WACKER to Raise Prices for Food-Grade Polyvinyl Acetate

30 Jun 2014 --- WACKER, the Munich-based chemical company, will adjust the prices for food-grade polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) globally due to sharply rising raw material costs. The price will increase by up to 30 percent, or as customer contracts allow.

This measure has been necessitated by the ongoing high costs for vinyl acetate monomer (VAM), a crucial raw material for the manufacturing of WACKER’s PVAc solid resins. The increase will be effective immediately and persist until further notice.

“Within the last six months, prices for vinyl acetate monomer have sharply increased and temporarily almost doubled in Europe. Until the situation on the raw material market eases, we will have to add a surcharge to our food-grade PVAc solid resins prices to partially compensate our increased costs. Despite our continued efforts to optimize cost structures and productivity, the current market situation makes a price adjustment inevitable,” explains Christian Hauk, Business Director for Gum at WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS.

WACKER has been a leading supplier of solid PVAc resins for over 50 years. The products are marketed under the VINNAPAS and CAPIVA trade names to the chewing gum industry. WACKER’s solid resins are a key ingredient for the production of modern types of gum base, the water insoluble part of chewing gum which acts as the carrier for sweeteners and flavors.