Amsterdam court rejects Shell claim that firms kept plastic-making gas prices too low

Sunday, 2 August 2026 - 16:25 Share this article: An Amsterdam court has rejected a multibillion-euro compensation claim by Shell against several chemical companies. Shell’s gas division sought damages, arguing that the companies kept ethylene prices artificially low for years through information exchanges.Ethylene is a liquid gas used for plastic packaging and other products. Shell contended that major ethylene producers shared information in a way that depressed market prices. The court ruled that this could not be established.In 2020, the European Commission imposed fines totaling 260 million euros on Swiss chemical firm Clariant, Mexican company Orbia, and U.S. producer Celanese for illegal price-fixing agreements in the ethylene trading market. The court noted that the Commission did