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DUPONT TO HIKE STAPLE PRICES
NEW YORK — The price hikes continue in the fiber business.
On Thursday, DuPont said it would raise its charges for Dacron brand polyester staple fiberfill by 6 to 10 percent, effective with April 28 shipments.
This appears to mark the start of a fourth round of staple price hikes. In mid-March the fourth filament hikes were announced by DuPont, KoSa, Nan Ya Plastics Corp., America, and Wellman Inc., and the four companies have already raised staple prices three times.
In a statement, DuPont, based in Wilmington, Del., said, “Petroleum-based ingredient costs have continued to rise steeply. Despite aggressive restructuring and productivity improvements in response to these cost pressures, current prices are not at a level that will support continued reinvestment and product renewal.”
In the past year, the rising price of oil has driven up the price of a number of man-made fibers besides polyester, including nylon and acrylic. While mills — facing severe economic challenges of their own — were initially reluctant to accept the increases, executives and observers said the fiber makers had been somewhat successful in pushing through their price increases.
