Dow 10-K 2019-12-31
Filed 2020-02-07. 22 sections, 712K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON
Cover and table of contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
☑ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019
or
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from to

| Commission File Number | Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter, Principal Office Address and Telephone Number | State of Incorporation or Organization | I.R.S. Employer Identification No. |
| 001-38646 | Dow Inc. | Delaware | 30-1128146 |
| 2211 H.H. Dow Way, Midland, MI 48674 | |||
| (989) 636-1000 | |||
| 001-03433 | The Dow Chemical Company | Delaware | 38-1285128 |
| 2211 H.H. Dow Way, Midland, MI 48674 | |||
| (989) 636-1000 |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Registrant | Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered |
| Dow Inc. | Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share | DOW | New York Stock Exchange |
| The Dow Chemical Company | 4.625% Notes due October 1, 2044 | DOW/44 | New York Stock Exchange |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
| Dow Inc. | ☑ | Yes | ☐ | No |
| The Dow Chemical Company | ☑ | Yes | ☐ | No |
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
| Dow Inc. | ☐ | Yes | ☑ | No |
| The Dow Chemical Company | ☐ | Yes | ☑ | No |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
| Dow Inc. | ☑ | Yes | ☐ | No |
| The Dow Chemical Company | ☑ | Yes | ☐ | No |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
| Dow Inc. | ☑ | Yes | ☐ | No |
| The Dow Chemical Company | ☑ | Yes | ☐ | No |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Dow Inc. | Large accelerated filer þ | Accelerated filer ¨ | Non-accelerated filer ¨ | Smaller reporting company ¨ | Emerging growth company ¨ |
| The Dow Chemical Company | Large accelerated filer ¨ | Accelerated filer ¨ | Non-accelerated filer þ | Smaller reporting company ¨ | Emerging growth company ¨ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
| Dow Inc. | ☐ | |
| The Dow Chemical Company | ☐ |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
| Dow Inc. | ☐ | Yes | ☑ | No |
| The Dow Chemical Company | ☐ | Yes | ☑ | No |
As of June 30, 2019, the aggregate market value of the common stock of Dow Inc. held by non-affiliates of Dow Inc. was approximately $36.3 billion based on the last reported closing price of $49.31 per share as reported on the New York Stock Exchange.
Dow Inc. had 741,678,966 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value, outstanding at January 31, 2020. The Dow Chemical Company had 100 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value, outstanding at January 31, 2020, all of which were held by the registrant’s parent, Dow Inc.
The Dow Chemical Company meets the conditions set forth in General Instruction I(1)(a) and (b) for Form 10-K and therefore is filing this form in the reduced disclosure format.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Dow Inc.: Portions of Dow Inc.'s Proxy Statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated herein by reference in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K to the extent stated herein. Such proxy statement will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days of Dow Inc.'s fiscal year ended December 31, 2019.
The Dow Chemical Company: None.
Dow Inc. and Subsidiaries
The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Dow Inc. and Subsidiaries The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries |
This Annual Report on Form 10-K is a combined report being filed by Dow Inc. and The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries (“TDCC” and together with Dow Inc., “Dow” or the "Company"). This Annual Report on Form 10-K reflects the results of Dow and its consolidated subsidiaries, after giving effect to the distribution to DowDuPont Inc. (“DowDuPont” and effective June 3, 2019, n/k/a DuPont de Nemours, Inc. or "DuPont") of TDCC’s agricultural sciences business (“AgCo”) and specialty products business (“SpecCo”) and the receipt of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company and its consolidated subsidiaries' (“Historical DuPont”) ethylene and ethylene copolymers business (other than its ethylene acrylic elastomers business) ("ECP"). The U.S. GAAP consolidated financial results of Dow Inc. and TDCC reflect the distribution of AgCo and SpecCo as discontinued operations for the applicable periods presented as well as the receipt of ECP as a common control transaction from the closing of the merger with Historical DuPont on August 31, 2017. In addition, following the separation from DowDuPont, the Company changed the manner in which its business activities were managed. The Company's portfolio now includes six global businesses which are organized into the following operating segments: Packaging & Specialty Plastics, Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure and Performance Materials & Coatings. Corporate contains the reconciliation between the totals for the operating segments and the Company's totals. As a result of the parent/subsidiary relationship between Dow Inc. and TDCC, and the expectation that the financial statements and disclosures of each company will be substantially similar, the companies are filing a combined report for this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The information reflected in this report is equally applicable to both Dow Inc. and TDCC, except where otherwise noted. Each of Dow Inc. and TDCC is filing information in this report on its own behalf and neither company makes any representation to the information relating to the other company.
Background
On April 1, 2019, DowDuPont completed the separation of its materials science business and Dow Inc. became the direct parent company of TDCC and its consolidated subsidiaries, owning all of the outstanding common shares of TDCC. For filings relating to the period commencing April 1, 2019 and thereafter, TDCC was deemed the predecessor to Dow Inc., and the historical results of TDCC are deemed the historical results of Dow Inc. for periods prior to and including March 31, 2019.
The separation was contemplated by the merger of equals transaction effective August 31, 2017, under the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of December 11, 2015, as amended on March 31, 2017. TDCC and Historical DuPont each merged with subsidiaries of DowDuPont and, as a result, TDCC and Historical DuPont became subsidiaries of DowDuPont (the “Merger”). Subsequent to the Merger, TDCC and Historical DuPont engaged in a series of internal reorganization and realignment steps to realign their businesses into three subgroups: agriculture, materials science and specialty products. Dow Inc. was formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of DowDuPont to serve as the holding company for the materials science business.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This report contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, financial condition, and other matters, and often contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “opportunity,” “outlook,” “plan,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “strategy,” "target," “will,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” “would” and similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, expectations as to future sales of Dow’s products; the ability to protect Dow’s intellectual property in the United States and abroad; estimates regarding Dow’s capital requirements and need for and availability of financing; estimates of Dow’s expenses, future revenues and profitability; estimates of the size of the markets for Dow’s products and services and Dow’s ability to compete in such markets; expectations related to the rate and degree of market acceptance of Dow’s products; the outcome of certain Dow contingencies, such as litigation and environmental matters; estimates of the success of competing technologies that may become available and expectations regarding the benefits and costs associated with each of the foregoing.
Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and expectations of future events which may not be realized and speak only as of the date the statements were made. In addition, forward-looking statements also involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that are beyond Dow’s control that could cause Dow’s actual results to differ materially from those projected, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in energy and raw material prices; failure to develop and market new products and optimally manage product life cycles; significant litigation and environmental matters; failure to appropriately manage process safety and product stewardship issues; changes in laws and regulations or political conditions; global economic and capital markets conditions, such as inflation, market uncertainty, interest and currency exchange rates, and equity and commodity prices; business or supply disruptions; security threats, such as acts of sabotage, terrorism or war; weather events and natural disasters; ability to protect, defend and enforce Dow’s intellectual property rights; increased competition; changes in relationships with Dow’s significant customers and suppliers; unanticipated expenses such as litigation or legal settlement expenses; unanticipated business disruptions; Dow’s ability to predict, identify and interpret changes in consumer preferences and demand; Dow’s ability to complete proposed divestitures or acquisitions; Dow’s ability to realize the expected benefits of acquisitions if they are completed; the availability of financing to Dow in the future and the terms and conditions of such financing; and disruptions in Dow’s information technology networks and systems. Additionally, there may be other risks and uncertainties that Dow is unable to identify at this time or that Dow does not currently expect to have a material impact on its business.
Risks related to achieving the anticipated benefits of Dow's separation from DowDuPont include, but are not limited to, a number of conditions outside the control of Dow, including risks related to (i) Dow's inability to achieve some or all of the benefits that it expects to receive from the separation from DowDuPont, (ii) certain tax risks associated with the separation, (iii) Dow's inability to make necessary changes to operate as a stand-alone company, (iv) the failure of Dow's pro forma financial information to be a reliable indicator of Dow's future results, (v) Dow's inability to enjoy the same benefits of diversity, leverage and market reputation that it enjoyed as a combined company, (vi) Dow's inability to receive third-party consents required under the separation agreement, (vii) Dow's customers, suppliers and others' perception of Dow's financial stability on a stand-alone basis, (viii) non-compete restrictions under the separation agreement, (ix) receipt of less favorable terms in the commercial agreements Dow entered into with DuPont and Corteva, Inc. ("Corteva"), including restrictions under intellectual property cross-license agreements, than Dow would have received from an unaffiliated third party; and (x) Dow's obligation to indemnify DuPont and/or Corteva for certain liabilities.
Where, in any forward-looking statement, an expectation or belief as to future results or events is expressed, such expectation or belief is based on the current plans and expectations of management and expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that the expectation or belief will result or be achieved or accomplished. A detailed discussion of principal risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results and events to differ materially from such forward-looking statements is included in the section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K titled “Risk Factors.” Dow Inc. and TDCC assume no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities and other applicable laws.
| Dow Inc. and Subsidiaries | ||
| The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries | ||
| PART I |
Item 1. BUSINESS
THE COMPANY
Dow Inc. was incorporated on August 30, 2018, under Delaware law, to serve as a holding company for The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries ("TDCC" and together with Dow Inc., "Dow" or the "Company"). Dow Inc. operates all of its businesses through TDCC, a wholly owned subsidiary, which was incorporated in 1947 under Delaware law and is the successor to a Michigan corporation, of the same name, organized in 1897. The Company's principal executive offices are located at 2211 H.H. Dow Way, Midland, Michigan 48674.
Available Information
The Company's Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, are available free of charge at www.dow.com/investors, as soon as reasonably practicable after the reports are electronically filed or furnished with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The SEC maintains a website that contains these reports as well as proxy statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically. The SEC's website is at www.sec.gov. Dow's website and its content are not deemed incorporated by reference into this report.
MERGER AND SEPARATION
On April 1, 2019, DowDuPont Inc. (“DowDuPont” and effective June 3, 2019, n/k/a DuPont de Nemours, Inc. or "DuPont") completed the separation of its materials science business and Dow Inc. became the direct parent company of TDCC and its consolidated subsidiaries, owning all of the outstanding common shares of TDCC.
The separation was contemplated by the merger of equals transaction effective August 31, 2017, under the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of December 11, 2015, as amended on March 31, 2017. TDCC and E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company and its consolidated subsidiaries (“Historical DuPont”) each merged with subsidiaries of DowDuPont and, as a result, TDCC and Historical DuPont became subsidiaries of DowDuPont (the “Merger”). Subsequent to the Merger, TDCC and Historical DuPont engaged in a series of internal reorganization and realignment steps to realign their businesses into three subgroups: agriculture, materials science and specialty products. Dow Inc. was formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of DowDuPont to serve as the holding company for the materials science business.
As of the effective date and time of the distribution, DowDuPont does not beneficially own any equity interest in Dow and no longer consolidates Dow and its consolidated subsidiaries into its financial results. The consolidated financial results of Dow for periods prior to April 1, 2019, reflect the distribution of TDCC’s agricultural sciences business (“AgCo”) and specialty products business (“SpecCo”) as discontinued operations for each period presented as well as reflect the receipt of Historical DuPont’s ethylene and ethylene copolymers businesses (other than its ethylene acrylic elastomers business) (“ECP”) as a common control transaction from the closing of the Merger on August 31, 2017. See Notes 3 and 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements and Dow Inc.'s Amendment No. 4 to the Registration Statement on Form 10 filed with the SEC on March 8, 2019, for additional information.
Throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K, unless otherwise indicated, amounts and activity are presented on a continuing operations basis.
About Dow
Dow combines global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation and leading business positions to achieve profitable growth. The Company’s ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company. Dow’s portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure and consumer care. Dow operates 109 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 36,500 people.
BUSINESS SEGMENTS AND PRODUCTS
Effective with the Merger, TDCC's business activities were components of DowDuPont's business operations and were reported as a single operating segment. Following the separation from DowDuPont, the Company changed the manner in which its business activities were managed. The Company's portfolio now includes six global businesses which are organized into the following operating segments: Packaging & Specialty Plastics, Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure and Performance Materials & Coatings. Corporate contains the reconciliation between the totals for the operating segments and the Company's totals. The Company did not aggregate any operating segments when determining its reportable segments. See Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Note 27 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information concerning the Company’s operating segments.
PACKAGING & SPECIALTY PLASTICS
Packaging & Specialty Plastics consists of two highly integrated global businesses: Hydrocarbons & Energy and Packaging and Specialty Plastics. The segment employs the industry’s broadest polyolefin product portfolio, supported by the Company’s proprietary catalyst and manufacturing process technologies, to work at the customer’s design table throughout the value chain to deliver more reliable and durable, higher performing, and more sustainable plastics to customers in food and specialty packaging; industrial and consumer packaging; health and hygiene; caps, closures and pipe applications; consumer durables; automotive; and infrastructure.
The Company’s unique advantages compared with its competitors include: extensive low-cost feedstock positions around the world; unparalleled scale, global footprint and market reach, with world-class manufacturing sites in every geography; deep customer and brand owner understanding; portfolio of higher-value functional polymers, such as polyolefin elastomers, semiconductive and jacketing compound solutions and wire and cable insulation; and market-driven application development and technical support.
