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Swiss Firm Clariant Hit with €1 Billion Lawsuit Over Alleged Price Fixing

By  |  May 27, 2025
Swiss chemical manufacturer Clariant is contending with a new lawsuit in an ongoing series of legal challenges related to alleged anti-competitive practices. Austrian petrochemical company OMV has initiated legal proceedings in Amsterdam against four firms, including Clariant, seeking approximately €1 billion in damages linked to claimed breaches of competition laws in the ethylene purchasing market.
According to a statement released by Clariant on Tuesday, OMV’s lawsuit targets alleged misconduct in pricing practices within the ethylene sector, echoing earlier claims made by other industry players. Clariant has firmly denied the accusations and indicated its intention to “vigorously defend its rights” in court. Per a statement from the company, it is demanding evidence that the actions attributed to the accused parties had any actual effect on the market.
This latest development follows a separate €767 million damages claim lodged by U.S. chemical giant Dow just two weeks ago in a Munich court. That claim stems from the same alleged cartel behavior, which was investigated and penalized by the European Commission in 2020.
At that time, Clariant, along with Orbia, Celanese, and Westlake, admitted to coordinating ethylene purchases to secure lower prices. All four firms agreed to settle the case, with Clariant paying a penalty of €155.8 million. Despite this earlier settlement, Clariant has denied the subsequent claims, including Dow’s, and maintains that its market conduct was not harmful to competition.
Legal pressure on Clariant and its co-defendants has been mounting. In January, BASF launched a €1.4 billion damages claim, while TotalEnergies followed in February with a demand for €625 million. Shell also brought legal action in 2023.
Source: Swiss Info