FRANKFURT, Germany - Effective Sept. 1, 2008, Almatis will increase the prices for its entire specialty alumina product portfolio for all new contracts worldwide. Increases on ex-works prices for standard Tabular, Calcined Alumina and Calcium Aluminate Cement, as well as fine-precipitated hydrates, will range from 150 to 200 $/MT depending on product grade and availability. Prices for all other product lines will be increased correspondingly.

 

“Exceptional increases in the cost of our most important input factors - transportation, energy and raw materials - leave us no choice but to reflect these developments in our pricing. The current margins would not justify investment in further capacity growth and product development to ensure sufficient availability of premium specialty alumina as enabler of growth in a range of industries,” said Almatis’ CEO Martin Laudenbach. “This price increase, in combination with our internal efforts to continuously improve productivity and reduce cost, is part of our efforts to sustain our business and make large investments like our new calcines kiln in Asia viable.”