CMAI Outlines BASF's Strategic Chemical Business Position

HOUSTON, Feb. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Chemical Market Associates, Inc. (CMAI): CMAI's Chemical Company Analysis (CCA) on BASF SE, the third company report of the 2010 Edition, is now available.  The report features comprehensive overviews of the chemical businesses of BASF, including strategic direction and corporate structure; global chemical operations, and business positions of BASF and its competitors within major product markets; manufacturing site flowcharts and descriptions; as well as vertical product integration and market exposure.  

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The report aims at providing clients with a thorough understanding of not only the present situation, but also the impact of future developments by assessing BASF's opportunities and risks within the framework of CMAI's outlook for the global petrochemical industry.  Rapidly changing industry structure and dynamics will necessitate company-specific responses that will determine the success of chemical producers in the future.

BASF is currently the largest chemical company in the world with estimated sales of about euro 63 billion in 2010 and about 105,000 employees.  The company's product portfolio ranges from upstream oil & gas, base chemicals and plastics to specialty and performance products, as well as catalysts and vitamins. At the core of chemical production is BASF's Verbund system.  BASF's six Verbund sites at Ludwigshafen (Germany), Antwerp (Belgium), Nanjing (China), Kuantan (Malaysia), Freeport and Geismar in the U.S. generate efficiencies and cost savings through extensive, highly integrated production facilities that minimize transportation cost and their environmental impact.

The acquisitions of Engelhard (Catalysts), Degussa's Construction Chemicals, Johnson Polymers (coating resins) in 2006, and more recently Ciba (coatings, plastic additives, paper chemicals) and Cognis (personal care & nutrition) supported a shift in BASF's portfolio toward higher value applications. The company's traditionally strong innovation pipeline and customer focus for the development of customized solutions facilitated these changes. The company's investment projects in China and Malaysia also are focused on chemical intermediates and specialties, such as isocyanates, surfactants, and C4 (butenes) based chemicals for additives and plasticizers rather than larger volume commodity chemicals. As a result, the weight of specialty products in BASF's sales has been increasing considerably from the 54 percent share reported for 2003.

The Chemical Company Analysis (CCA) is a multi-client service aimed at analyzing the structure, dynamics, competition and strategic issues of global and regional chemical industry participants.  The 2010 Edition includes company reports on Bayer MaterialScience, Reliance Industries, BASF SE, and Dow Chemical. Company reports that will published as part of the 2011 Edition are TPC Group, ExxonMobil Chemical, Saudi Aramco and Siam Cement.

CMAI is a petrochemical, plastics and fibers consulting firm that services a wide range of companies all over the world. Since 1979, CMAI's goal has been to provide accurate, timely consulting services for the worldwide industries that it covers.  CMAI maintains offices in Houston, New York, London, Dubai, Düsseldorf, Singapore, Shanghai and Bangkok.  Clients to CMAI services include chemical and oil companies, engineering & construction companies, banking and financial institutions, plastic converters, grocers/retailers, government agencies and trading companies.

For additional information on this analysis, visit CMAI's website at www.cmaiglobal.com  or contact:

SOURCE Chemical Market Associates, Inc.