Dow Chemical raising prices by another 25 percent (on top of a 20% increase last month)

[Pale Blue Dot]

MIDLAND, Mich. (AP) -- Dow Chemical Co. plans to raise the price of its products for the second time in a month to deal with what it calls the relentless rise in costs of energy and related raw materials.

The Midland-based chemical company said Tuesday it will raise prices by as much as 25 percent next month. That follows prices increases of up to 20 percent that took effect last month. It also plans a freight surcharge in North America.

The company also plans to temporarily idle or cut production at a number of manufacturing plants. Dow's automotive unit is cutting costs that include workers and plants in light of a North American sales decline.

Chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris says the steps are "extremely unwelcome but entirely unavoidable."

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080624/dow_chemical_prices.html

No matter how you feel about Dow, they make a lot of the "things" that go into other things. This will have a dramatic effect on inflation.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. Except for three really bad events,

Bhopal being the worst, the east coast river dumping being the second,

Dow has been one of the cleanest corporations in the world. They use cogeneration at every location possible, they constantly upgrade their technology, making it more efficient, and minimizing pollutants. They are probably one of the most efficient companies around. If DOW is in such trouble, then the start of the economic woes have not yet hit home. We have a long, tough time ahead of us.

[rfranklin]

2. Bhopal was Union Carbide...

I don't think Dow was involved at that time. However,

Boeing, Dow Chemical fined 926 million over nuclear pollution
Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:59 PM
A Denver, Colorado court Tuesday fined Dow Chemical Co. and Boeing Co. a combined 926 million dollars over property damages caused by contamination from a nuclear weapons plant. The court set the fines after a jury found Dow and Rockwell International Corp, which Boeing bought parts of, responsible for damages claimed by thousands of property owners near the Rocky Flats (Colorado) Nuclear Weapons Plant in a trial that concluded in February 2006. In the class action suit involving some 12,000 plaintiffs and spanning more than 15 years, Dow and Rockwell were accused of allowing plutonium from the Rocky Flats plant to contaminate property in the area, especially residential areas downwind from it, endangering the residents' health and slashing their property values. The court Tuesday fined Dow 653.3 million dollars et Boeing 508.1 million in compensatory damages, but then set a cap of 725.9 million dollars for both for compensating the plaintiffs, according to the ruling. It also fined Dow 110.8 million dollars and Boeing 89.4 million in exemplary damages. "Our clients are very pleased to have this judgement entered, this has been a long and very difficult process. They're very pleased to have their claims recognized and are looking forward to the conclusion of this very long and difficult process," Steven Kelly, attorney for plaintiffs, told AFP. Located about 25 kilometers (15 miles) northwest of Denver, the Rocky Flats plant was operated by Dow from 1953 to 1975, and then by defense contractor Rockwell until its closing in 1994; it supplied the plutonium triggers for the US nuclear bomb arsenal. Fires and equipment leaks during that period were the sources of significant releases of plutonium and other radioactive substances. In 1989 the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Environmental Protection Agency raided the plant over alleged environmental crimes, ultimately leading to its shutdown. In the trial Boeing was held liable for Rockwell's role in the case after it took over defense and space-related units of the company in the 1990s.

http://business.maktoob.com/NewsDetails-20070423162011-Boeing_Dow_Chemical_fined_926_million_over_nuclear_pollution.htm

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. oh shit. right.

Dow had several other problems, including with wood preservatives and pesticide precursors.

[Javaman]

4. Dow, the good people who brought you Agent Orange...

http://www.studentsforbhopal.org/DirtyDow.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dow_Chemical_Company

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

5. Is there someone to whom I can pass on my increased costs of living?

Or do the consumers at the bottom of the pyramid get stuck with the bill and have to either swim or sink? I've given up on passing them on to my employer.