Praxair hiking gases, facilities fees Jan. 1

Praxair Inc. and its divisions and subsidiaries — Praxair Distribution, Inc., Praxair Healthcare Services, Praxair Canada Inc., and Praxair Puerto Rico B.V. — will be increasing the prices charged to its bulk and packaged, industrial, electronics, specialty and medical gas customers in the U.S mainland, Canada and Puerto Rico of effective Jan. 1.
The new pricing increases will be as follows: up to 15 percent for nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide; up to 20 percent for argon and hydrogen; up to 30 percent for helium; up to 15 percent for facility fees or monthly bulk product charges and cylinder rental rates; and up to 15 percent on hardgoods.
Price adjustments will vary as permitted by individual supply contracts, the company said.
“These adjustments are due to persistent supply/demand imbalances for some products in the United States and Canada combined with increases in the cost of feedstock and other raw materials,” the company said in a statement “In addition, energy costs in the United States continue to increase, driven by state renewable energy requirements and associated utility transmission and distribution upgrades.”
Praxair Inc. is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2011 sales of $11 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and specialty gases, and high-performance surface coatings.