With a strong start to the year for both chlorine and caustic consumption, the January caustic soda stocks stood at 244,121 tonnes, only 4.7% above the previous month (December 2011: 233,072 tonnes), and were 27,547 tonnes below the level of January 2011 (271,668 tonnes).

Details of chlorine production and caustic soda stocks in the EU-27 countries plus Norway and Switzerland in January 2012 are provided in the following tables.

EU 27 + Norway/Switzerland
Chlorine production & capacity utilisation 

Caustic soda stocks (tonnes)

Further information:
Alistair J Steel, Executive Director
Tel: +32 2 676 73 50

Footnote to Editors
Some of the totals for each month may vary slightly compared with figures used earlier. Please rely on the most recent information since it sometimes happens that estimates have to be made when data is supplied late by a producer. This is subsequently adjusted when the actual figure becomes available.

Euro Chlor is a Brussels-based business association representing chlor-alkali producers in the EU and EFTA regions employing about 39,000 people at 77 manufacturing locations. Almost 2,000,000 jobs in Europe are directly or indirectly related to chlorine and its co-product caustic soda (sodium hydroxide). These two key chemical building blocks underpin 55% of European chemical industry turnover.