BASF completes sale of Wibarco

The sale of BASF’s subsidiary Chemische Fabrik WIBARCO GmbH (Wibarco) to Hansa Chemie International AG has closed. Further approvals by the authorities are not required.

Wibarco, located in Ibbenbüren in northern Germany, mainly produces linear alkylbenzene (LAB). LAB is a starting material for linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), a key component of most modern detergents. Hansa Chemie International has acquired the workforce of approximately 80 employees and plans to develop the Ibbenbüren site further.

Wibarco’s business was not strategically relevant to BASF. Following the sale of these activities, BASF’s Performance Chemicals division plans to systematically expand its business with its strategic product lines for the detergents and cleaners industry.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to crude oil and natural gas. As a reliable partner to virtually all industries, BASF’s high-value products and intelligent system solutions help its customers to be more successful. BASF develops new technologies and uses them to meet the challenges of the future and open up additional market opportunities. It combines economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility, thus contributing to a better future. BASF has approximately 95,000 employees and posted sales of €52.6 billion in 2006. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA), New York (BF) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.