Contract prices for North American TiO2 were assessed up by 3-5 cents/lb ($66-110/tonne, €44-74/tonne). Sellers argued that price hikes were justified because of seasonally low producer inventories, growth from the federal stimulus package and constricted supply from idled TiO2 plants. Another 5-7 cents/lb remained on the negotiating table, though buyers uniformly rejected the idea that producers would see any further gains before January 2010.