Bayer and DSM are among the synthetic rubber suppliers that will appear in the US courts

Bayer and DSM are among the synthetic rubber suppliers that will appear in the US courts

Synthetic rubber suppliers will appear in the US courts following allegations of price fixing. The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company is suing 12 companies it blames for operating an EPDM cartel. The company said it would determine the amount of damages during the lawsuit.

European companies included in the lawsuit are Bayer, DSM Elastomers, Polimeri Europa and their US counterparts. The move follows US and EC probes into price fixing. As PRW.com reported in 2002, the EC raided synthetic rubber firms after Crompton Corporation blew the whistle on EPDM manufacturers (PRW.com 13 December 2002).

Although Crompton was granted amnesty during the investigations, it is now among the companies facing legal action by Goodyear. Other companies may join the list of defendants, Goodyear said.

The 12 companies currently listed are: Bayer AG, Bayer Polymers, Bayer Corporation, Crompton Corporation, Uniroyal Chemical Company, Dow Chemical Company, EI duPont de Nemours and Company, DuPont Dow Elastomers, DSM Elastomers, DSM CoPolymer, Polimeri Europa and Polimeri Europa Americas.

DuPont took responsibility this year to fund potential anti-trust liabilities and costs of up to $150m (E127m) for its joint venture DuPont Dow Elastomers.