Dow lifts latex prices by 15 pc

Denham, North Carolina -- Dow Reichhold Specialty Latex LLC is raising the prices for all of its synthetic latex products used in the manufacture of gloves by 15 percent, effective immediately.

Rob Ewing, global marketing manager for the company, said the escalation of raw material and energy costs combined with stagnant prices for both latexes and finished gloves were the prime reasons for the increase.

"We are committed to improving our margins to the point where we can continue to invest in this industry," he said. "Prices must go through the entire value chain in order to enable continued capacity expansion and the development of innovative products. The need is immediate."

Since 2002, the average global price for butadiene, the largest component of nitrile gloves, has increased over 300 percent, according to Thomas Kraska, Dow´s vice president for supply chain.

"By contrast, the market average price for nitrile latexes has risen only 10 percent in the same period," he said.

From Rubber & Plastics News