Grabar Law Office has filed a putative class action alleging that the major manufacturers of Caustic Soda (also known as Sodium Hydroxide) agreed among themselves to limit capacity and coordinate price increases in order to artificially inflate prices of Caustic Soda in violation of federal antitrust laws.
Caustic Soda is a commodity chemical sold in solid and liquid forms that is produced as a co-product of chlorine production from the electrolysis of brine or salt water. Caustic Soda is consumed by customers in a variety of industries, including paper, pulp and cellulose; chemical production; soaps and detergents; aluminum; food processing; water treatment; textiles; mineral oils; recycling; and pharmaceuticals.
The Defendant manufacturers are: Olin Corporation, K.A. Steel Chemicals, Inc., Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Occidental Chemical Corporation (d/b/a OxyChem), Westlake Chemical Corporation, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., Shintech Incorporated, Formosa Plastics Corporation, and Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A. Defendants are estimated to control at least 90% of the domestic supply of Caustic Soda.
The case is Midwest Renewable Energy, LLC v. Olin Corp. et. al., 1:19-cv-00392 (W.D.N.Y.).
The filed complaint can be viewed here: Midwest Renewable Energy – Filed Complaint
If you would like to learn more about this matter, contact us today!
