May 12, 2025 15:29

Following similar legal actions by Shell, BASF and TotalEnergies, Dow has filed a lawsuit in the Munich Regional Court against four chemical companies — Clariant, Orbia, Celanese and Westlake — seeking damages related to anticompetitive practices in the ethylene purchasing market.

The case refers to the cartel sanctioned four years ago by the European Commission. The companies had been fined for violating EU antitrust rules by forming a purchasing cartel to drive down ethylene prices by exchanging sensitive commercial information. The investigation ended with an admission of guilt and the payment of fines — except for Westlake, which avoided sanctions by blowing the whistle to the Commission.

For Clariant, the claim alleges damages totaling around €767 million. In a statement, the Swiss company firmly rejected the allegation and said it would adamantly defend its position in the proceedings: "Dow Europe was not a supplier of ethylene to Clariant, and Clariant has substantiated economic evidence that the conduct of the parties did not produce any effect on the market."

© Polimerica -  Reproduction prohibited, all rights reserved