Chinese Paper Tariffs Rankle U.S. Printers —Michelson

There is also fear that, due to the U.S. government’s decision, higher prices resulting from a reduction in the coated free sheet supply chain will be passed along to printers’ customers who, in turn, may look overseas to now even more price-competitive Asian print providers. What kind of irony is that? (Also be sure to check out two articles appearing in this issue that discuss China’s impact on our domestic book printing market, as well as the emphasis the Chinese higher education system has placed on the graphic arts.) Likewise, some argue that the import tariffs will give Canadian printers competing in the U.S. market an unfair advantage because they will still be able to purchase Chinese coated free sheet paper at reduced prices. And, to add insult to injury, the governmental action comes on the heels of the latest postal rate case, which already has catalogers and publishers grappling with large postage increases.