The segment remains agile and adaptive by participating in the entire ethylene-to-polyethylene chain integration, enabling the Company to manage market swings, and therefore optimize returns while reducing long-term earnings volatility. The Company’s unrivaled value chain ownership is further strengthened by its Pack Studio locations in every geography, which help customers and brand owners deliver faster and more efficient packaging product commercialization through a global network of laboratories, technical experts and testing equipment.
Hydrocarbons & Energy
Hydrocarbons & Energy is the largest global producer of ethylene, a key chemical building block that the Company consumes primarily within the Packaging & Specialty Plastics segment. Ethylene is transferred to downstream derivative businesses at market-based prices, which are generally equivalent to prevailing market prices for large volume purchases. In addition to ethylene, the business is a leading producer of propylene and aromatics products that are used to manufacture materials that consumers use every day. The business also produces and procures the power and feedstocks used by the Company’s manufacturing sites.
Packaging and Specialty Plastics
Packaging and Specialty Plastics serves growing, high-value sectors using world-class technology, broad existing product lines, and a rich product pipeline that creates competitive advantages for the entire packaging value chain. The business is a recognized leader in the production, marketing and innovation of polyethylene. The business is also a leader in other ethylene derivatives, such as polyolefin elastomers, ethylene vinyl acetate and ethylene propylene diene monomer ("EPDM") rubber serving automotive, consumer, wire and cable and construction markets. Market growth is expected to be driven by major shifts in population demographics; improving socioeconomic status in emerging geographies; consumer and brand owner demand for increased functionality; global efforts to reduce food waste; growth in telecommunications networks; global development of electrical transmission and distribution infrastructure; and renewable energy applications.
Divestiture
On September 1, 2017, the Company sold its global Ethylene Acrylic Acid copolymers and ionomers business to SK Global Chemical Co., Ltd. See Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
Details on Packaging & Specialty Plastics' 2019 net sales, by business and geographic region, are as follows:


- Europe, Middle East, Africa and India ("EMEAI")
Products
Major applications/market segments and products are listed below by business:
| Business | Applications/Market Segments | Major Products | Key Raw Materials | Key Competitors |
| Hydrocarbons & Energy | Purchaser of feedstocks; production of cost competitive hydrocarbon monomers utilized by Dow's derivative businesses; and energy, principally for use in Dow’s global operations | Ethylene, propylene, benzene, butadiene, octene, aromatics co-products, power, steam, other utilities | Butane, condensate, ethane, naphtha, natural gas, propane | Chevron Phillips Chemical, ExxonMobil, INEOS, LyondellBasell, SABIC, Shell, Sinopec |
| Packaging and Specialty Plastics | Adhesives; automotive; caps, closures and pipe applications; construction; cosmetics; electrical transmission and distribution; food and supply chain packaging; footwear; health and hygiene; housewares; industrial specialty applications using polyolefin elastomers, ethylene copolymers, and ethylene propylene diene monomer ("EPDM") elastomers; irrigation pipe; photovoltaic encapsulants; sporting goods; telecommunications infrastructure; toys and infant products | Acrylics, bio-based plasticizers, copolymer, elastomers, ethylene copolymer resins, EPDM, ethylene vinyl acetate ("EVA"), methacrylic acid copolymer resins, polyethylene ("PE"), high-density polyethylene ("HDPE"), low-density polyethylene ("LDPE"), linear low-density polyethylene ("LLDPE"), polyolefin plastomers, resin additives and modifiers, semiconductive and jacketing compound solutions and wire and cable insulation | Aliphatic solvent, butene, ethylene, hexene, octene, propylene | Borealis, ExxonMobil, INEOS, Lanxess, LyondellBasell, Nova, SABIC |
Joint Ventures
This segment includes a portion of the Company's share of the results of the following joint ventures:
| • | EQUATE Petrochemical Company K.S.C.C. (“EQUATE”) - a Kuwait-based company that manufactures ethylene, polyethylene and ethylene glycol, and manufactures and markets monoethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and polyethylene terephthalate resins; owned 42.5 percent by the Company. |
| • | The Kuwait Olefins Company K.S.C.C. (“TKOC”) - a Kuwait-based company that manufactures ethylene and ethylene glycol; owned 42.5 percent by the Company. |
| • | Map Ta Phut Olefins Company Limited (“Map Ta Phut”) - a Thailand-based company that manufactures propylene and ethylene; the Company has an effective ownership of 32.77 percent (of which 20.27 percent is owned directly by the Company and aligned with the Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure segment and 12.5 percent is owned indirectly through the Company’s equity interest in Siam Polyethylene Company Limited, an entity that is part of The SCG-Dow Group and aligned with the Packaging & Specialty Plastics segment). |
| • | Sadara Chemical Company ("Sadara") - a Saudi Arabian company that manufactures chlorine, ethylene, propylene and aromatics for internal consumption and manufactures and sells polyethylene, ethylene oxide and propylene oxide derivative products, and isocyanates; owned 35 percent by the Company. The Company is responsible for marketing a majority of Sadara products outside of the Middle East zone through the Company’s established sales channels. As part of this arrangement, the Company purchases and sells Sadara products for a marketing fee. |
This segment also includes the Company's share of the results of the following joint ventures:
| • | The Kuwait Styrene Company K.S.C.C. (“TKSC”) - a Kuwait-based company that manufactures styrene monomer; owned 42.5 percent by the Company. |
| • | The SCG-Dow Group - a group of Thailand-based companies (consisting of Siam Polyethylene Company Limited; Siam Polystyrene Company Limited; Siam Styrene Monomer Company Limited; and Siam Synthetic Latex Company Limited) that manufacture polyethylene, polystyrene, styrene, latex and specialty elastomers; owned 50 percent by the Company. |
Current and Future Investments
In 2017, the Company announced the startup of its new integrated world-scale ethylene production facility and its new ELITE™ Enhanced Polyethylene production facility, both located in Freeport, Texas. In 2018, the Company started up its new LDPE production facility and its new NORDEL™ Metallocene EPDM production facility, both located in Plaquemine, Louisiana. These key milestones enable the Company to capture benefits from increasing supplies of U.S. shale gas to deliver differentiated downstream solutions in its core market verticals. The Company also completed debottlenecking of an existing bi-modal gas phase polyethylene production facility in St. Charles, Louisiana, and started up a new High Melt Index ("HMI") AFFINITY™ polymer production facility in Freeport, Texas, in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Additionally, the Company has announced investments over the next five years that are expected to enhance competitiveness. These include:
| • | Expansion of the capacity of the Company’s new ethylene production facility in Freeport, TX, bringing the facility’s total ethylene capacity to 2,000 kilotonnes per annum ("KTA") and making it the largest ethylene cracker in the world. |
| • | Incremental debottleneck projects across its global asset network that will deliver approximately 350 KTA of additional polyethylene, the majority of which will be in U.S. & Canada. |
| • | Construction of a world-scale polyethylene unit on the U.S. Gulf Coast based on Dow’s proprietary process technologies, to meet consumer-driven demand in specialty packaging, health and hygiene, and industrial and consumer packaging applications. |
| • | A new catalyst production facility for key catalysts licensed by Univation Technologies, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. |
| • | On January 29, 2020, the Company announced plans to add another furnace to its ethylene production facility in Alberta, Canada, incrementally expanding capacity by approximately 130,000 metric tons. Dow will co-invest in the expansion with a regional customer, evenly sharing project costs and ethylene output, with the additional ethylene to be consumed by existing polyethylene manufacturing assets in the region. The expansion is expected to come online in the first half of 2021. |
