LANXESS increases prices for leather chemicals

Specialty chemicals company LANXESS is to increase its prices worldwide for leather chemicals by up to 20 percent effective June 1, 2011, in response to steeply rising raw material costs.

The reason for this measure is the significant price increase in the key raw materials propylene, naphthalene, phenol, isocyanates, polyols, titanium dioxide and butyl acetate.

“In the medium term there is no obvious cost relief on the raw material side,” says Dr. Markus Eckert, head of the LANXESS Leather business unit. “We therefore have to pass on the raw material costs in the value-added chain so that we can continue to offer our customers reliability of supply, innovations and sustainable solutions.”

LANXESS is one of the few suppliers worldwide to supply products needed in all stages of leather manufacture, including inorganic and synthetic tanning materials, preservatives and fatliquoring agents, dyestuffs and tanning and finishing auxiliaries.

The Leather business unit is part of LANXESS’ Performance Chemicals segment, which posted sales of EUR 1.98 billion in fiscal 2010.