ICIS Chemical Business Reveals Top 100 Chemical Companies

NEW YORK and LONDON, September 13, 2010 - ICIS Chemical Business magazine has revealed the ICIS Top 100 Chemical
Companies, sponsored by leading global logistics provider Damco, with
rankings based on 2009 sales.

"The global chemical industry was hit hard in 2009 as the financial and
economic crisis slammed confidence and business froze in the early part of
the year. But many companies have since managed to climb out of the depths in
solid shape," said Joseph Chang, Global Editor of ICIS Chemical Business.

"The recovery in demand and in chemicals output has persisted into 2010
with the year's second quarter marking what many see as a high point," noted
Nigel Davis, ICIS Insight Editor.

In 2009, German major BASF once again came out on top with $72.7bn in
sales, followed by US-based Dow Chemical with $44.9bn and then US-based
ExxonMobil Chemical with $41.0bn.

For the ICIS Top 100 Chemical Companies, aggregate sales declined by
19.7% in US dollars in 2009. Total profits of the Top 100 fell 17.5% in US
dollars.

Looking ahead to the ICIS Top 100 Chemical Companies listing in 2010,
companies will post significant sales and profit gains as demand has
rebounded.

"The questions being asked now have more to do with the sustainability of
growth in a much-changed financial world rather than business survival," said
Davis.

"China's demand continues to provide the key to volumes but recovery in
North America, Japan and Europe has yet to help drive output and capacity
utilization to the levels reached before the recession," he added.

The ICIS Top 100 Chemical Companies table was compiled by Lara McNamee
and the ICIS data & analytics team led by Paul Ray.

A PDF of the ICIS Top 100 Chemical Companies is available for download at
www.icis.com/Top100

ICIS Chemical Business

ICIS Chemical Business is the leading global weekly magazine focusing on
upstream, bulk commodity chemical and polymer markets. Subscribe today at
www.icis.com/1395

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their revenues and profits by providing high quality, timely, commercially
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Reed Business Information

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, (RBI), a division of Reed Business and a member of Reed Elsevier plc (525),
(UK:REL) (US:RUK) (NL:45443) the world's leading publisher and information
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Damco

As part of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, Damco offers a broad
range of supply chain management and freight forwarding services to customers
all over the world, and has 10,500 employees in over 280 owned offices across
90 countries with representation in 120 countries in Africa, Asia, Australia,
North America, Europe, Middle East, and Latin America.

www.damco.com

    For media inquiries, contact:

    Joseph Chang
    Global Editor
    ICIS Chemical Business
    T: +1-212-791-4224
    joseph.chang@icis.com

    www.icis.com/magazine
    www.icis.com

    Nigel Davis
    ICIS Insight Editor
    T: +44-20-8652-3397
    nigel.davis@icis.com

    Lara McNamee
    Intelligence Editor
    ICIS Data & Analytics
    T: +44-20-8652-8358
    lara.mcnamee@icis.com

    Anthony Elwine
    Industry Head - Chemicals
    Middle East Region
    Damco
    Dubai
    United Arab Emirates
    T: +971-4-5086-207
    anthony.elwine@damco.com

    www.damco.com

For media inquiries, contact: Joseph Chang, Global Editor, ICIS Chemical Business, T: +1-212-791-4224, joseph.chang at icis.com ; Nigel Davis, ICIS Insight Editor, T: +44-20-8652-3397, nigel.davis at icis.com ; Lara McNamee, Intelligence Editor, ICIS Data & Analytics, T: +44-20-8652-8358, lara.mcnamee at icis.com ; Anthony Elwine, Industry Head – Chemicals, Middle East Region, Damco, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, T: +971-4-5086-207, anthony.elwine at damco.com .