MORTSEL , BELGIUM—  Agfa will increase the price of its offset printing plates and chemicals for the third time this year( April5% to 10%, August10% ). Raw material shortage remains an ongoing problem and the competitive environment to secure aluminum and other raw materials has accelerated the cost increase. Recently, aluminum futures traded to a 30-year high, reporting now at over double the cost of 18 months ago. In addition to the raw material cost pressure, logistics and operational costs have soared, as the economic recovery drives demand for these. “Initially, we were hoping the inflationary pressure would be of a temporary nature, but the issues with global supplies of crucial raw materials have not shown any signs of stabilization. They are likely to stay at these levels in 2022. Agfa will be reviewing the need for further pricing actions on a quarterly basis”, says Frederik Dehing, VP Global Sales. The specific – but double-digit – price increases will apply from November. In the last several years Agfa has created a separate division for it's offset plates , closed two plants and  has looked merging or selling it's plate division.