The Company's ambition includes becoming the most sustainable materials science company in the world with a strategy to advance the well-being of humanity by helping lead the transition to a sustainable planet and society. This includes lowering energy and greenhouse gas emissions ("GHG") and enabling a shift to a circular economy for plastics by focusing on resource efficiency and integrating recycled content and renewable feedstocks into its production processes. As part of that strategy, Dow announced the following in August 2019:
| • | An agreement with the Fuenix Ecogy Group, based in Weert, The Netherlands, for the supply of pyrolysis oil feedstock, which is made from recycled plastic waste. The feedstock will be used to produce virgin polymers at Dow’s production facilities in Terneuzen, The Netherlands. This is an important step forward to increase feedstock recycling - the process of breaking down mixed waste plastics into their original form to manufacture new virgin polymers. The polymers produced from this pyrolysis oil will be identical to products produced from traditional feedstocks, and as such, they can be used in the same applications, including food packaging. |
| • | An agreement with UPM Biofuels, a producer of biofuels, for the supply and integration of wood-based UPM Bio Verno renewable naphtha - a key raw material used to develop plastics - into Dow's slate of raw materials, creating an alternative source for plastics production. The feedstock will be used to produce bio-based polyethylene at Dow's production facilities in Terneuzen, The Netherlands, for use in packaging applications such as food packaging, to reduce food waste. |
| • | The retrofit of one of its Louisiana steam crackers with Dow’s proprietary fluidized catalytic dehydrogenation ("FCDh") technology to produce on-purpose propylene. The FCDh technology retrofit further improves Dow’s ability to continue to source the most advantaged feedstocks, while also producing reliable and cost-efficient on-purpose propylene to supply its integrated derivative units in Louisiana. The technology reduces capital outlay by up to 25 percent and lowers energy usage and GHG by up to 20 percent, thereby improving overall sustainability when compared with conventional propane dehydrogenation technologies. The project is expected to begin producing on-purpose propylene by the end of 2021. |
INDUSTRIAL INTERMEDIATES & INFRASTRUCTURE
Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure consists of two customer-centric global businesses - Industrial Solutions and Polyurethanes & Construction Chemicals - that develop important intermediate chemicals that are essential to manufacturing processes, as well as downstream, customized materials and formulations that use advanced development technologies. These businesses primarily produce and market ethylene oxide and propylene oxide derivatives that are aligned to market segments as diverse as appliances, coatings, infrastructure and oil and gas. The global scale and reach of these businesses, world-class technology and R&D capabilities and materials science expertise enable the Company to be a premier solutions provider offering customers value-add sustainable solutions to enhance comfort, energy efficiency, product effectiveness and durability across a wide range of home comfort and appliances, building and construction, adhesives and lubricant applications, among others.
Industrial Solutions
Industrial Solutions provides a broad portfolio of solutions that address world needs by enabling and improving the manufacture of consumer and industrial goods and services. The business’ solutions minimize friction and heat in mechanical processes; manage the oil and water interface; deliver ingredients for maximum effectiveness; facilitate dissolvability; enable product identification; and provide the foundational building blocks for the development of chemical technologies. The business supports manufacturers associated with a large variety of end-markets, notably coatings, detergents and cleaners, crop protection, solvents for electronics processing, inks and textiles. The business is the world's largest producer of purified ethylene oxide.
Polyurethanes & Construction Chemicals
Polyurethanes & Construction Chemicals consists of three businesses: Polyurethanes, Chlor-Alkali & Vinyl (“CAV”) and Construction Chemicals (“DCC”). The Polyurethanes business is the world’s largest producer of propylene oxide, propylene glycol and polyether polyols, and a leading producer of aromatic isocyanates and fully formulated polyurethane systems for rigid, semi-rigid and flexible foams, and coatings, adhesives, sealants, elastomers and composites that serve energy efficiency, consumer comfort, industrial and enhanced mobility market sectors. The CAV business provides cost-advantaged chlorine and caustic soda supply and markets caustic soda, a valuable co-product of the chlor-alkali manufacturing process, and ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomer. The CAV business' assets are predominantly in Western Europe and largely produce materials for internal consumption. The DCC business provides cellulose ethers, redispersible latex powders, and acrylic emulsions used as key building blocks for differentiated building and construction materials across many market segments and applications ranging from roofing and flooring to gypsum-, cement-, concrete- or dispersion-based building materials.
Details on Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructures' 2019 net sales, by business and geographic region, are as follows:


Products
Major applications/market segments and products are listed below by business:
| Business | Applications/Market Segments | Major Products | Key Raw Materials | Key Competitors |
| Industrial Solutions | Broad range of products for specialty applications, including agriculture crop protection offerings, aircraft deicing, solvents for coatings, heat transfer fluids for concentrated solar power, construction, solvents for electronics processing, food preservation, fuel markers, home and personal care, infrastructure applications, lubricant additives, paper, transportation and utilities; products for energy markets including exploration, production, transmission, refining, mining and gas processing to optimize supply, improve efficiencies and manage emissions | Acetone derivatives, butyl glycol ethers, VERSENE™ Chelants, UCAR™ Deicing Fluids, ethanolamines, ethylene oxide ("EO"), ethyleneamines, UCON™ Fluids, glycol ethers, UCARTHERM™ Heat Transfer Fluids, higher glycols, isopropanolamines, low-VOC solvents, methoxypolyethylene glycol, methyl isobutyl, polyalkylene glycol, CARBOWAX™ SENTRY™ Polyethylene Glycol, TERGITOL™ and TRITON™ Surfactants, demulsifiers, drilling and completion fluids, heat transfer fluids, rheology modifiers, scale inhibitors, shale inhibitors, specialty amine solvents, surfactants, water clarifiers, frothing separating agents | Ethylene, propylene | BASF, Eastman, Hexion, Huntsman, INEOS, LyondellBasell, SABIC, Sasol, Shell |
| Polyurethanes & Construction Chemicals | Aircraft deicing fluids; alumina; pulp and paper; appliances; automotive; bedding; building and construction; flooring; footwear; heat transfer fluids; hydraulic fluids; infrastructure; packaging; textiles and transportation; construction; caulks and sealants; cement-based tile adhesives; concrete solutions; elastomeric roof coatings; industrial non-wovens; plasters and renders; roof tiles and siding; sport grounds and tape joint compounds | Aniline, caustic soda, ethylene dichloride ("EDC"), methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (“MDI”), polyether polyols, propylene glycol ("PG"), propylene oxide ("PO"), polyurethane systems, toluene diisocyanate (“TDI”), vinyl chloride monomer ("VCM"), AQUASET™ Acrylic Thermosetting Resins, DOW™ Latex Powder, RHOPLEX™ and PRIMAL™ Acrylic Emulsion Polymers, WALOCEL™ Cellulose Ethers | Aniline, aqueous hydrochloric acid, benzene, carbon monoxide, caustic soda, cell effluent, cellulose chlorine, electric power, ethylene, hydrogen peroxide, propylene, styrene | Arkema, Ashland, BASF, Covestro, Eastman, Huntsman, INEOS, Olin, Owens-Corning, Yantai Wanhua |
Joint Ventures
This segment includes a portion of the Company's share of the results of EQUATE, TKOC, Map Ta Phut and Sadara.
