BOSTON (Aug. 9) — Purchasers of carbon black in the U.S. are advised that the two outstanding defendants — Cabot Corp. and Columbian Chemicals Co. — have agreed to a joint settlement amounting to $16 million with claimants.
The allegations are that the defendants conspired to fix prices and allocate carbon black in the U.S. in violation of the Sherman Act. Cabot previously said it has allowed $10 million to cover its liabilities in connection with this case.
A trial was due to take place July 23, but the two remaining defendants settled out of court prior to that. Degussa and its related companies previously settled with claimants for $4 million.
All three defendants "deny any wrongdoing whatsoever and strongly believe that they have good defenses to plaintiffs´ claims," according to the official notice from the Massachusetts court.
The settlement defines alleged co-conspirators as Sid Richardson Carbon Co., Continental Carbon Co. (formerly a division of Witco Corp.), and Engineered Carbons Inc. (formerly J.M. Huber Corp.).