Celanese raises April VAM prices in different markets

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation, a global technology and specialty materials company, has increased list and off-list selling prices for Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM) sold in Europe, Middle East, Africa and in the Americas, as per the company's press release.

The price increases below were effective 18 April, 2018 or as contracts otherwise allow, and are incremental to any previously announced increases.

Thus, VAM prices were raised, as follows:

- by EUR75/mt - for Europe, Middle East & Africa;
- by USD0.05/lb - for the USA and Canada:
- by USD100/mt - for Mexico & South America.

As MRC reported earlier, Celanese Corporation also increased list and off-list selling prices for Ateva EVA polymers sold in the Americas. The price rise was effective 1 May, 2018, or as contracts otherwise allow. Thus, the company's EVA prices went up by USD0.05/lb for the said regions.

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, Celanese employs approximately 7,600 employees worldwide and had 2017 net sales of USD6.1 billion.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Belgian chemicals group Solvay on Thursday posted a first-quarter core profit below expectations, as higher volumes were offset by the impact of a weaker U.S. dollar and slightly higher fixed costs, as per the company's press release.

Core profit (EBITDA) fell 2.6 percent in the first quarter to 533 million euros (USD638.8 million), slightly below the 541 million euros expected in a Reuters poll of seven analysts.

The profit decline was sharpest in its Performance Chemicals unit, which makes soda ash for the production of glass and suffered from higher energy and freight costs.

The group confirmed its 2018 outlook for EBITDA to grow 5 to 7 percent on a like-for-like basis and excluding the impact of foreign exchange rates. In the first quarter, this underlying profit figure was up 9 percent.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Board of Directors of Arkema met on 2 May 2018 to review the Group's consolidated financial statements for the first quarter of 2018, as per the company press release.

At the close of the meeting, Chairman and CEO Thierry Le Henaff stated:

"Arkema has made a very strong start to the year, with a 33% year on year increase in adjusted net income despite a high basis of comparison in first quarter 2017 and the very strong appreciation of the euro.

These excellent results are supported by the success of our innovation drive in advanced materials, the benefits of increased production capacities in specialty molecular sieves in France and PVDF in China last year, the integration of XL Brands in adhesives and the confirmation of the very good performance of our intermediate chemical businesses. It also reflects lower tax rate and cost of debt.

This start to the year gives us full confidence in our ability to achieve the objective we have announced for 2018."
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Resulting from a new collaboration with PantoneColor of the Year 2018, BASF will showcase a collection of sparkling Ultra Violet shades featuring its Colors & Effectseffect pigments for use in various plastics applications across multiple product markets, as per Coatingsworld.

The collection, to be launched at CHINAPLAS 2018 in Shanghai, will offer customers five pre-defined shade formulations sparkling with featured effect pigments and inspiring further custom shade development options.

"The featured effect shade collection demonstrates how our customers can use Colors & Effectspigments to bring their visionary color designs to life” said Juerg Zingg, technical marketing manager, Pigments for Plastics, BASF. “PantoneColor of the Year is a strong partner providing a strategic direction for trends and therefore inspiring plastic designs in a number of industries. This year’s color, Ultra Violet, is equal parts dramatic and thoughtful, and has inspired us to create an effect shade collection for our customers that will help them communicate originality and ingenuity."

With the purple shade calling to mind the mysteries of the cosmos, the night sky and the possibilities that lie beyond, Colors & Effects sparkling Ultra Violet collection features the following five effect shade formulations:
Silky Way – offers a smooth, velvety appearance with silver sparkling pigments for an elegant effect; ?
Meteor Shower – features a shimmering surface with speckled silver sparking pigments; ?
Distant Galaxy – has a vibrant gloss with greater color depth and violet sparkling pigments; ?
Stellar Burst – provides an intense color offering with a smooth appearance and discreet sparkling effects for an overall fine finish; and ?
Galactic Halo – offers a glittering appearance with large effect pigments resulting in modern color travel from violet to blue. ?BASF also provides individual styling options to customers to help them create their individual shades. ?

BASF will showcase its effect shades based on Ultra Violet at CHINAPLAS 2018, one of the largest plastics and rubber trade fairs in the world. ?
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Bayer AG said it has agreed to sell more crop science businesses to BASF in a deal that fulfills undertakings to the European Union and other regulators as part of its takeover of Monsanto Co., reported Reuters.

The package, being sold for up to 1.7 billion euros (USD2.1 billion), includes its global vegetable seeds business, certain seed treatments and digital farming activities with total sales of 745 million euros in 2017.

"With this move, we are implementing the corresponding undertakings made to the European Commission and other regulatory authorities to allow the successful closing of the Monsanto transaction,” Werner Baumann, Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer AG, said in a statement.

The German drug and crop chemical maker’s bid to buy seed and chemical company Monsanto Co is on track to win U.S. antitrust approval by the end of May, unless there is a last-minute complication, two people familiar with the matter said earlier on Thursday.

The transaction, if it closes as seems likely, will create a company commanding more than a quarter of the combined world market for seeds and pesticides in the fast-consolidating farm supplies industry.

The U.S. Justice Department said in March it was pressing on with its antitrust review of the deal.

The merger has already cleared key hurdles. Russia’s antitrust regulator FAS approved it last week and the European Commission last month gave conditional clearance, following a conditional nod in Brazil.

Also last week, the German group raised 3 billion euros (US3.7 billion) by selling new shares to Singapore’s state investment company, with further moves expected to increase its capital.

Bayer previously said it would only launch a cash call once it had sufficient clarity that the deal, signed in September 2016, would get the go-ahead.

It had already pledged to sell certain seed and herbicide assets for 5.9 billion euros (USD7.2 billion) to BASF, as well as its vegetable seeds business.

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech polymer materials. As an innovation company, it sets trends in research-intensive areas. Bayer's products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen.
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