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Derivative Instruments and Risk Management
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Derivative Instruments and Risk Management

Note 15. Derivative Instruments and Risk Management

The Company has limited involvement with derivative instruments and does not trade them. The Company does use derivatives to manage certain interest rate, foreign currency exchange rate, raw material cost exposures and greenhouse gases emission allowances, as the need arises.

The Company previously entered into interest rate swap contracts to reduce interest rate risk on its core debt. As at December 31, 2023 and 2022, there were no interest rate swaps in place. Interest rate swaps were previously in place to hedge interest rate risk on the term loan for a notional value that matched the repayment profile of the term loan.

The Company enters into various foreign currency forward exchange contracts to minimize currency exchange rate exposure from expected future cash flows. As at December 31, 2023, foreign currency forward exchange contracts with a notional value of $156.5 million were in place (December 31, 2022 $161.1 million), with maturity dates of up to one year from the date of inception. These foreign currency forward exchange contracts have not been designated as hedging instruments, and their impact on the income statement for 2023 was a loss of $4.0 million (2022 – gain $0.7 million).

As at December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company did not hold any raw material derivatives.

The Company participates in the new United Kingdom Emissions Trading Scheme (“UK ETS”) which was launched on January 1, 2021. Emissions trading schemes work on the ‘cap and trade’ principle, where a cap is set on the total amount of certain greenhouse gases that can be emitted by sectors covered by the scheme. This limits the total amount of carbon that can be emitted. Within this cap, participants receive free allowances and/or buy emission allowances at auction or on the secondary market which they can trade with other participants as needed. As at December 31, 2023, the Company held UK ETS credits of $4.8 million (December 31, 2022 – $2.7 million).

The Company sells a range of specialty chemicals to major oil refiners and chemical companies throughout the world. Credit limits, ongoing credit evaluation and account monitoring procedures are intended to minimize bad debt risk. Collateral is not generally required.