Recent supply and demand imbalances in global energy markets have resulted in significant volatility in the cost of natural gas. Thiele uses natural gas in a number of processes in the production of our products. As a result, natural gas is a significant contributor to our overall cost of production. In order to account for spikes in natural gas costs, Thiele maintains a natural gas surcharge policy. This policy allows for a temporary surcharge due to the additional costs. Details of the policy can be found on thielekaolin.com. Please address any questions to your local Thiele sales representative.