ZURICH, July 28 Reuters Specialty chemicals maker Clariant posted on Thursday a higher profit for the second quarter, as it beat rising raw material, energy and transport costs with higher prices and sales volumes.

The increases also helped the Swiss company, whose products include chemicals for personal care goods, raise its sales by a betterthanexpected 26.

Rising energy and raw material prices have been a problem for industrial companies in recent months, on top of jammed supply chains, which have made it difficult for them to get hold of vital components like semiconductor chips.

Clariant said its raw material, energy, and logistics costs in the second quarter were 36 higher than a year earlier, a similar level to the 37 rise it saw in the first quarter.

The company, which also makes catalysts for chemical production and fuel processing, offset the rise with its own price increases, as well as cost savings and leverage from higher sales.

Chief Executive Conrad Keijzer told reporters the company had offset 100 of its increased costs during the second quarter.

Throughout the firsthalf of 2022, we continued to generate a significant sales and profitability increase, driven by strong pricing and volume growth, fully compensating raw material, energy, and logistic cost inflation, he said.

Clariant39;s sales for the second quarter rose to 1.30 billion Swiss francs 1.36 billion, beating forecasts for 1.22 billion francs in a companygathered consensus of analyst…