MIDDLEBURY, Conn. (Dec. 22)—Antitrust authorities in Europe, the U.S. and Canada have opened an investigation into price fixing among nitrile rubber suppliers, according to Crompton Corp.
Crompton is assisting competition authorities and has been granted amnesty from criminal prosecutions and fines as a result. The company struck a similar deal in late 2002 when it notified authorities of possible price collusion in EPDM investigations;.
Crompton also is being investigate for possible price fixing in rubber chemicals. These latter probes are still ongoing, as are related lawsuits against Crompton and other suppliers by shareholders and buyers of the products concerned.
Crompton acquired its nitrile rubber business through a 1996 merger with Uniroyal Chemical Corp. It put the business into a joint venture with Girsa, a subsidiary of DESC S.A. de C.V., two years later. Crompton then sold its interest in the Altamira, Mexico-based joint venture in late 2001.