International. Clariant announced that sales for the second quarter of 2015 from continuing operations totaled $1.406 billion Swiss francs compared to $1.531 billion for the same period in 2014. This corresponds to flat growth in local currencies, influenced by 1% less in higher volumes and prices.
Given the continued strong volatility of currencies in the second quarter of 2015, in particular, the year-over-year weaknesses of the euro, the Brazilian real and the Japanese yen, flat sales developed in local currency translated into an 8% sales reduction in Swiss francs.
Growth was focused on the Americas with strong foreign exchange sales growth of 16% in Latin America and 7% in North America, the latter led by strong demand in Catalysis, as well as continued growth in oil and mining services. Europe was 2% lower in local currency but basically remains flat in reducing exposure to the low-margin product businesses that are taken into account.