Current and Future Investments
The Company expects to make investments over the next five years to enhance competitiveness in the Company’s Polyurethanes & Construction Chemicals and Industrial Solutions businesses. The investments will include alkoxylation capacity expansions and finishing capabilities; investments to support growth in polyurethane systems; and efficiency improvements around the world.
PERFORMANCE MATERIALS & COATINGS
Performance Materials & Coatings includes industry-leading franchises that deliver a wide array of solutions into consumer and infrastructure end-markets. The segment consists of two global businesses: Coatings & Performance Monomers and Consumer Solutions. These businesses primarily utilize the Company's acrylics-, cellulosics- and silicone-based technology platforms to serve the needs of the architectural and industrial coatings, home care and personal care end-markets. Both businesses employ materials science capabilities, global reach and unique products and technology to combine chemistry platforms to deliver differentiated offerings to customers.
Coatings & Performance Monomers
Coatings & Performance Monomers consists of two businesses: Coating Materials and Performance Monomers. The Coating Materials business makes critical ingredients and additives that help advance the performance of paints and coatings. The business offers innovative and sustainable products to accelerate paint and coatings performance across diverse market segments, including architectural paints and coatings, as well as industrial coatings applications used in maintenance and protective industries, wood, metal packaging, traffic markings, thermal paper and leather. These products enhance coatings by improving hiding and coverage characteristics, enhancing durability against nature and the elements, lowering or eliminating volatile organic compounds (“VOC”) content, reducing maintenance and improving ease of application. The Performance Monomers business manufactures acrylics-based building blocks needed for the production of coatings, textiles, and home and personal care products.
Consumer Solutions
Consumer Solutions consists of three businesses: Performance Silicones; Home & Personal Care; and Silicone Feedstocks & Intermediates. Performance Silicones uses innovative, versatile silicone-based technology to provide ingredients and solutions to customers in high performance building, consumer goods, elastomeric applications and the pressure sensitive adhesives industry that help them meet modern consumer preferences in attributes such as texture, feel, scent, durability and consistency. Dow’s wide array of silicone-based products and solutions enables customers to: increase the appeal of their products; extend shelf life; improve performance of products under a wider range of conditions; and provide a more sustainable offering. The Home & Personal Care business collaborates closely with global and regional brand owners to deliver innovative solutions, leveraging acrylics and cellulosics technology platforms for creating new and unrivaled consumer benefits and experiences in cleaning, laundry and skin and hair care applications, among others. Silicone Feedstocks & Intermediates provides standalone silicone materials that are used as intermediates in a wide range of applications including adhesion promoters, coupling agents, crosslinking agents, dispersing agents and surface modifiers.
Details on Performance Materials & Coatings' 2019 net sales, by business and geographic region, are as follows:


Products
Major applications/market segments and products are listed below by business:
| Business | Applications/Market Segments | Major Products | Key Raw Materials | Key Competitors |
| Coatings & Performance Monomers | Acrylic binders for architectural paints and coatings, industrial coatings and paper; adhesives; dispersants; impact modifiers; inks and paints; opacifiers and surfactants for both architectural and industrial applications; plastics additives; processing aids; protective and functional coatings; rheology modifiers | ACOUSTICRYL™ Liquid-Applied Sound Damping Technology; acrylates; ACRYSOL™ Rheology Modifiers; AVANSE™ Acrylic Binders; EVOQUE™ Pre-Composite Polymer; foam cell promoters; FORMASHIELD™ Acrylic Binder; high-quality impact modifiers; MAINCOTE™ Acrylic Epoxy Hybrid; methacrylates; processing aids; RHOPLEX™ Acrylic Resin; TAMOL™ Dispersants; vinyl acetate monomers; weatherable acrylic capstock compounds for thermoplastic and thermosetting materials | Acetic acid, acetone, acrylic acid, butyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, propylene, styrene | Arkema, BASF, Celanese, Evonik, LyondellBasell, Wacker Chemie |
| Consumer Solutions | Personal care, color cosmetics, baby care, home care and specialty applications with a key focus on hair care, skin care, sun care, cleansing, as well as fabric, dish, floor, hard surface and air care applications; commercial glazing; electrical and high-voltage insulation; lamp and luminaire modules assembly; oil and gas; paints and inks; release liners, specialty films and tapes; sporting goods; 3D printing | Adhesives and sealants; antifoams and surfactants; coatings and controlled release; coupling agents and crosslinkers; EVOLV3D™ Printing Technology; fluids, emulsions and dispersions; formulating and processing aids; granulation and binders; oils; polymers and emollients; opacifiers; reagents; resins, gels and powders; rheology modifiers; rubber; silicone elastomers; solubility enhancers; aerospace composites; surfactants and solvents; SILASTIC™ Silicone Elastomers; DOWSIL™ Silicone Products | Hydrochloric acid, methanol, platinum, silica, silicon metal | Elkem, Momentive, Shin-Etsu, Wacker Chemie |
Current and Future Investments
The Company has announced investments over the next five years that are expected to enhance competitiveness, including low capital intensity, high return investments in the Company’s silicones franchise. The investments include a series of incremental silicones debottleneck and efficiency improvement projects around the world, a new hydroxyl functional siloxane polymer plant in the U.S. and a new specialty resin plant in China.
CORPORATE
Corporate includes certain enterprise and governance activities (including insurance operations, environmental operations, etc.); non-business aligned joint ventures; non-business aligned litigation expenses; and discontinued or non-aligned businesses.
