Celanese announces intermediate chemistry price increases

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation, a global technology and specialty materials company, will increase the price of formaldehyde (37% water solution) by USD175/mt, as per the company's press release.

The prices for more concentrated solutions will increase proportionally.

Price increases are effective January 1, 2015, or as contracts allow.

As MRC reported earlier, Celanese Corporation has recently announced that it will increase the price of vinyl acetate-based emulsions sold in the Americas. Thus, PVAc homopolymer, vinyl acetate ethylene (VAE) and vinyl acrylic emulsions will increase by up to USD0.05/wet pound effective November 1, 2014, or as contracts allow. This increase is attributed to the continued pressures on raw materials, notably vinyl acetate monomer (VAM), and freight.

This price increase affects all applications including, but not limited to, adhesives, paints and coatings, building products, nonwovens, glass fiber, carpet, paper and textiles.

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Based in Dallas, Texas, Celanese employs approximately 7,400 employees worldwide and had 2013 net sales of USD6.5 billion.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Tikkurila has today on October 16, 2014, agreed on the acquisition of the business of ISO Paint Nordic A/S, which focuses on developing, manufacturing and selling energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable coatings, said the producer in its press release.

The acquisition will complement Tikkurila's professional product range, technologies and expertise in energy-efficient coating solutions and solutions which extend the life cycle of structures. For example, the products reduce the amount of heating or cooling energy needed in buildings. "This acquisition supports our profitable growth strategy well. Demand for energy-efficient and eco-efficient solutions has clearly grown in the recent years, and we expect this positive trend to continue," says Erkki Jarvinen, President and CEO of Tikkurila. "Customers are expecting to receive increasingly comprehensive coatings solutions from one supplier. This acquisition also caters to their wishes, and it is a logical extension to Tikkurila's June purchase of the Swedish KEFA Drytech AB, which specializes in functional products, such as mold protection."

ISO Paint Nordic is the market leader in its sector in Scandinavia. The revenue of the acquired business amounted to approximately EUR 7.5 million in 2013 and it had approximately 20 employees. The company has a modern and efficient production facility in Lunderskov, Denmark. The company's products are sold in about 20 countries. In addition to the Nordic countries, its main markets include Germany, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Australia. ISO Paint Nordic is a family business established in 1999.

As MRC wrote before, Dow, together with other major coatings producers and raw materials suppliers - LLC Tikkurila, JSC Yaroslavskie Kraski, CJSC Akzo Nobel Decor and DuPont Titanium Technologies - signed a Charter to form the Quality Paint Association in Russia. The Association aims to unite major producers of paints and varnishes, raw materials suppliers and other players of the coatings and paints industry in Russia - to advance international quality, and safety and environmental standards of paints on the Russian market bringing the market closer to Western international standards.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay CEO Jean-Pierre Clamadieu has been elected President of Cefic, the European Chemical Industry Council, reported the company on its site.

Mr Clamadieu will take over the leadership today from BASF Chairman Kurt Bock, who completed his successful two-year term.

As MRC wrote before, this summer, Solvay SA and Ineos Group AG gaven a name to their chlorovinyls joint venture, Inovyn, as the two firms prepare the launch of the company by the end of 2014. The new company will officially open following divestments by both companies required by the European Commission. Until completion, Solvay and Ineos will continue to run their businesses separately.

Solvay S.A. is a Belgian chemical company founded in 1863, with its head office in Neder-Over-Heembeek, Brussels, Belgium. The company has diversified into two major sectors of activity: chemicals and plastics. Solvay supplies over 1500 products across 35 brands of high-performance polymers – fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic ultra polymers, high-barrier polymers and cross-linked high-performance compounds.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Total imports of high density polyethylene (HDPE) in Ukraine has decreased by 31% in the first nine months of the current year. The smallest decline in deliveries occurred for injection moulding HDPE, according to MRC DataScope.

September HDPE imports grew to 10,600 tonnes, compared with 6,400 tonnes in August on the back of increased supplies from Europe and Saudi Arabia. Total HDPE imports in the country decreased to 73,300 tonnes in January - September of this year, compared with 107,000 tonnes year on year.

A significant drop in demand for HDPE was seen in all sectors of consumption, the smallest decline occurred for the injection moulding HDPE - about 8%. Structure of HDPE imports over the reported period was as follows.

September imports of film HDPE in the country grew to 4,900 tonnes, compared with 2,700 tonnes in August. Ukraine's imports of film HDPE totalled 29,200 tonnes in the first nine months of the current year, down 34% year on year. Main import volumes occurred for the material from Europe and the Middle East.

September pipe HDPE imports in Ukraine were 2,200 tonnes, compared with 1,900 tonnes in August. Ukraine's imports of pipe HDPE decreased to 14,200 tonnes in January - September 2014, compared with 21,800 tonnes year on year.

September imports of blow moulding HDPE in Ukraine rose to 1,700 tonnes, compared with 922 tonnes in August. Total imports of blow moulding HDPE in the country were 13,800 tonnes in the first nine months of the year, compared with 19,400 tonnes year on year.

September imports of injection moulding HDPE in Ukraine grew to 1,500 tonnes, compared with 663 tonnes in August. Total imports of injection moulding HDPE decreased to 13,400 tonnes in January - September 2014, down 8% year on year.

Total imports of HDPE in other consumption sectors for the reported period were 2,600 tonnes, compared to 7,000 tonnes year on year.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of expandable polystyrene (EPS) to Russia decreased over the first three quarters of 2014 by 10% year on year and totalled 48,400 tonnes, according to MRC ScanPlast report.

Chinese grades accounted for the strongest demand from consumers. The largest EPS supplier was Loyal (China). Loyal shipped to Russia 22,200 tonnes over the first nine months of 2014. Purchasing quantities of Loyal's EPS rose from January to September 21%, despite the overall fall in imports.

Being among the top suppliers, BASF, Styrochem and LG Chem, have been losing their position in the Russian market. At the same time, purchasing quantities of Chinese EPS of Wuxi and Jiangsu Litian New Material almost doubled.

Higher July imports were caused by the peak demand in the Russian domestic market. Quantities of Russian EPS have not been enough so far to fully cover the needs of the domestic market.

The EPS market remained Russia's largest import market among all styrene plastics grades. EPS accounted for 36% in the total imports of styrene plastics into Russia.

MRC