July 31, 2026 12:28

The civil fallout from the ethylene purchasing cartel sanctioned by the European Commission in 2020 continues.

Clariant announced that it received a new damages claim from Dow Europe on 16 July 2026 as part of proceedings against four companies. The claim, filed by the US chemicals group with the court in Dortmund, Germany, amounts to approximately €1.1 billion.

As with similar claims in the past Clariant rejects the damages claim. The company said in a statement that it would vigorously defend its position, maintaining that it has substantiated economic evidence showing that the conduct of the parties had no effect on the market.

This is the second set of proceedings initiated by Dow. In May 2025, the company sought €767 million in damages before the German courts (read article).

The investigation began in June 2016 with a leniency application submitted by Westlake, followed by unannounced inspections in May 2017. On 14 July 2020, the European Commission imposed fines totalling €260 million on three major chemicals groups - Orbia, formerly Mexichem, Clariant and Celanese - for breaching EU antitrust rules by participating in a cartel involving ethylene purchases. The companies sought to secure lower prices from suppliers by coordinating their negotiating strategies and exchanging price-related information.
All four companies acknowledged their participation and liability under the settlement procedure. Westlake was not fined because it disclosed the cartel to the Commission and therefore received full immunity.

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