BASF’s Segments

The Chemicals segment comprises our business with basic chemicals and intermediates. Its portfolio ranges from solvents, plasticizers and high-volume monomers to glues and electronic chemicals as well as raw materials for detergents, plastics, textile fibers, paints and coatings, crop protection and medicines. In addition to supplying customers in the chemical industry and numerous other sectors, we also ensure that other BASF segments are supplied with chemicals for producing downstream products.

Our Performance Products lend stability, color and better application properties to many everyday products. Our product portfolio includes vitamins and other food additives in addition to ingredients for pharmaceuticals, personal care and cosmetics, as well as hygiene and household products. Other products from this segment improve processes in the paper industry, in oil, gas and ore extraction, and in water treatment. They furthermore enhance the efficiency of fuels and lubricants, the effectiveness of adhesives and coatings, and the stability of plastics.

In the Functional Materials & Solutions segment, we bundle system solutions, services and innovative products for specific sectors and customers, especially the automotive, electrical, chemical and construction industries, as well as for household applications and sports and leisure. Our portfolio comprises catalysts, battery materials, engineering plastics, polyurethane systems, automotive and industrial coatings and concrete admixtures as well as construction systems like tile adhesives and decorative paints.

The Agricultural Solutions segment provides innovative solutions in the areas of chemical and biological crop protection, seed treatment and water management as well as solutions for nutrient supply and plant stress. Our research in plant biotechnology concentrates on plants for greater efficiency in agriculture, better nutrition, and use as renewable raw materials.

Research expenses, sales, earnings and all other data of BASF Plant Science are not included in the Agricultural Solutions segment; they are reported in Other.

We focus on exploration and production in oil and gas-rich regions in Europe, North Africa, Russia, South America and the Middle East. Together with our Russian partner Gazprom, we are active in the transport of natural gas in Europe. At the end of the third quarter of 2015, we exited the natural gas trading and storage business previously operated together with Gazprom and, in exchange, further expanded our oil and gas production in western Siberia.