Clariant opened two new facilities at the Dubai Science Park in late October. The company said that the EMEA region technical centre for its Oil Services business, which it said “will leverage the latest technologies and more sustainable oilfield chemicals” in both oil and gas production.

Clariant and Italmatch Chemicals have both announced investments in phosphorus-based flame retardants in China in the past two weeks as demand continues to grow from growth in the use of engineering plastics in the e-mobility, 5G communications, transportation, and electrical and electronic segments.

Clariant has agreed to sell its global quaternary ammonium compounds to Global Amines Company, its Singapore-based 50-50 joint venture with Wilmar, for $113 million. Subject to regulatory approval and standard closing conditions, this is expected to close in 1H 2023.

Clariant has announced that an external investigation of accounting issues related to provisions and accruals has been concluded. As a result, the 2020 financial statements and corrections to quarterly reporting of key financial data for 2020 and 2021will be restated. This will have no impact on the sales, cash and cash equivalents figures reported for these years.

Clariant, Solvay, Chemours and Novozymes have all announced plans to suspend business with Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine. They have all also pledged support for employees in the affected countries and made donations to support relief operations.

Clariant suspended operations with immediate effect. CEO Conrad Keijzer said: “Continuing to do business under these circumstances is incompatible with our purpose and values”. The company has a sales office and a laboratory in Moscow, which contribute about 2% of its sales. It also employs 146 people in Ukraine.

Clariant has completed the previously announced sale of most of its Pigments business to Heubach Group and SK Capital Partners, completing its transformation into a speciality chemicals firm. The business has about 3,000 employees and revenues of €1 billion/year.

The deal gives Pigments a base enterprise value of CHF 805 million, subject to closing accounts adjustments and before a potential earn-out payment of CHF 50 million depending on its financial performance in 2021. Clariant has retained a 20% stake in the new holding company. in order to profit from its future growth

Clariant is to build its first Chinese production facility for Exolit OP range of aluminum diethyl-phosphinate flame retardants. This will supply the electrical and electronic equipment industries, in particular e-mobility, 5G communications technology and transportation in China and other Asian markets.