NWE caustic soda prices hit a four-year high of $440/mt FOB NWE Tuesday amid force majeure at producer AkzoNobel's caustic soda plants at Rotterdam and Frankfurt.
A source close to the company said the force majeure declarations at the two plants were for separate reasons, without providing further details.
The Rotterdam force majeure was declared earlier this month, while the force majeure at Frankfurt was declared last week, the source said.
The company was not immediately available for comment.
"We have a lot of inquires on caustic, but supplies in the [NWE} region are not healthy, stocks are low," another producer said.
While interest was there for the US to sell into Europe, no caustic soda had been fixed on that route, a trade source said. "Market stays totally tight still," he said.
Caustic soda byproduct chlorine was also heard short in Northwest Europe.
A chlorine supply crunch had led to downstream shortages in ethylene dichloride, a source said.
