Apex announces a price increase of Lexmark and Dell chips with immediate effect.
In an email dated 1st June and seen by The Recycler, Apex Microelectronics announces that the price of chips for use in Lexmark MS/MX/CS/CX and the Dell 2360/5460 series will increase effective 1st June 2017. The price increases are understood to apply to chips supplied by Apex sister company, Static Control Components.
Apex cites the need to provide “customers with stable, trustworthy and IP-safe products and better service.” No details of the size of the price increase were published in the email where customers were urged to contact their Apex Sales aMnager. The Recycler understands from several remanufacturers that the increase is possibly as high as 300% which is causing consternation among remanufacturers around the world.
On the 30th May, the US Supreme Court found for Impression Products against Lexmark who were seeking to use patent law to control and limit the remanufacturing of Lexmark cartridges. The landmark decision would make it easier for the aftermarket remanufacturing industry to collect and reprocess Lexmark cartridges. The price increase of chips took place just two days later, on the 1st June, and according to two people familiar with the issue, the price rise is likely to severely impact on current production runs where the immediate cost increases cannot be absorbed.
Lexmark, Apex Microelectronics and Static Control Components are owned by the Ninestar Corporation.
On the 9th June, Italian electronics company, Italeco Srl, announced on their LinkedIn page that chips for the Lexmark MS/MX series would be available soon.