
Stepan expands AOS output across US facilities
Stepan Company has increased its Alpha Olefin Sulfonates (AOS) production capacity by 25 per cent through capital investments and process upgrades at facilities in Illinois, California, and Georgia. AOS is a versatile, eco-friendly surfactant used in personal care and industrial products. The expansion boosts efficiency, reliability, and Stepan's ability to meet rising demand.
With the broadest network of sites and plants producing AOS in North America, Stepan continues to expand its production capacity through strategic initiatives at its Millsdale, Illinois; Anaheim, California; and Winder, Georgia facilities. These efforts included targeted capital investments and process enhancements that have strengthened operational efficiency across multiple locations—delivering increased capacity, greater flexibility, and enhanced reliability for Stepan's customers.
"We are excited to announce these enhancements to our AOS production capabilities," said Brandon Suttle, Asset Manager – Sulfonation BM - Product Management. "These improvements not only increase our capacity but also position us to better serve our customers with high-quality AOS products."
Stepan's Alpha Olefin Sulfonates are versatile surfactants used in detergents, personal care products, cleaning and industrial applications. Known for their fat-dissolving power, foam stability, and gentle cleansing properties, AOS is ideal for green bathroom cleaners, daily shower cleaners, liquid dishwashing detergents, shampoos, body washes, and facial cleansers. With the rise in demand for sulfate-free products, AOS is a preferred choice for formulators. It offers environmental benefits and produces dense, stable foam, making it appealing for luxurious lather. AOS is also used in Oilfield, Agriculture, Construction, and Emulsion Polymerization industries.
Adriano Galimberti, Vice President & Surfactants North America at Stepan, added, "Our commitment to continued improvement and operational excellence has enabled us to prioritize these investments to meet the growing demands of our customers."
Stepan continues to explore additional improvements to further expand capacity, develop specialty AOS products, and enhance product quality. Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
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Business Standard
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- Business Standard
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The US did not accept India's request for consultations under an agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) concerning American tariffs on steel, aluminium, and related derivative products, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. The US has maintained that these measures were introduced on the grounds of national security, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. India, however, considers these measures to be safeguard actions that should have been notified and subjected to consultations under the WTO's Agreement on Safeguards (AoS). "India has accordingly reserved its right to suspend substantially equivalent concessions (right to impose equal trade measures in response) due to the US's non-compliance with its obligations under the AoS," he said. In a separate reply, the minister said India is actively involved in the discussions with the US on the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the aim to expand trade and investment. India-US bilateral trade agreement negotiations were launched in March 2025. Five rounds of negotiations have been held, the last being from July 14-18th, 2025, at Washington, USA. "To safeguard the interests of farmers and the domestic industry, international trade negotiations allow for the inclusion of sensitive, negative, or exclusion lists -- categories of goods on which limited or no tariff concessions are granted," he said. In addition, in case of surge in imports and injury to the domestic industry, a country is allowed to take recourse to trade remedial measures such as anti-dumping and safeguards on imports. In another reply, the minister said India has not taken any decision to suspend or restrict trade or tourism activities with Turkey and Azerbaijan. However, the import from Turkey has declined from USD 3.78 billion in 2023-24 to USD 2.99 billion in 2024-25. The major items imported from Turkey during 2024-25 include Petroleum Crude, Gold, Inorganic Chemicals, Granite, Natural Stones and Aircraft & Spacecraft parts. The major items of import from Azerbaijan during 2024-25 include Finished Leather, Medical and Scientific Instruments, Raw Hides and Skins, Fruits/Vegetables Seeds and Hand Tools, Cutting Tools of Metals.
