PPG hikes prices 20%

PPG said on April 15 it had already begun raising prices by as much as 20% across its global paints, coatings, and specialty-products portfolio. (investor.ppg.com) The Pittsburgh-based company said the increases are being applied customer by customer, or when existing contracts allow, and that some products, technologies, and regions may face larger increases. PPG also said additional increases could follow if market conditions keep changing. (investor.ppg.com) PPG tied the move to recent volatility and supply constraints in petrochemical, energy, and transportation markets. The company said those pressures have lifted its costs for raw materials, energy, logistics, and packaging across the coatings supply chain. (investor.ppg.com) Coatings are the thin protective or decorative layers that go on cars, aircraft, buildings, packaging, and factory equipment. When the chemicals, fuel, freight, and packaging behind those products get more expensive, manufacturers either absorb the hit in margins or try to pass it through in price. (sec.gov) PPG is large enough that a price move like this reaches well beyond retail paint aisles. The company said it had $15.9 billion in 2025 sales, operates in more than 50 countries, and serves construction, consumer products, industrial, and transportation markets and aftermarkets. (investor.ppg.com) The company has been dealing with cost inflation in coatings for years, not just weeks. In first-quarter 2022 results, PPG said raw-material costs were up 25% from a year earlier and that energy and transportation costs were also elevated. (investor.ppg.com) PPG entered 2026 with a mixed volume picture across its businesses. Its 2025 annual report said organic sales rose 2%, helped by higher volumes and selling prices, with growth in aerospace, protective and marine, traffic solutions, automotive original equipment manufacturer coatings, industrial coatings, and packaging coatings. (ppg.com) That makes the April increase more than a simple inflation adjustment. PPG is now testing how much of its cost pressure customers will absorb, how much competitors match, and whether contract structures leave enough room to protect margins without losing volume. (investor.ppg.com; sec.gov) Chief executive Tim Knavish said the company’s priority was keeping supply, service, and technical support steady while costs rise. The next hard read on whether customers are accepting that argument is scheduled for April 29, when PPG plans to hold its first-quarter 2026 earnings call. (investor.ppg.com; investor.ppg.com)