall printing costs, and they don’t expect a modest price increase to have a significant effect on their customer relationships.
As the industry adapts to these changes, the broader implications of the tariffs are still unfolding. It remains to be seen whether there will be any unforeseen consequences—positive or negative. One key question is whether Kodak will pursue similar measures in Europe, where it also operates a plate manufacturing facility in Germany.
For more information on this topic, please refer to our previous blog post: ITC Proposes Tariffs on Aluminum Lithographic Printing Plates.
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