Comalco (Bell Bay) seeks price rise

Press, 8 December 1976, Page 29

Comalco (Bell Bay) seeks price rise

N Z P A Melbourne Comalco Aluminium (Bell Bay), Ltd, a subsidiary of Comalco, Ltd, is seeking approval from the Prices justification Tribunal for an increase in the price of its primary aluminium products. ■ The rise would increase i the base price of the 99.5 I per cent minimum purity aluminium ingot by 13.2 c a kg. to 95.9 c a kg. The company is also seeking approval to increase the prices of all other grades, including EC ingot, ingot with a purity higher than 99.5 per cent, rolling block and extrusion billet by a weighted average of 13.5 c a kg- ' The managing-director of

the company (Mr A. V. I Lorch) said that the price f rise was essential to recover - labour cost increases since ■ the last price rise and the ■ higher costs of imported ; materials. | Prior to the devaluation tithe company’s ingot price l hwas 3.3 c a kg. below the j world price. Even with the proposed price increase, the ingot price would; be 7.8 c a kg. below the) world price because of the) new exchange rates, he said, i Although the company’s policy is to equate Australian prices with world prices, the price adjustment! lat this time is being limited ito the recovery of cost inJcreases, Mr Lorch said.