The Print & Graphic Communications Association (PGCA), an organization representing 400 printing companies, urged the International Trade Commission (ITC) to reject new proposed tariffs on aluminum printing plates that are used to print newspapers, magazines, books, marketing materials, consumer packaging, instruction manuals, and more.

The proposed tariffs will increase costs for the printing and graphic communications industries and the customers they serve, including thousands of American small businesses, reduce competition in the printing plate market, and threaten the production of printed materials for American businesses, PGCA says.

“New tariffs on printing plates will increase costs for printers and graphic communications companies and the businesses they serve across a wide range of industries that rely on printers for printed materials,” comments Tim Freeman, co-president of PGCA. “The imposition of additional tariffs on printing plates will reduce competition in the printing plate market and could leave printing and publishing companies with fewer options for affordable, quality printing plates. We urge the ITC to reject new duties on aluminum printing plates.”

Print and graphic communications companies use aluminum lithographic printing plates to print materials across a broad range of industries, including newspapers and magazines; marketing and promotional materials such banners, flyers, leaflets, and brochures; mailing industry materials such as labels and product packaging; educational resources such as textbooks and test prep materials; consumer products such as medication inserts, consumer product packaging, instruction manuals; print media advertising and tradeshow exhibits; restaurant and food service industry resources such as menus, food labels, and meal prep kit instructions; and business documents such as financial reports, among many others.

“Although the impact of tariffs and increased costs will be felt across the industry, the burden will be particularly felt by small and mom-and-pop print shops as well as the small and local businesses that rely on these shops for printed goods,” states Melissa Jones, co-president of PGCA. “If aluminum printing plate suppliers were forced to leave the US market because of the imposition of new tariffs, there could be a de facto monopoly in the printing plate market and an inability for the market to meet existing demand for printing and graphic communication companies.”

On September 12, the ITC will hold a public hearing to assess whether to impose antidumping (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD) on aluminum lithographic printing plates from Japan and China. If upheld, the ITC could impose additional duties of 200% on aluminum printing plates.