RAW MATERIALS
The Company operates in an integrated manufacturing environment. Basic raw materials are processed through many stages to produce a number of products that are sold as finished goods at various points in those processes. The major raw material stream that feeds the production of the Company's finished goods is hydrocarbon-based raw materials. The Company purchases hydrocarbon raw materials including ethane, propane, butane, naphtha and condensate as feedstocks. These raw materials are used in the production of both saleable products and energy. The Company also purchases certain monomers, primarily ethylene and propylene, to supplement internal production. The Company purchases natural gas, primarily to generate electricity, and purchases electric power to supplement internal generation. In addition, the Company produces a portion of its electricity needs in Louisiana and Texas; Alberta, Canada; The Netherlands; and Germany.
The Company's primary source of these raw materials are natural gas liquids ("NGLs"), which are derived from shale gas and crude oil production and naphtha, which is produced during the processing and refining of crude oil. Given recent advancements in shale gas, shale oil and conventional drilling techniques, the Company expects these raw materials to be in abundant supply. The Company's suppliers of these raw materials include regional, international and national oil and gas companies.
The Company purchases raw materials on both short- and long-term contracts. The Company had adequate supplies of raw materials in 2019 and expects to continue to have adequate supplies of raw materials in 2020.
INDUSTRY SEGMENTS AND GEOGRAPHIC REGION RESULTS
See Note 27 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding net sales, pro forma net sales, pro forma Operating EBIT and total assets by segment, as well as net sales and long-lived assets by geographic region.
SIGNIFICANT CUSTOMERS AND PRODUCTS
All products and services are marketed primarily through the Company’s sales force, although in some instances more emphasis is placed on sales through distributors. In 2019, no significant portion of the Company's sales was dependent upon a single customer.
PATENTS, LICENSES AND TRADEMARKS
The Company continually applies for and obtains U.S. and foreign patents and has a substantial number of pending patent applications throughout the world. At December 31, 2019, the Company owned approximately 3,700 active U.S. patents and 19,100 active foreign patents as follows:
| Remaining Life of Patents Owned at Dec 31, 2019 | United States | Foreign | ||
| Within 5 years | 900 | 3,800 | ||
| 6 to 10 years | 1,000 | 6,400 | ||
| 11 to 15 years | 1,600 | 8,300 | ||
| 16 to 20 years | 200 | 600 | ||
| Total | 3,700 | 19,100 |
The Company’s primary purpose in obtaining patents is to protect the results of its research for use in operations and licensing. The Company is party to a substantial number of patent licenses, including intellectual property cross-license agreements and other technology agreements, and also has a substantial number of trademarks and trademark registrations in the United States and in other countries, including the “Dow in Diamond” trademark. Although the Company considers that its patents, licenses and trademarks in the aggregate constitute a valuable asset, it does not regard its business as being materially dependent on any single or group of related patents, licenses or trademarks.
PRINCIPAL PARTLY OWNED COMPANIES
The Company’s principal nonconsolidated affiliates at December 31, 2019, including direct or indirect ownership interest for each, are listed below:
| Principal Nonconsolidated Affiliate | Country | Ownership Interest | Business Description | |
| EQUATE Petrochemical Company K.S.C.C. | Kuwait | 42.50 | % | Manufactures ethylene, polyethylene and ethylene glycol, and manufactures and markets monoethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and polyethylene terephthalate resins |
| The Kuwait Olefins Company K.S.C.C. | Kuwait | 42.50 | % | Manufactures ethylene and ethylene glycol |
| The Kuwait Styrene Company K.S.C.C. | Kuwait | 42.50 | % | Manufactures styrene monomer |
| Map Ta Phut Olefins Company Limited 1 | Thailand | 32.77 | % | Manufactures propylene and ethylene |
| Sadara Chemical Company 2 | Saudi Arabia | 35.00 | % | Manufactures chlorine, ethylene, propylene and aromatics for internal consumption and manufactures and sells polyethylene, ethylene oxide and propylene oxide derivative products, and isocyanates |
| The SCG-Dow Group: | ||||
| Siam Polyethylene Company Limited | Thailand | 50.00 | % | Manufactures polyethylene |
| Siam Polystyrene Company Limited | Thailand | 50.00 | % | Manufactures polystyrene |
| Siam Styrene Monomer Company Limited | Thailand | 50.00 | % | Manufactures styrene |
| Siam Synthetic Latex Company Limited | Thailand | 50.00 | % | Manufactures latex and specialty elastomers |
| 1. | The Company's effective ownership of Map Ta Phut is 32.77 percent, of which the Company directly owns 20.27 percent and indirectly owns 12.5 percent through its equity interest in Siam Polyethylene Company Limited. |
| 2. | The Company is responsible for marketing the majority of Sadara products outside of the Middle East zone through the Company's established sales channels. Under this arrangement, the Company purchases and sells Sadara products for a marketing fee. |
See Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding nonconsolidated affiliates.
PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Matters pertaining to the environment are discussed in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors; Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations; and Notes 1 and 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements. In addition, detailed information on the Company's performance regarding environmental matters and goals can be found online on the Science & Sustainability webpage at www.dow.com/sustainability. Dow's website and its content are not deemed incorporated by reference into this report.
EMPLOYEES
At December 31, 2019, the Company permanently employed approximately 36,500 people on a full-time basis.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
The Company engages in the property and casualty insurance and reinsurance business primarily through its Liana Limited subsidiaries.
