The $3.6 million, or 17%, decrease in Adjusted EBITDA was primarily due to lower sales volume of, $5.3 million, or 26%. This was partially offset by higher margins due to lower raw material and utility costs, which resulted in a $1.1 million, or 5%, increase as well as a $1.1 million, or 5%, increase due to lower fixed costs.
Six Months Ended – June 30, 2020 vs. June 30, 2019
Of the 15% decrease in net sales, 14% was due to lower pricing from the pass through of lower raw material costs, primarily from styrene and butadiene. Lower sales volume to the graphical paper and textile markets were offset by sales from the recently acquired site in Rheinmünster, Germany.
The $0.5 million, or 1%, increase in Adjusted EBITDA was primarily due to higher margins attributable mainly to lower utility costs, which resulted in a $2.5 million, or 7%, increase. These impacts were offset by a $1.7 million, or 4%, decrease due to higher fixed costs as well as a $0.3 million, or 1%, decrease due to reduced sales volume.
Synthetic Rubber Segment
Our Synthetic Rubber segment produces styrene-butadiene and polybutadiene-based rubber products used predominantly in high-performance tires, impact modifiers and technical rubber products, such as conveyor belts, hoses, seals and gaskets. We have a broad synthetic rubber technology and product portfolio, focusing on specialty products, such as solution styrene-butadiene rubber (“SSBR”), while also producing core products, such as emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (“ESBR”).
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| | | Three Months Ended | | | | | Six Months Ended | | | | |
| | | June 30, | | | | | | June 30, | | | | | |
($ in millions) | | | 2020 | | | 2019 | | | % Change | | | 2020 | | | 2019 | | | % Change | | |
Net sales | | | $ | 36.4 | | | $ | 112.1 | | | (68) | % | | $ | 138.0 | | | $ | 236.7 | | | (42) | % | |
Adjusted EBITDA | | | $ | (27.7) | | | $ | 12.9 | | | (315) | % | | $ | (12.5) | | | $ | 21.7 | | | (158) | % | |
Adjusted EBITDA margin | | | | (76) | % | | | 12 | % | | | | | | (9) | % | | | 9 | % | | | | |
Three Months Ended – June 30, 2020 vs. June 30, 2019
Of the 68% decrease in net sales, 56% was due to decreased sales volumes from weaker demand in the global tire market due to COVID-19. An additional decrease of 11% was due to lower pricing from the pass through of lower raw material costs, mainly from styrene and butadiene.
The $40.6 million, or 315%, decrease in Adjusted EBITDA was primarily due to lower sales volume as described above, which resulted in a $27.2 million, or 211%, decrease. An additional $9.8 million, or 76%, decrease was due to lower margins, mainly from net timing impacts, and an additional $3.9 million, or 30%, decrease due to higher fixed costs from a lower level of fixed cost absorption due to a planned maintenance turnaround.
Six Months Ended – June 30, 2020 vs. June 30, 2019
Of the 42% decrease in net sales, 31% was due to decreased sales volume from weaker demand in the global tire market due to COVID-19. An additional decrease of 9% was due to lower pricing from the pass through of lower raw material costs, mainly from styrene and butadiene.
The $34.2 million, or 158%, decrease in Adjusted EBITDA was primarily due to lower sales volume as described above, which resulted in a $32.1 million, or 148%, decrease. An additional $7.0 million, or 32%, decrease was due to lower margins, mainly from net raw material timing impacts. These impacts were partially offset by an increase of $5.2 million, or 24%, due to lower fixed costs.
Performance Plastics Segment
Our Performance Plastics segment includes a variety of highly engineered compounds and blends, our acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (“ABS”), styrene-acrylonitrile (“SAN”), and polycarbonate (“PC”) businesses, and engineered materials applications, which includes consumer electronics, medical, and thermoplastic elastomers (“TPEs”) applications.