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About the Chemicals Industry

The global chemicals market is worth $2.5 trillion dollars. The chemicals industry experienced a decline in sales in 2008/9 due to the impact of the global economic downturn. Asia has taken the top spot in terms of the largest chemicals producing region, principally due to the rise of China. Combined, Europe, Asia and North America account for nearly 90% of global chemicals turnover. Within Europe, Germany is the largest chemicals producer, followed by France, Italy and the UK. These four countries alone account for nearly 60% of the European chemicals market. In the US, the chemicals market is worth around $400 billion and employs well over a million people in over 170 major chemicals companies.

In 2009, the 30 largest chemical-producing countries had a combined sales turnover of €1685 billion. Twelve of the top 30 major countries are Asian, generating chemicals sales of €753 billion. This figure represents nearly 45 per cent of the top 30 and 40 per cent of the share of world chemical production. Nine of the top 30 are members of the European Union, now numbering 27 member states, and representing 22 per cent of world chemicals sales. [source:Cefic]

The top 100 chemicals companies generated a total of $1.23 trillion, an increase of 20% in comparison with the previous year. The leading chemicals company globally is BASF, with 2010 turnover of $85 billion. The leading chemicals companies are active in a broad range of chemicals related businesses, manufacturing commodity, specialty and fine chemicals.

Companies producing petrochemicals and commodities posted the largest growth in sales, with PotashCorp, Petronas, Braskem, Honam Petrochemical, Nova Chemicals, CF Industries and Sinopec posting revenue growth of more than 50%. Sinopec, in particular, has benefitted from increased demand in China.

Top Ten Chemicals Companies 2010 (Revenues, $m)

BASF ($84,651 million)

BASF SE is a Germany-based chemical company. It diversifies its activities into six business segments: Chemicals, providing basic products and specialties including nitric acid and methanol, basic chemicals including ethylene and butadiene and intermediates, among others; Plastics, providing engineering plastics, polyamides and polyurethane solutions, among others; Performance Products, providing products for the coatings and paints industry, cosmetics, detergents and cleaners industry, vitamins and enzymes, products for the paper industry and performance chemicals, among others; Functional Solutions, which develops coating products, catalysts and concrete admixtures, among others; Agricultural Solutions, providing active ingredients and formulations for the improvement of crop health and yields, and Oil & Gas business segment, which is bundled in the Wintershall Group, is engaged in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas and trading.

Dow Chemical ($53,674 million)

The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) is a diversified manufacturer and supplier of products used primarily as raw materials in the manufacture of customer products and services worldwide. It operates in eight segments. Dow provides services to a range of industries, including appliance, automotive, agricultural, building and construction, chemical processing, electronics, furniture, house wares, oil and gas, packaging, paints, coatings and adhesives, personal care pharmaceutical processed foods pulp and paper textile. Its portfolio includes specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses deliver a range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries. In May 2010, OMNOVA Solutions Inc. acquired its hollow sphere plastic pigment (HPP) product line and terminated the RohmNova paper coatings joint venture. On June 17, 2010, Dow sold its interest in Styron plastics division to Bain Capital Partners.

ExxonMobil ($53,636 million)

Exxon Mobil Corporation (Exxon Mobil) is a manufacturer and marketer of commodity petrochemicals, including olefins, aromatics, polyethylene and polypropylene plastics and a range of specialty products. It also has interests in electric power generation facilities. The Company has several divisions and hundreds of affiliates with names that include ExxonMobil, Exxon, Esso or Mobil. Divisions and affiliated companies of ExxonMobil operate or market products in the United States and other countries of the world. Their principal business is energy, involving exploration for, and production of, crude oil and natural gas, manufacture of petroleum products and transportation and sale of crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products. In October 2010, Global Partners LP acquired retail gasoline stations from Exxon Mobil. In June 2011, the Company acquired Phillips Resources and related company TWP Inc. In October 2011, Cosan SA Industria e Comercio purchased the Company.

Sinopec ($48,725 million)

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec Corp.) is an energy and chemical company. The Company through its subsidiaries engages in oil and gas and chemical operations in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Oil and gas operations consist of exploring for, developing and producing crude oil and natural gas; transporting crude oil and natural gas by pipelines; refining crude oil into finished petroleum products; and marketing crude oil, natural gas and refined petroleum products. Chemical operations include the manufacture and marketing of a range of chemicals for industrial uses. The Company operates in four business segments: exploration and production segment, refining segment, marketing and distribution segment and chemicals segment, and corporate and others.

