Westlake Plans to Close Cologne PVC Plant in Q1

06:42 AM EDT, 09/29/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Westlake (WLK) plans to close its polyvinyl chloride plant in Cologne, Germany, to improve profitability amid challenging market conditions, the company said Tuesday. The facility is expected to cease operations in Q1 2027, and the company plans to continue serving customers from its other PVC facilities in Germany, it said. Westlake expects to record about $205 million in total pre-tax charges, including $110 million in 2026 and the remainder in 2027. Westlake said the Cologne plant has higher costs than its other European PVC sites because of its smaller scale and higher logistical burden. Westlake expects its Q3 financial performance to be lower than in Q2.