Praxair Reports Price Increases for Gases, Facility Fees

Praxair, Inc. PX, and its divisions and subsidiaries (Praxair Distribution, Inc., Praxair Healthcare Services, Praxair Canada Inc., and Praxair Puerto Rico B.V.) are notifying bulk and packaged, industrial, electronics, specialty and medical gas customers in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico of increases in prices effective January 1, 2013, or as contracts permit, as follows: * Up to 15% for nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide; * Up to 20% for argon and hydrogen; * Up to 30% for helium; * Up to 15% for facility fees or monthly bulk product charges and cylinder rental rates; * Up to 15% on hardgoods. Price adjustments will vary as permitted by individual supply contracts. 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. In addition, energy costs in the United States continue to increase, driven by state renewable energy requirements and associated utility transmission and distribution upgrades.