Sun Chemical Raises Prices Globally Across All Product Divisions

Sun Chemical, one of the world's largest ink and pigment manufacturers, announced on March 19 that it would implement price increases and surcharges across all its product divisions, effective immediately, citing geopolitical developments in the Middle East, notably the situation involving Iran, as significantly impacting global energy markets, logistics routes, and chemical feedstock availability.

For anyone who works with pigment-heavy inks, the kind that make geometric blackwork pop and saturated mandalas hold their vibrancy over years, this announcement lands directly at the supply chain. Tattoo inks are primarily composed of two components: pigments and carriers. Sun Chemical sits upstream of those pigments, and what happens at that level ripples down to ink brands, distributors, and ultimately the studio shelf.

The company cited steep raw materials and intermediates price increases driven by volatility in oil and gas supply, higher transportation, logistics, and insurance costs particularly for shipments through critical trade routes, longer lead times caused by supply chain disruptions, and higher energy costs that are significantly elevated in certain regions.

The move follows similar announcements made the previous week by The Navigator Company and Hubergroup, signaling that this is not an isolated supplier decision but a coordinated shift across the global inks and coatings industry responding to the same set of pressures.

This is not Sun Chemical's first pricing action. Back in December 2024, the company announced it would increase prices for parts of its pigment portfolio, effective January 1, 2025. That earlier move attributed the increases to inflation and sustainability compliance costs. Brian Panczyk, President of Color Materials at Sun Chemical, framed it plainly at the time: "While this price adjustment is essential to continue delivering innovative and reliable products in a challenging economic environment, Sun Chemical understands the impact of these changes on our customers." March's action is broader in both scope and urgency, covering every product division rather than a slice of the pigment portfolio.

Sun Chemical stated that "the cumulative increases of costs, fees, and expenses, caused by aforementioned factors outside our control, necessitate price increases and surcharges to safeguard supply continuity and maintain quality and service standards."

Sun Chemical, a member of the DIC Group, is a leading producer of packaging and graphic solutions, color and display technologies, functional products, electronic materials, and products for the automotive and healthcare industries. The combined DIC Group operation carries annual sales exceeding $8.5 billion and employs more than 22,000 people worldwide, meaning the pricing decisions made in Parsippany, N.J. carry weight across every industry that depends on manufactured color.

Sun Chemical said it will communicate specific price increases and surcharge information directly to its customers and provide updates as the situation in the Middle East evolves. Customers with questions can contact their local Sun Chemical sales representative.

No percentage figures or product-specific surcharge rates have been made public. What is clear is that the window between the December 2024 pigment increase and this March 2026 across-the-board action has closed fast, and the full scope of the cost pressure is still developing alongside conditions in the Middle East.