NEWS
DoJ investigates price fixing in PVC pipes
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) is investigating possible price-fixing in the PVC pipe industry. This follows allegations
of price-fixing – in a short seller report and a class action lawsuit – in municipal water pipes and electrical conduit pipes. The lawsuit, filed in Illinois, alleges that PVC pipe manufacturers worked together to fix prices beginning in 2021.
These include Otter Tail – a utility company that owns pipe manufacturer Northern Pipe – Atkore, Westlake, JM Eagle and IPEX. In its latest quarterly filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Otter Tail said it has “received a Grand Jury subpoena issued by the US District Court for the Norther District of California from the US DoJ Antitrust
Division”. The subpoena calls for the “production of documents regarding the manufacturing, selling and pricing of PVC pipe”. Though Otter Tail said it was “unable to determine the likelihood of an out- come” to the lawsuit, it said that – if anti-trust behaviour were found – it “could have a material impact on the company”. It added that it “plans to defend itself”.
Plasticiser output up at Evonik
Evonik Oxeno, the C4 chemicals arm of Germany’s Evonik group, is “significant-
ly expanding” its production capacities for isononanol- based PVC plasticisers.
The company did not
provide details of the new capacities for the INA-based plasticisers, Elatur CH (DINCH) and Elatur DINCD. The capacity expansions will be integrated into the existing network of C4 plants in Marl, Germany. “The capacity expansion
Above: Evonik will expand capacity of plasticisers at its facility in Marl, Germany
marks another milestone in the diversification of our plasticiser portfolio,” said Frank Beissmann, MD of Evonik Oxeno. “To meet the growing demand for these products, we will begin work this year.” �
www.evonik.com
Amaplast: H1 saw slowdown
Sales of Italian plastics and rubber machinery de- clined in the first half of this year.
Analysis by trade
association Amaplast showed that imports were much lower in the early months of 2024 compared to the same period a year earlier – with drops into double digits in the second quarter. This is due to lower investment, due to a shrinking of the economy and the sector, it said. The period closed with
a drop of 12 percentage points to a value of €483 million, with imports noticeably falling from the three main source coun- tries of Germany, China and Austria.
At the same time,
exports remained positive (+2.5% at €1.73bn euros) but affected by lower demand for several types of machinery – including some making up a large share of the total – and moulds. Export to both Germany and the US have also fallen, said Amaplast. �
www.amaplast.org
Plastics production fell 8% in Europe in 2023
Production of plastics in Europe fell more than 8% in 2023. Plastics Europe, which represents
resin manufacturers, says the sharp decline – to 54 million tonnes – con- trasted with the 3% global increase in plastics production. This puts Europe’s share of plastics production at 12%. At
www.pipeandprofile.com
the same time, European plastics exports fell 25% from 2020 to 2023. Production of mechanically recycled post-consumer plastics also dropped by nearly 8%, to around 7 million tonnes. “The EU’s transformation to a
circular plastics system is in danger from imported plastics which do not
always meet EU standards,” said Marco ten Bruggencate, president of Plastics Europe. “The circularity transition will only be successful if policymakers urgently implement the framework conditions needed to regain our competitiveness.” �
https://plasticseurope.org
Winter 2024 | PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION 5
IMAGE: EVONIK
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