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT
Set forth below is information related to the Company's executive officers as of February 7, 2020:
| Name - Age | Present Position with Registrant | Year Elected to be an Officer | Other Business Experience since January 1, 2015 |
| Karen S. Carter, 49 | Chief Human Resources Officer | 2019 | Dow Inc.: Chief Human Resources Officer since April 1, 2019. TDCC: Chief Human Resources Officer since October 2018; Chief Inclusion Officer since July 2017; North America Commercial Vice President, Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics from February 2016 to July 2017; Global Business Director, Low Density & Slurry Polyethylene, Packaging & Specialty Plastics from April 2015 to January 2016; and Global Marketing Director Value Chain, New Business Development & Sustainability, Performance Plastics from September 2011 to April 2015. |
| Ronald C. Edmonds, 62 | Controller and Vice President of Controllers and Tax | 2019 | Dow Inc.: Controller and Vice President of Controllers and Tax since April 1, 2019. TDCC: Controller and Vice President since November 2009; Vice President of Tax since January 2016. |
| Jim Fitterling, 58 | Chief Executive Officer | 2018 | Dow Inc.: Chief Executive Officer since August 2018. TDCC: Chief Executive Officer since July 2018; President and Chief Operating Officer from February 2016 to July 2018; Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer from October 2015 to February 2016; Vice Chairman, Business Operations from October 2014 to October 2015. |
| Peter Holicki, 59 | Senior Vice President, Operations - Manufacturing & Engineering and Environment, Health and Safety Operations | 2019 | Dow Inc.: Senior Vice President, Operations - Manufacturing & Engineering and Environment, Health and Safety Operations since April 1, 2019. TDCC: Senior Vice President, Operations - Manufacturing & Engineering and Environment, Health and Safety Operations since October 2015; responsible for oversight of the Emergency Services and Security Expertise Center since September 2014; Corporate Vice President of Manufacturing & Engineering and Environment, Health & Safety Operations January 2014 to October 2015. |
| A. N. Sreeram, 52 | Senior Vice President of Research & Development and Chief Technology Officer | 2019 | Dow Inc.: Senior Vice President of Research & Development and Chief Technology Officer since April 1, 2019. TDCC: Chief Technology Officer since October 2015; Senior Vice President of Research & Development since August 2013; Corporate Vice President, Research & Development from August 2013 to October 2015. |
| Howard Ungerleider, 51 | President and Chief Financial Officer | 2018 | Dow Inc.: President and Chief Financial Officer since August 2018. TDCC: Chief Financial Officer since October 2014; President since July 2018; Vice Chairman from October 2015 to July 2018; Executive Vice President from October 2014 to October 2015. |
| Amy E. Wilson, 49 | General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | 2018 | Dow Inc.: General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since April 1, 2019; Secretary from August 2018 to April 1, 2019. TDCC: General Counsel since October 2018; Corporate Secretary since February 2015; Associate General Counsel from April 2017 to September 2018; Assistant General Counsel from February 2015 to April 2017; Assistant Corporate Secretary from 2008 to February 2015; Director of the Office of the Corporate Secretary from August 2013 to October 2018. |
Item 1A. RISK FACTORS
The factors described below represent the Company's principal risks.
Global Economic Considerations: The Company operates in a global, competitive environment which gives rise to operating and market risk exposure.
The Company sells its broad range of products and services in a competitive, global environment, and competes worldwide for sales on the basis of product quality, price, technology and customer service. Increased levels of competition could result in lower prices or lower sales volume, which could have a negative impact on the Company’s results of operations. Sales of the Company's products are also subject to extensive federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations, trade agreements, import and export controls and duties and tariffs. The imposition of additional regulations, controls and duties and tariffs or changes to bilateral and regional trade agreements could result in lower sales volume, which could negatively impact the Company’s results of operations.
Economic conditions around the world, and in certain industries in which the Company does business, also impact sales price and volume. As a result, market uncertainty or an economic downturn driven by political tensions, war, terrorism, epidemics or political instability in the geographic regions or industries in which the Company sells its products could reduce demand for these products and result in decreased sales volume, which could have a negative impact on the Company’s results of operations.
In addition, volatility and disruption of financial markets could limit customers’ ability to obtain adequate financing to maintain operations, which could result in a decrease in sales volume and have a negative impact on the Company’s results of operations. The Company’s global business operations also give rise to market risk exposure related to changes in foreign exchange rates, interest rates, commodity prices and other market factors such as equity prices. To manage such risks, the Company enters into hedging transactions pursuant to established guidelines and policies. If the Company fails to effectively manage such risks, it could have a negative impact on its results of operations.
Financial Commitments and Credit Markets: Market conditions could reduce the Company's flexibility to respond to changing business conditions or fund capital needs.
Adverse economic conditions could reduce the Company’s flexibility to respond to changing business and economic conditions or to fund capital expenditures or working capital needs. The economic environment could result in a contraction in the availability of credit in the marketplace and reduce sources of liquidity for the Company. This could result in higher borrowing costs.
Raw Materials: Availability of purchased feedstock and energy, and the volatility of these costs, impact Dow’s operating costs and add variability to earnings.
Purchased feedstock and energy costs account for a substantial portion of the Company’s total production costs and operating expenses. The Company purchases hydrocarbon raw materials including ethane, propane, butane, naphtha and condensate as feedstocks and also purchases certain monomers, primarily ethylene and propylene, to supplement internal production, as well as other raw materials. The Company also purchases natural gas, primarily to generate electricity, and purchases electric power to supplement internal generation.
Feedstock and energy costs generally follow price trends in crude oil and natural gas, which are sometimes volatile. While the Company uses its feedstock flexibility and financial and physical hedging programs to help mitigate feedstock cost increases, the Company is not always able to immediately raise selling prices. Ultimately, the ability to pass on underlying cost increases is dependent on market conditions. Conversely, when feedstock and energy costs decline, selling prices generally decline as well. As a result, volatility in these costs could impact the Company’s results of operations.
The Company has a number of investments on the U.S. Gulf Coast to take advantage of increasing supplies of low-cost natural gas and NGLs derived from shale gas including: the St. Charles Operations ("SCO-2") ethylene production facility in December 2012; an on-purpose propylene production facility, which commenced operations in December 2015; an ethylene production facility in Plaquemine, Louisiana, which included expanding the facility’s ethylene production capacity and modifications to enable full ethane cracking flexibility; completion of a new integrated world-scale ethylene production facility and a new ELITE™ Enhanced Polyethylene production facility, both located in Freeport, Texas, in 2017, and a capacity expansion project which will bring the facility’s total ethylene capacity to 2,000 KTA in 2020; and, the Company commenced operations in 2018 on its new LDPE production facility and its new NORDEL™ Metallocene EPDM production facility, both located in Plaquemine, Louisiana. As a result of these investments, the Company’s exposure to purchased ethylene and propylene is expected to decline, offset by increased exposure to ethane- and propane-based feedstocks.
While the Company expects abundant and cost-advantaged supplies of NGLs in the United States to persist for the foreseeable future, if NGLs become significantly less advantaged than crude oil-based feedstocks, it could have a negative impact on the Company’s results of operations and future investments. Also, if the Company’s key suppliers of feedstocks and energy are unable to provide the raw materials required for production, it could have a negative impact on the Company’s results of operations.
Supply/Demand Balance: Earnings generated by the Company's products vary based in part on the balance of supply relative to demand within the industry.
The balance of supply relative to demand within the industry may be significantly impacted by the addition of new capacity, especially for basic commodities where capacity is generally added in large increments as world-scale facilities are built. This may disrupt industry balances and result in downward pressure on prices due to the increase in supply, which could negatively impact the Company’s results of operations.
Litigation: The Company is party to a number of claims and lawsuits arising out of the normal course of business with respect to product liability, patent infringement, employment matters, governmental tax and regulation disputes, contract and commercial litigation, and other actions.