Mint
05-08-2025
- Mint
Moscow backs Delhi as Trump warns of higher tariffs in 24 hours
In a sharp escalation of trade tensions, US president Donald Trump on Tuesday warned that he would impose higher tariffs on Indian goods within 24 hours, citing India's continued purchases of Russian oil. In an interview with CNBC, Trump accused India of fuelling Russia's war in Ukraine and labelled it the 'highest tariff nation," claiming that India benefits from US trade while not offering reciprocal access. 'With India… what people don't like to say is they have the highest tariff of anybody. We do very little business with them because their tariffs are so high," Trump said, adding, 'We settled on 25%, but I think I'm going to raise that very substantially over the next 24 hours, because they're buying Russian oil. They're fueling the war machine." Russia swiftly stepped up to India's support, denouncing the US stance as part of a 'neo-colonial agenda" aimed at arm-twisting sovereign nations. The spat comes amid ongoing trade negotiations between India and the US, and growing friction over Washington's tariff actions. Steel duty Earlier in the day, India's minister of state for commerce Jitin Prasada told Parliament that New Delhi has not received any response from Washington to its request for consultations under a WTO agreement regarding the steep 50% duty imposed by the US on Indian steel, aluminium, and related products. The US has cited national security concerns, a claim India disputes. 'India has accordingly reserved its right to suspend substantially equivalent concessions (right to impose equal trade measures in response) as the US has not complied with its obligations under the AoS," Prasada said, referring to the WTO's Agreement on Safeguards (AoS). While Prasada's statement was in the context of US tariffs on metals, it reflects a wider hardening of India's position as the US now threatens additional duties tied to geopolitical differences. 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'Unable to accept the erosion of its dominance in an emerging multipolar world, Washington continues to impose politically motivated economic pressure on those choosing an independent path," she said. Indian action A day earlier, New Delhi had called the targeting of India 'unjustified and unreasonable." In a statement issued on late Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs had said that like any major economy, India would take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security. 'The US itself continues to import uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear sector, palladium for EVs, fertilizers and chemicals from Russia," the ministry had said. The statement noted that India's Russian oil purchases were driven by a need to secure affordable and reliable energy after traditional suppliers shifted exports to Europe at the start of the Ukraine conflict. 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Europe emerged as the largest regional destination, with exports to the continent valued at $18.4 billion, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce. The Netherlands alone accounted for about $10.9 billion, representing nearly 25% of India's total petroleum product exports during this period—the highest share among European countries—highlighting its role as a key transit hub for Indian refined fuel entering the EU market. This trend has triggered concerns among Western nations that India's trade route could be serving as a backdoor for Russian oil entering the European market. In FY25, the value of India's crude oil imports from Russia stood at about $50.3 billion, making it the largest supplier of crude to India, surpassing traditional sources like Iraq and Saudi Arabia. India imported around 1.75 million barrels per day (bpd) of Russian oil between January and June 2025, making it the top supplier in that period. 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News18
05-08-2025
- News18
India actively discussing trade pact with US, say minister
Agency: Last Updated: New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI) India is actively involved in the discussions with the US on the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with an aim to expand trade and investment, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said India-US bilateral trade agreement negotiations were launched in March 2025. Five rounds of negotiations have been held, the last being from July 14-18th, 2025, at Washington, he said. The US team is visiting India from August 25 to hold the next round of trade talks. 'To safeguard the interests of farmers and the domestic industry, international trade negotiations allow for the inclusion of sensitive, negative, or exclusion lists — categories of goods on which limited or no tariff concessions are granted," he said. In addition, in case of surge in imports and injury to the domestic industry, a country is allowed to take recourse to trade remedial measures such as anti-dumping and safeguards on imports. During 2021-25, the US was India's largest trading partner. The US accounts for about 18 per cent of India's total goods exports, 6.22 per cent in imports, and 10.73 per cent in bilateral trade. With America, India had a trade surplus (the difference between imports and exports) of USD 35.32 billion in goods in 2023-24. It was USD 41 billion in 2024-25 and USD 27.7 billion in 2022-23. In 2024-25, bilateral trade between India and the US reached USD 186 billion. India exported USD 86.5 billion in goods while importing USD 45.3 billion. In a separate reply, he said the US did not accept India's request for consultations under an agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) concerning American tariffs on steel, aluminium, and related derivative products, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. The US has maintained that these measures were introduced on the grounds of national security, Prasada said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. India, however, considers these measures to be safeguard actions that should have been notified and subjected to consultations under the WTO's Agreement on Safeguards (AoS). 'India has accordingly reserved its right to suspend substantially equivalent concessions (right to impose equal trade measures in response) due to the US's non-compliance with its obligations under the AoS," he said. In another reply, the minister said India has not taken any decision to suspend or restrict trade or tourism activities with Turkey and Azerbaijan. However, the import from Turkey has declined from USD 3.78 billion in 2023-24 to USD 2.99 billion in 2024-25. The major items imported from Turkey during 2024-25 include Petroleum Crude, Gold, Inorganic Chemicals, Granite, Natural Stones and Aircraft & Spacecraft parts. The major items of import from Azerbaijan during 2024-25 include Finished Leather, Medical and Scientific Instruments, Raw Hides and Skins, Fruits/Vegetables Seeds and Hand Tools, Cutting Tools of Metals. PTI RR MR view comments First Published: August 05, 2025, 20:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.



