Storms disrupt BASF’s styrene supply (September 22, 2004)

BASF has declared force majeure for all contracts and related agreements pertaining to expandable polystyrene (EPS) resins produced at the company’s plant in South Brunswick, N.J. According to the company, the move was necessary due to a disruption in the supply of styrene to the site caused by the recent series of hurricanes which has severely limited the shipping industry’s ability to transport material from the Gulf of Mexico to the Northeast. BASF’s South Brunswick site is supplied with styrene by ship from that region.
According to Gene Zimmermann, Director of BASF’s Styrenic Foams business in North America, it is uncertain when the force majeure declaration will be lifted. “To help ease the burden on our customers, we are now only manufacturing the product line for which there are no alternative sourcing options in this market, our proprietary, low-pentane Styropor(R) BFL EPS resins.”
Zimmermann added that BASF will implement supply allocation measures for the low-pentane Styropor BFL EPS resins during the force majeure period.