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Lanxess raises iron oxide pigment prices by up to 15%
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MARKETS Degussa raise precipitated silica prices by €80/tonne Effective 1 January 2007, Degussa’s Advanced Fillers & Pigments business unit intends to raise the price of its rubber-grade precipitated silica by €80 per tonne. The price increase is due to ongoing extensive increases in costs for energy, raw materials and freight, which Degussa is no longer in a position to absorb. Press Release from: Degussa, Germany, website: http://www.degussa.com (21 Nov 2006)
Lanxess raises iron oxide pigment prices by up to 15% On 31 October 2006, Lanxess declared that it was increasing its prices worldwide by up to 15%, with immediate effect, for many of the grades in its Bayferrox, Colortherm and Bayoxid ranges. The company cited increased costs of transportation, utilities and raw materials, such as zinc compounds and iron sulfate. Press Release from: Lanxess, 51369 Leverkusen, Germany, website: http://www.lanxess.com (31 Oct 2006)
USDC reassesses anti-dumping duties for imported Chinese carbazole violet During 2003, Nation Ford Chemical (of Fort Mill, SC) and Sun Chemical (of Cincinnati, OH) filed a complaint with the US Department of Commerce (USDC), alleging that a number of Chinese and Indian suppliers were selling carbazole violet (Pigment Violet 23) at “less than fair value” in the US. Nation Ford is the sole US producer of crude carbazole violet. Sun is the largest US producer of finished pigment. Allegheny Color, Barker Fine Color and Clariant produce smaller quantities of finished carbazole violet pigment in the US. Following-up on the complaints, the US International Trade Commission (USITC) launched an investigation into imports of both crude pigment (as dry powder, paste and wet cake) and finished pigment (as presscake and dry colour). For the purposes of trade statistics, carbazole violet is classified as 3204.1790 in the
JANUARY 2007
ON
PIGMENTS
Harmonised Tariff Schedule. At the hearings in November 2004, it was revealed that certain Indian suppliers were selling carbazole violet in the US market at “less than fair value” by margins of between 27.23% and 69.23%; Chinese suppliers were selling carbazole violet in the US market at “less than fair value” by margins of between 5.51% and 217.94%. In addition, countervailing Government subsidies to encourage exports were being given to Indian suppliers, with net subsidy rates ranging from 17.33% to 33.61%. Antidumping orders were issued and countervailing duties were imposed, with effect from January 2005. The Indian suppliers indicted were: Adhik Chemicals; Alpanil Industries; AMI Pigments; Deepak Chemicals; Meghmani Organics; Navpad Pigments; and the Ratnavir group (all based in Ahmedabad); the Hemani group; Nirvip Dyes & Chemicals; PG Chemicals; and Pidilite Industries (all based in Mumbai). The Chinese suppliers indicted were: GoldLink Industries; Hangzhou Baihe and Hangzhou Star-up Pigment (both of Hangzhou); JECO Pigment (of Huanghua City); Nantong Xinying Chemical (of Haimen City); Tianjin Hanchem International Trading; Trust Chem Co, WuXi XinGuang Chemical and Yancheng Jianghai Chemical (both of Jiangsu). On 1 February 2006, the USDC announced that it was about to embark on a review of the antidumping duties. Meanwhile, three of the Chinese suppliers – GoldLink, Trust Chem and Tianjin Hanchem – filed a lawsuit with the US Court of International Trade, raising several queries about the anti-dumping duties. The surrogate values initially assessed for benzene sulfonyl chloride, calcium chloride and steam were queried by the petitioners. They also queried why it was considered not appropriate to include terminal charges and brokerage fees in assessing carbazole violet product shipment costs. The duties were then recalculated by the USDC and on 8 December 2006, the US Court of International Trade sustained this “final remand determination” made by the USDC. Federal Register, 4 Jan 2007, 72 (2), 327-328 (Website: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/advanced.html)
Global GCC production approaching 60 M tonnes/y World capacity for producing ground calcium carbonate (GCC) is currently assessed at 57.4 M tonnes/y, of which Europe accounts for 40%, North America for 32% and Asia/Pacific for 24%. Omya is clearly the global market leader, with a market share of 36%. Imerys, the second largest supplier, has a market share of 13%. The next nine companies have a combined market share of 26%. Within the European GCC market, the paper industry accounts for 61% of consumption, the plastics industry for 15% and the paint industry for 8%. The increasing usage of GCC for paper coating applications is a major growth driver in Europe. Also European papermakers are increasingly using blended formulations of precipitated and ground calcium carbonates, sometimes with other minerals, in order to adjust final paper quality. The polyolefins segment is a substantial customer for GCC. An emerging growth area is the polyethylene film market, which currently consumes around 200,000 tonnes/y of GCC. Meanwhile, the consumption of GCC for paint manufacture is forecast to rise by an average 7.4% per annum to reach 4.3 M tonnes by 2009. Industrial Minerals, Jan 2007, (472), 24-33
World barytes production approaching 6 M tonnes/y In 2005, the world produced nearly 6 M tonnes of barytes, with China accounting for 45-48%, India for 1012% and the US for 7-8%. Although barytes is still used as a pigment, functional filler and/or as a rheology additive by paint manufacturers, the major end-use sector is in drilling muds, accounting for 77% of global demand. European paintmakers’ demand for barytes has been relatively static in recent years, but increasing pressure to cut volatile organic (VOC) emissions from conventional solventbased coatings is spurring the demand for barytes from manufacturers of powder coatings. Viaton Industries (of the UK) reports significantly improved sales for its natural barytes and precipitated blanc fixe products in the powder coatings
