Rockwood’s Lithium Division Announces Global Price Increases

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rockwood Holdings' Inc. (NYSE: ROC) lithium division is announcing price increases of up to 20 percent for its lithium salts, including lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide, lithium chloride, and increases on lithium metal battery grade, effective July 1. The company is also implementing and adjusting specific surcharges due to the requirements of its different global markets. The company is taking this action to recover the increased costs for energy, raw materials, solvents and transport.

“With this increase we will return prices of lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide to the levels of 2008”

“With this increase we will return prices of lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide to the levels of 2008” said Dr. Steffen Haber, President of Rockwood’s Chemetall lithium division. “In addition, higher prices will help to support our efforts to increase our global production capacities,” Haber explained.

Rockwood’s lithium division continues to develop cost-effective and reliable sources of supply and has invested in new capacities and cost-effective technologies. Appropriate prices are necessary to ensure that the company will remain a long term reliable and innovative partner for the company’s global customers.

Chemetall Lithium is the world's leading manufacturer of lithium-based compounds and an innovative developer of metal-based fine chemicals for use in specialty applications. Chemetall's lithium-based compounds are used in a variety of high growth applications, including base chemicals for numerous industries, drug intermediates, elastomers for car tires and rubber soles, lithium batteries, thermoplastic materials and high performance greases. Chemetall has lithium production facilities in the United States, Chile, Germany and Taiwan. For more information go to: www.chemetall.com

Chemetall is part of Rockwood Holdings, Inc., a leading global specialty chemicals and advanced materials company. Rockwood has a worldwide employee base of approximately 9,600 people and annual net sales of more than $3 billion. The company focuses on global niche segments of the specialty chemicals, pigments and additives and advanced materials markets. For more information on Rockwood, please visit www.rocksp.com.

The information set forth in this press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 concerning the business, operations and financial condition of Rockwood Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates ("Rockwood"). Words such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "forecasts," "predicts" and variations of such words or expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although Rockwood believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that its expectations will be realized. "Forward-looking statements" consist of all non-historical information, including any statements referring to the prospects and future performance of Rockwood. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in Rockwood's forward-looking statements due to numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including, among other things, the "Risk Factors" described in Rockwood's 2010 Form 10-K on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Rockwood does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which any such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.is a global company committed to the specialty chemistry. The Group's activities focus on products and processes for the chemical treatment of metal surfaces and plastics, as well as selected fields of fine chemistry, e.g. lithium and cesium compounds.