Chemical Manufacturers Draw Caustic Soda Antitrust Suit

A host of chemicals manufacturers conspired to artificially inflate the price of sodium hydroxide, according to a new federal lawsuit.

The defendants, including Olin Corp., Occidental Chemical Corp., Westlake Chemical Corp., Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., and Formosa Plastics Corp., together allegedly controlled at least 90 percent of the domestic supply of sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda.

Plaintiff Amrex Chemical Co. has asked the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York to certify the case as a class action.

Caustic soda is used by a variety of industries, including paper, pulp, and ...