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MARKETS Degussa raise precipitated silica prices by €80/tonne Effective 1 January 2007, Degussa’s Advanced Fillers & Pigments business unit intends to raise the price of its rubber-grade precipitated silica by €80 per tonne. The price increase is due to ongoing extensive increases in costs for energy, raw materials and freight, which Degussa is no longer in a position to absorb. Press Release from: Degussa, Germany, website: http://www.degussa.com (21 Nov 2006)
Lanxess raises iron oxide pigment prices by up to 15% On 31 October 2006, Lanxess declared that it was increasing its prices worldwide by up to 15%, with immediate effect, for many of the grades in its Bayferrox, Colortherm and Bayoxid ranges. The company cited increased costs of transportation, utilities and raw materials, such as zinc compounds and iron sulfate. Press Release from: Lanxess, 51369 Leverkusen, Germany, website: http://www.lanxess.com (31 Oct 2006)
USDC reassesses anti-dumping duties for imported Chinese carbazole violet During 2003, Nation Ford Chemical (of Fort Mill, SC) and Sun Chemical (of Cincinnati, OH) filed a complaint with the US Department of Commerce (USDC), alleging that a number of Chinese and Indian suppliers were selling carbazole violet (Pigment Violet 23) at “less than fair value” in the US. Nation Ford is the sole US producer of crude carbazole violet. Sun is the largest US producer of finished pigment. Allegheny Color, Barker Fine Color and Clariant produce smaller quantities of finished carbazole violet pigment in the US. Following-up on the complaints, the US International Trade Commission (USITC) launched an investigation into imports of both crude pigment (as dry powder, paste and wet cake) and finished pigment (as presscake and dry colour). For the purposes of trade statistics, carbazole violet is classified as 3204.1790 in the
JANUARY 2007
ON
PIGMENTS
Harmonised Tariff Schedule. At the hearings in November 2004, it was revealed that certain Indian suppliers were selling carbazole violet in the US market at “less than fair value” by margins of between 27.23% and 69.23%; Chinese suppliers were selling carbazole violet in the US market at “less than fair value” by margins of between 5.51% and 217.94%. In addition, countervailing Government subsidies to encourage exports were being given to Indian suppliers, with net subsidy rates ranging from 17.33% to 33.61%. Antidumping orders were issued and countervailing duties were imposed, with effect from January 2005. The Indian suppliers indicted were: Adhik Chemicals; Alpanil Industries; AMI Pigments; Deepak Chemicals; Meghmani Organics; Navpad Pigments; and the Ratnavir group (all based in Ahmedabad); the Hemani group; Nirvip Dyes & Chemicals; PG Chemicals; and Pidilite Industries (all based in Mumbai). The Chinese suppliers indicted were: GoldLink Industries; Hangzhou Baihe and Hangzhou Star-up Pigment (both of Hangzhou); JECO Pigment (of Huanghua City); Nantong Xinying Chemical (of Haimen City); Tianjin Hanchem International Trading; Trust Chem Co, WuXi XinGuang Chemical and Yancheng Jianghai Chemical (both of Jiangsu). On 1 February 2006, the USDC announced that it was about to embark on a review of the antidumping duties. Meanwhile, three of the Chinese suppliers – GoldLink, Trust Chem and Tianjin Hanchem – filed a lawsuit with the US Court of International Trade, raising several queries about the anti-dumping duties. The surrogate values initially assessed for benzene sulfonyl chloride, calcium chloride and steam were queried by the petitioners. They also queried why it was considered not appropriate to include terminal charges and brokerage fees in assessing carbazole violet product shipment costs. The duties were then recalculated by the USDC and on 8 December 2006, the US Court of International Trade sustained this “final remand determination” made by the USDC. Federal Register, 4 Jan 2007, 72 (2), 327-328 (Website: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/advanced.html)
Global GCC production approaching 60 M tonnes/y World capacity for producing ground calcium carbonate (GCC) is currently assessed at 57.4 M tonnes/y, of which Europe accounts for 40%, North America for 32% and Asia/Pacific for 24%. Omya is clearly the global market leader, with a market share of 36%. Imerys, the second largest supplier, has a market share of 13%. The next nine companies have a combined market share of 26%. Within the European GCC market, the paper industry accounts for 61% of consumption, the plastics industry for 15% and the paint industry for 8%. The increasing usage of GCC for paper coating applications is a major growth driver in Europe. Also European papermakers are increasingly using blended formulations of precipitated and ground calcium carbonates, sometimes with other minerals, in order to adjust final paper quality. The polyolefins segment is a substantial customer for GCC. An emerging growth area is the polyethylene film market, which currently consumes around 200,000 tonnes/y of GCC. Meanwhile, the consumption of GCC for paint manufacture is forecast to rise by an average 7.4% per annum to reach 4.3 M tonnes by 2009. Industrial Minerals, Jan 2007, (472), 24-33
World barytes production approaching 6 M tonnes/y In 2005, the world produced nearly 6 M tonnes of barytes, with China accounting for 45-48%, India for 1012% and the US for 7-8%. Although barytes is still used as a pigment, functional filler and/or as a rheology additive by paint manufacturers, the major end-use sector is in drilling muds, accounting for 77% of global demand. European paintmakers’ demand for barytes has been relatively static in recent years, but increasing pressure to cut volatile organic (VOC) emissions from conventional solventbased coatings is spurring the demand for barytes from manufacturers of powder coatings. Viaton Industries (of the UK) reports significantly improved sales for its natural barytes and precipitated blanc fixe products in the powder coatings
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