Clariant rejects LyondellBasell’s €1.6 billion damages claim over 2020 EU ethylene cartel, asserting no market impact from alleged conduct.
Clariant, a specialty chemicals company with a strong focus on sustainability, has categorically denied a series of allegations brought against it in connection with a 2020 competition law infringement related to the ethylene purchasing market. On July 16, 2025, the company disclosed that it had received a claim for damages from LyondellBasell, filed with the court in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The claim targets four companies, including Clariant, and seeks compensation amounting to approximately EUR 1.6 billion. The alleged damages are associated with findings by the European Commission in July 2020, which identified violations of EU competition law concerning ethylene purchases.
Clariant has firmly rejected the accusations made by LyondellBasell, asserting its intention to defend itself vigorously in the legal proceedings. According to Clariant, the economic data it possesses clearly demonstrates that the behavior in question did not cause any adverse impact on the market. The company maintains that its conduct, along with that of the other parties involved, had no distorting effect on competition in the ethylene sector.
This claim by LyondellBasell is the latest in a series of legal actions Clariant is facing. On May 27, 2025, Clariant had already addressed similar allegations brought forward by OMV, an Austrian multinational energy company. According to a statement issued by Clariant, OMV filed a claim on May 26, 2025, with the same court in Amsterdam. This suit also targeted four companies, including Clariant, and alleged damages amounting to approximately EUR 1 billion, again in relation to the European Commission’s 2020 decision on competition law breaches within the ethylene purchasing market.
Clariant also categorically refuted OMV’s allegations and committed to a strong legal defense. As in the case with LyondellBasell, Clariant reiterated that it possesses sound economic evidence confirming that the contested actions did not influence the market dynamics in any significant way.
In a third legal matter, on May 12, 2025, Clariant addressed another claim—this time initiated by Dow Europe. The claim, filed on May 9, 2025, was lodged with the court in Munich, Germany. Dow Europe alleged damages amounting to around EUR 767 million, citing the same 2020 European Commission ruling on the ethylene market.
Clariant again issued a strong denial of the claims, emphasizing that Dow Europe had not even supplied ethylene to Clariant. The company insisted that its internal analysis supports the position that there was no market effect stemming from the conduct under scrutiny.
In all three cases—filed by LyondellBasell, OMV, and Dow Europe—Clariant maintains a consistent stance: it denies any wrongdoing, questions the basis for the damages, and stands ready to prove its case in court with robust economic justification.