LyondellBasell Industries ($41,151 million)

LyondellBasell Industries NV is a Netherlands-based company engaged in the chemical industry. The Company products are divided into four sections: Olefins and Polyefins, Intermediates and Derivatives,Refining and Oxyfuels and Technology. It produces polypropylene and polypropylene compounds, propylene oxide, polyethylene, ethylene and propylene. It is also a producer of refined products, including biofuels. The products are used in such industries as packaging, electronics, automotive components, home furnishings, construction materials and biofuels. The Company has production unites in the United States, South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Its regional sales offices are located in Netherlands, Honk Kong, China, Indian and the United Arab Emirates with a worldwide network of local sales and representative offices in Europe, Asia and Africa.

SABIC ($40,525 million)

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) is a Saudi Arabia-based public shareholding company that operates in the chemicals and metals industry sectors. The Company manufactures and markets its products throughout the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Its products are divided into five segments: Chemicals, Plastics, Fertilizers, Metals and Innovative Plastics. Its Chemicals segment includes olefins, oxygenates, aromatics, chemical intermediates, fiber intermediates, industrial gases and linear alpha olefins. The Plastics products include polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyester, and poly-olefins. Its Fertilizers products consist of urea, and ammonia and phosphate. Its Metals products include flat and long steel products. Its Innovative Plastics products include resins, specialty film & sheet, Polymershapes and Exatec. SABIC's manufacturing facilities are located in the cities of Al-Jubail, Dammam and Yanbu.

Shell ($39,629 million)

Royal Dutch Shell plc (Shell) is an independent oil and gas company. The Company owns, directly or indirectly, investments in the numerous companies constituting Shell. Shell is engaged worldwide in the principal aspects of the oil and gas industry and also has interests in chemicals and other energy-related businesses. The Company operates in three segments: Upstream, Downstream and Corporate. Upstream combines the operating segments Upstream International and Upstream Americas, which are engaged in searching for and recovering crude oil and natural gas; the liquefaction and transportation of gas; the extraction of bitumen from oil sands that is converted into synthetic crude oil, and wind energy. Downstream is engaged in manufacturing; distribution and marketing activities for oil products and chemicals. Corporate represents the key support functions, comprising holdings and treasury, headquarters, central functions and Shell's self-insurance activities.

Mitsubishi Chemical ($38,241 million)

Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation is a Japan-based holding company. Through its subsidiaries and associated companies, the Company is engaged in six business segments. The Electronics Applications segment offers recording materials, electronics-related products and information materials, among others. The Designed Materials segment offers functional food materials, battery materials, precision chemicals, processed resin products, compound materials, inorganic chemicals and chemical fiber, among others. The Health Care segment offers pharmaceuticals, diagnosis products and clinical inspection services, among others. The Chemicals segment provides basic chemicals, compound chemicals, synthetic fiber raw materials and carbon products, among others. The Polymers segment offers synthetic resins. The Others segment is engaged in engineering, transportation and storage businesses.

INEOS ($34,561 million)

INEOS Group is a leading chemical company consisting of some 15 businesses. Product lines include ethylene oxide-based specialty and intermediate chemicals, fluorochemicals used as refrigerants and propellants, and phenol and acetate products. INEOS Chlor makes chlor-alkali chemicals. INEOS Group was formed in 1998 after CEO Jim Ratcliffe, who controls the group, led a management buyout. It now operates more than 60 manufacturing facilities in 13 countries worldwide. Ratcliffe has placed INEOS among the world's top chemical companies (with ExxonMobil, Dow, and BASF) through his many and varied acquisitions.

DuPont ($31,505 million)

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (DuPont) offers a range of products and services for markets, including agriculture and food, building and construction, electronics and communications, general industrial and transportation. The Company consists of 13 businesses, which consists of its segments. DuPont operates in seven segments: Agriculture & Nutrition, Electronics & Communications, Performance Chemicals, Performance Coatings, Performance Materials, Safety & Protection, and Pharmaceuticals. The Company also includes certain embryonic businesses, such as Applied BioSciences and non-aligned businesses in Other. In January 2011, DuPont and its wholly owned subsidiary, DuPont Denmark Holding ApS, entered into an agreement for the acquisition of Danisco A/S (Danisco). In 2010, the Company's Safety & Protection's business completed the acquisition of MECS, Inc. In July 2011, the Company acquired Innovalight, Inc.