Issue 17, 2020 - BASF will cease operations at its 1,4-butanediol production plant in Japan

BASF will cease operations at its 1,4-butanediol plant in Japan

BASF Idemitsu Co.
Ltd.
("BIC"), a joint venture between BASF AG (BASF) and Idemitsu Kosan Corporation (IKC), will close its 1,4-butanediol (BDO) plant
in Chiba, Japan, on August 19.
The joint venture agreement between BASF and Idemitsu will be terminated
thereafter.

BASF's decision to jointly agree with ICC to close the BIC plant is part of BASF's global long-term selection assessment of assets in its BDO value chain, and BASF will continue to offer BDO
from its global plants to Japanese customers currently supplied by BIC.

"As one of the leading BDO and its derivatives businesses, we will continue to support
our customers with high-quality products worldwide.
The near-term measures are part of our strategy to ensure that we further increase our competitiveness in the market and thus increase long-term value
for our customers' businesses and BASF.
Vasilios Galanos, Senior Vice President of BASF Intermediates Asia Pacific, said
.