Makrochem “working intensively” to resume operations

Warsaw - Makrochem has been “astonished” by a Polish government decision to place the company on its sanctions list (see report), the company’s owner Igor Levenberg said in a statement to ERJ.

The company’s legal team is “working intensively” to have the sanctions lifted so that Makrochem can resume operations, Levenberg added in the 10 Oct written statement (see below).

Makrochem, he said, has “always complied with European and Polish regulations and has never conducted business with entities sanctioned by European or Polish authorities.”

The company, he added, has been operating well within the legal requirements of an EU mechanism to enable European industry to adapt to restrictions on imports of key raw materials from Russia.

Introduced by the European Commission, the mechanism includes a quota-based system for carbon black and synthetic rubber used by European tire and rubber-product manufacturers. 

Full statement from Igor Levenberg

MAKROchem has always complied with European and Polish regulations and has never conducted business with entities sanctioned by European or Polish authorities.”

Over the last two years, we have focused on shifting our sourcing from Russian to other suppliers, which, as readers of this publication best know, is a lengthy and costly process. 

The European Commission introduced a transition solution including a quota-based system for CB and synthetic rubber so that European consumers of those important raw materials have the possibility to manage this change. 

Since deployment of this mechanism, we utilized it to sustain deliveries to our customers, always working well within the legally binding framework. 

Nearing the end of this transition, we were utterly astonished to learn of the decision of the Polish government.

Our legal team is working intensively on providing additional information to relevant authorities and we hope to be able to resume operations once we are crossed out from the sanction list.