The Yokohama Rubber Co., has announced that, in April 2024, it introduced RubberWay Geo-Mapping, a risk assessment tool announced in March 2024 by RubberWay, a sustainability solution provider for the natural rubber industry, in promoting sustainable natural rubber procurement.

It procures the natural rubber used in a wide variety of its products from a complex supply chain composed of many small-scale rubber plantations, intermediaries, and processing plants. It therefore has become difficult for the Group to assess and monitor risks related to environmental issues in its supply chain, such as illegal deforestation or poor water resource management, and social issues like child labour and forced labour, as well as the impacts of these issues on local communities. Given this, ensuring traceability has become an issue for the Group’s promotion of sustainable procurement.

RubberWay Geo-Mapping is an application that allows users to assess and monitor farmers’ geolocation data as well as environmental and social issues. At present, over 30,000 farms have been registered in the system. The introduction of Geo-Mapping will allow Yokohama Rubber to improve the traceability of natural rubber in its supply chain and to accelerate disclosure based on the recommendations of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which will apply from December 30, 2024.

It obligates any operator that deals in natural rubber or other related products in the EU to perform due diligence to prove that the products do not originate from recently deforested land or have contributed to deforestation.

A founding member of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR), Yokohama Rubber had revised its ‘Procurement Policy for Sustainable Natural Rubber’ in September 2021 and is strengthening its collaboration with GPSNR activities. 

The introduction of RubberWay Geo-Mapping it says reflects the principle of ‘improve traceability’ and ‘environmental initiatives’ set forth in the Procurement Policy. Yokohama Rubber will continue to implement and announce initiatives in line with the action guidelines stipulated in this policy. Yokohama Rubber also is endeavouring to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations. As part of these efforts, the Yokohama Rubber Group is promoting the procurement of sustainable raw materials, including natural rubber.

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Kraton Corporation, a leading global producer of speciality polymers and high-value bio-based chemicals derived from pine wood pulping co-products, a global price increase for all polymer products with effect from 1 April 2026. The price hike will range from USD 440 per MT to USD 700 per MT, or as individual contract terms permit, with the exact price change varying according to the polymer type and production location.

The driving forces behind these significant pricing actions are multifaceted, rooted in substantial disruptions to global supply chains. These disruptions are largely attributed to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has had a cascading effect on logistics. Compounding this issue are the sharply rising costs associated with transportation and essential raw materials.

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German specialty chemicals company LANXESS has announced a global price increase for its portfolio of functional additives for the manufacture of tyres and speciality rubbers. These changes, which are set to take effect immediately or as soon as individual contract terms permit, will see prices rise by 15 to 50 percent.

The driving forces behind these significant pricing actions are multifaceted, rooted in substantial disruptions to global supply chains. These disruptions are largely attributed to the ongoing geopolitical conflict, which has had a cascading effect on logistics. Compounding this issue are the sharply rising costs associated with transportation and essential raw materials.

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Orion S.A., a global speciality chemicals company, has announced a global price increase for its portfolio of speciality carbon black. These changes, which are set to take effect immediately or as soon as individual contract terms permit, will see prices rise by up to 25 percent.

In a strategic move to address persistent market volatility, the company is also implementing a variable surcharge on top of the base price increase. The driving forces behind these significant pricing actions are multifaceted, rooted in substantial disruptions to global supply chains. These disruptions are largely attributed to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has had a cascading effect on logistics. Compounding this issue are the sharply rising costs associated with transportation and essential raw materials.

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German chemical group WACKER has announced a price hike across its global polymers portfolio, responding directly to significant upheavals in international commodity markets triggered by the recent military conflict in the Middle East. This geopolitical instability has created pronounced distortions throughout the supply chain, leading to a sharp escalation in the costs of essential inputs. The company is experiencing substantially higher prices for crude oil and natural gas as well as for various other raw materials and logistics services.

To address this challenging economic landscape and offset the considerable burden of increased raw material and transportation expenses, the chemical group is implementing price adjustments effective 1 April 2026. The updated pricing will apply to several key product categories, specifically including polymer dispersions, a variety of resins and dispersible polymer powders. This strategic move is essential for the company to maintain operational stability and continue delivering its products reliably amidst the volatile market conditions.

The final scale of these price increases is not a fixed, across-the-board figure but will be determined by specific variables. It will largely depend on the original source of the product, with goods manufactured at the company’s European and Asian production sites being most affected. Furthermore, the terms outlined in existing customer contracts will also play a crucial role in defining the exact extent of the adjustment, ensuring a tailored approach to the implementation of this necessary price correction.

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