Celanese says new price increases are likely permanent

07 September 2001 16:40  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (CNI)--Celanese Chemicals said Friday that new price increases on a broad range of its products are likely to be permanent, although the company said it would watch the market "carefully" in each of the ten product areas.

Jeff Hagy, spokesman for Dallas, Texas-based Celanese Chemicals, told CNI that while the new price increases in theory could be rolled back depending, for example, on lower feedstock costs or increased competitive pressures, Celanese traditionally has not withdrawn price increases.

Celanese Chemicals, the US unit of Germany's Celanese, announced the price hikes in the wake of profit warnings and job cuts in the parent company's global operations. The Dallas office cited "continued deterioration in margins resulting in lower profitability" as the major factor in its price increases.

By product category, Celanese Chemicals announced the following price increases, effective 1 October or as contracts allow.

Acetic acid and vinyl acetate monomer (VAM): Acetic acid, $22/tonne in North America and $33/tonne in South America. VAM, $22/tonne in North America, $33/tonne in South America and $44.08/tonne in Europe.

Acetyl esters and acetone derivatives: Ethyl acetate, $44/tonne in North America and Puerto Rico and $50/tonne in South America and Asia. N-butyl acetate, i-butyl acetate, n-propyl acetate and I-propyl acetate, $66.12/tonne in North America and Puerto Rico, $46.21 in Europe and for n-butyl acetate only in South America and Asia, $50/tonne.

Acetyl derivatives and polyols: Pentaerythritol, $66/tonne in North America and $100/tonne for South America, Asia and Europe.

Amines: N-butyl amine, di-n-butyl amine and tri-n-butyl amine, $22/tonne in North America and Asia and $27.77/tonne in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Glacial acrylic acid and acrylate esters: In North America, $110.20/tonne for glacial acrylic acid, $88.16/tonne for 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, methyl acrylate and ethyl acrylate and $66.12/tonne for butyl acrylate.

Oxo products: N-butanol and iso-butanol, $66.12/tonne in North America and $55.10/tonne in Asia and for n-butyraldehyde, $66.12/tonne in North America.

By: Joe Kamalick
+1 713 525 2653

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