Rhodia sales fall in first quarter

PARIS (April 29)—Weak demand, intense price pressure and rising raw material costs combined to pull down the results of Rhodia S.A.'s silicones business in the first quarter. Silica systems, on the other hand, finished the quarter up on the same period a year ago, particularly because of demand from the tire industry, Rhodia said. Overall, Rhodia reported a 16.5-percent drop in sales, to $1.53 billion. The Industrial Care & Services business unit, which includes silicones and silicas, reported an 8.9-percent rise in sales, to $354 million, although pretax earnings fell 13.2 percent, to $35.4 million.