Explosion in China hits printing inks supply chain

A deadly explosion at Jiangsu Tianjiayi Chemical in China last month is severely impacting the global supply chain of raw materials used in publication and UV printing inks according to Flint Group.

The March explosion spread to adjacent facilities, causing nearly 80 deaths, injuring hundreds of people and forcing thousands of evacuations of nearby areas. The Chinese government has forced shut-downs at the industrial park, as well as others nearby, to allow for investigations and safety inspections. Arno de Groot, vice president procurement at Flint, said: “Thousands of factories have already been shut down. Government investigations and safety inspections will impact the total chemical industry in China and will not be limited to the province where the catastrophic accident happened.” The impact has reached UV and publication printing ink supply chains, as the closures affect companies that supply materials for photoinitiators and for red and yellow pigments. Though Podd noted that the raw material shortage will not affect ink supply for Flint’s customers because “our preferred status with our partner suppliers helps us minimise supply chain disruptions, even during unforeseen crises like this one,” re-open dates for the shuttered raw material facilities remain unknown.