GEOPOLITICS

The Indian paper and packaging sector finds itself at a critical juncture, defined by a stark divergence between long-term opportunity and immediate operational peril. On one hand, global sustainability mandates, including the imperative to replace plastic, are fuelling a structural boom, positioning India as a natural manufacturing beneficiary in the emerging circular economy. On the other hand, the industry is grappling with acute geopolitical volatility and a profound debate over the role of human skill in an increasingly digitised era.

The fragile global supply chain has buckled again, this time at the hands of rising conflict in the Middle East, forcing a swift and immediate price increase across all packaging ink and coating products from industry giant Flint Group. The company, a critical supplier to the global Flexible Packaging, Paper & Board, and Narrow Web industries, announced the hike today, citing a cascade of supply and cost pressures that show no sign of easing.

The Middle East's printing and packaging industry is navigating a landscape of geopolitical unrest with a precarious balance of caution and resilience. While day-to-day operations continue largely uninterrupted, serving essential markets like food, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods, a catastrophic threat is escalating: the unquantifiable risk posed by maritime insecurity and the immediate financial exposure it creates.

The geopolitical unrest in the Middle East has naturally created a sense of caution among businesses, but according to Manoj Mehta, an industry expert and past-president of AIFMP, the printing and packaging industry in the region has shown remarkable resilience.

The India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is poised to be less of a celebratory moment and more of a strategic confrontation for the Indian paper and pulp sector. Read on...

US tariff policies could reshape the global packaging industry, with potential impacts reaching into the tens of billions of dollars, according to a new white paper from Smithers.

The US President Donald Trump announced the additional tariffs on Indian goods imported to the US on 6 August 2025. This follows an earlier 25% duty implemented on 1 August 2025, targeting India’s continued purchase of Russian oil amid geopolitical friction over the Russia-Ukraine war.

New research from Smithers, a leading authority on the printing industry, highlights a significant challenge facing the global printing market: the export of used sheetfed offset hardware. A key finding from their latest white paper, Impact of Tariffs on Printing, indicates that this segment will be particularly affected, primarily because a substantial portion of these machines is destined for India and China, where tariff rates remain elevated.

The US has exempted Indian pharma exports from new tariffs, ensuring access to generic medicines, but uncertainty remains over the future. Words: Prabhat Prakash

To address rising costs caused by recent global trade developments affecting raw material tariffs, Sun Chemical will implement a tariff surcharge on impacted colour materials products, including pigments, both imported and produced in the United States.

The tariffs are among a spate of tariffs announced for 180 countries that have sent global markets into a freefall.