“The decision to close the Styropor plant and to adjust our service structures was difficult. But these measures are crucial to safeguard the sustainable future of our activities at our site in Tarragona,” said Gerhard Schwarz, managing director of BASF Española and responsible for BASF's activities in Spain and Portugal. Styropor is the trade name of BASF’s EPS.

According to BASF, the Spanish plant was too small to continue to operate economically. The company as well as many other leading plastics suppliers late last year announced they would be considering plant shutdowns and closures, and a number of such steps already have been made as demand, especially from the automotive and building and construction markets, has stalled. —[email protected]