Rhein Chemie announces shutdowns, force majeure measures

Cologne, Germany – Rhein Chemie has had to shut down production of certain tire additives and other products and declare force majeure, a spokeswoman for Cologne-based parent group Lanxess has informed ERJ.

Enacted on 23 March, the moves follow mandatory shutdowns and force majeure measures taken by two key raw material manufacturers for the German-based rubber chemicals supplier.

Without specifying any factory locations, the group listed products affected as: Aflux 12 FS, Aflux 16, Aflux 16 FS, Aflux 28 E, Aflux 42 FS, Aflux 42 M, Aflux 52, Aktiplast PP,  Aktiplast GE 1457B and Antilux 500 B.

The decisions involve the production of certain products and product types, but “not the shutdown of a site as a whole,” the Lanxess representative emphasised in a 27 March written statement.

Lanxess did state that, due to the mandatory quarantine in Argentina from 20-31 March, production of Rhein Chemie curing bladders and release agents had been temporarily shut down and force majeure declared.

And, in a separate statement issued to customers, Lanxess said a lockdown in India had halted operations at its production site in Jhagadia, Gujarat, as well as its warehouses in the country.

The Indian shutdown has impacted production of various Rhenogran pre-dispersed rubber chemicals and Rhenodiv release agents, as well as of key raw materials for its Vulcuren and Vulkalent products.

As a result of “this unforeseeable event, we regret to have no alternative but declare force majeure for the outlined product lines produced in India,” said Lanxess.

Force majeure, it added, also applied to “those product lines affected by raw material supply interruptions, our inventory in the Indian warehouses as well as for all deliveries into India.”