Certain of the claims and lawsuits facing the Company purport to be class actions and seek damages in very large amounts. All such claims are contested. With the exception of the possible effect of the asbestos-related liability of Union Carbide Corporation (“Union Carbide”) and Chapter 11 related matters of Dow Silicones Corporation (“Dow Silicones,” formerly known as Dow Corning Corporation, which changed its name effective as of February 1, 2018) as described below, it is the opinion of the Company’s management that the possibility is remote that the aggregate of all such claims and lawsuits will have a material adverse impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Union Carbide is and has been involved in a large number of asbestos-related suits filed primarily in state courts during the past four decades. At December 31, 2019, Union Carbide's total asbestos-related liability, including future defense and processing costs, was $1,165 million ($1,260 million at December 31, 2018).
In 1995, Dow Silicones, a former 50:50 joint venture, voluntarily filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in order to resolve breast implant liabilities and related matters (the “Chapter 11 Proceeding”). Dow Silicones emerged from the Chapter 11 Proceeding on June 1, 2004, and is implementing the Joint Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan”). The Plan provides funding for the resolution of breast implant and other product liability litigation covered by the Chapter 11 Proceeding. Dow Silicones’ liability for breast implant and other product liability claims was $165 million at December 31, 2019 ($263 million at December 31, 2018).
See Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on these matters.
Environmental Compliance: The costs of complying with evolving regulatory requirements could negatively impact the Company's financial results. Actual or alleged violations of environmental laws or permit requirements could result in restrictions or prohibitions on plant operations, substantial civil or criminal sanctions, as well as the assessment of strict liability and/or joint and several liability.
The Company is subject to extensive federal, state, local and foreign laws, regulations, rules and ordinances relating to pollution, protection of the environment, greenhouse gas emissions, and the generation, storage, handling, transportation, treatment, disposal and remediation of hazardous substances and waste materials. In addition, the Company may have costs related to environmental remediation and restoration obligations associated with past and current sites as well as related to its past or current waste disposal practices or other hazardous materials handling. Although management will estimate and accrue liabilities for these obligations, it is reasonably possible that the Company’s ultimate cost with respect to these matters could be significantly higher, which could negatively impact the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. Costs and capital expenditures relating to environmental, health or safety matters are subject to evolving regulatory requirements and depend on the timing of the promulgation and enforcement of specific standards which impose the requirements. Moreover, changes in environmental regulations could inhibit or interrupt the Company’s operations, or require modifications to its facilities. Accordingly, environmental, health or safety regulatory matters could result in significant unanticipated costs or liabilities.
Health and Safety: Increased concerns regarding the safe use of chemicals and plastics in commerce and their potential impact on the environment has resulted in more restrictive regulations and could lead to new regulations.
Concerns regarding the safe use of chemicals and plastics in commerce and their potential impact on health and the environment reflect a growing trend in societal demands for increasing levels of product safety and environmental protection. These concerns could manifest themselves in stockholder proposals, preferred purchasing, delays or failures in obtaining or retaining regulatory approvals, delayed product launches, lack of market acceptance and continued pressure for more stringent regulatory intervention and litigation. These concerns could also influence public perceptions, the viability or continued sales of certain of the Company's products, its reputation and the cost to comply with regulations. In addition, terrorist attacks and natural disasters have increased concerns about the security and safety of chemical production and distribution. These concerns could have a negative impact on the Company's results of operations.
Local, state, federal and foreign governments continue to propose new regulations related to the security of chemical plant locations and the transportation of hazardous chemicals, which could result in higher operating costs.
Plastic Waste: Increased concerns regarding plastic waste in the environment, consumers selectively reducing their consumption of plastic products due to recycling concerns, or new or more restrictive regulations and rules related to plastic waste could reduce demand for the Company’s plastic products and could negatively impact the Company’s financial results.
Local, state, federal and foreign governments have been increasingly proposing and in some cases approving bans on certain plastic-based products including single-use plastics, plastic straws and utensils. In addition, plastics have faced increased public scrutiny due to negative coverage of plastic waste in the environment, including the world’s oceans. As Dow is one of the world’s largest producers of plastics, increased regulation on the use of plastics could cause reduced demand for the Company’s polyethylene products which could negatively impact the Company’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Operational Event: A significant operational event could negatively impact the Company's results of operations.
As a diversified chemical manufacturing company, the Company's operations, the transportation of products, cyber-attacks, or severe weather conditions and other natural phenomena (such as freezing, drought, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, etc.) could result in an unplanned event that could be significant in scale and could negatively impact operations, neighbors or the public at large, which could have a negative impact on the Company's results of operations.
Major hurricanes have caused significant disruption in the Company's operations on the U.S. Gulf Coast, logistics across the region, and the supply of certain raw materials, which had an adverse impact on volume and cost for some of its products. Due to the Company's substantial presence on the U.S. Gulf Coast, similar severe weather conditions or other natural phenomena in the future could negatively impact the Company's results of operations.
Cyber Threat: The risk of loss of the Company’s intellectual property, trade secrets or other sensitive business information or disruption of operations could negatively impact the Company’s financial results.
Cyber-attacks or security breaches could compromise confidential, business critical information, cause a disruption in the Company’s operations or harm the Company's reputation. The Company has attractive information assets, including intellectual property, trade secrets and other sensitive, business critical information. While the Company has a comprehensive cyber-security program that is continuously reviewed, maintained and upgraded, a significant cyber-attack could result in the loss of critical business information and/or could negatively impact operations, which could have a negative impact on the Company’s financial results.
Company Strategy: Implementing certain elements of the Company's strategy could negatively impact its financial results.
The Company currently has manufacturing operations, sales and marketing activities, and joint ventures in emerging geographies. Activities in these geographic regions are accompanied by uncertainty and risks including: navigating different government regulatory environments; relationships with new, local partners; project funding commitments and guarantees; expropriation, military actions, war, terrorism and political instability; sabotage; uninsurable risks; suppliers not performing as expected resulting in increased risk of extended project timelines; and determining raw material supply and other details regarding product movement. If the manufacturing operations, sales and marketing activities, and/or implementation of these projects is not successful, it could adversely affect the Company’s financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Goodwill: An impairment of goodwill could negatively impact the Company’s financial results.
At least annually, the Company assesses goodwill for impairment. If testing indicates that goodwill is impaired, the carrying value is written down based on fair value with a charge against earnings. Where the Company utilizes a discounted cash flow methodology in determining fair value, continued weak demand for a specific product line or business could result in an impairment. Accordingly, any determination requiring the write-off of a significant portion of goodwill could negatively impact the Company's results of operations. See Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding the Company's goodwill impairment testing.
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits: Increased obligations and expenses related to the Company's defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans could negatively impact its financial condition and results of operations.
The Company has defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans (the “plans”) in the United States and a number of other countries. The assets of the Company's funded plans are primarily invested in fixed income securities, equity securities of U.S. and foreign issuers and alternative investments, including investments in real estate, private market securities and absolute return strategies. Changes in the market value of plan assets, investment returns, discount rates, mortality rates, regulations and the rate of increase in compensation levels may affect the funded status of the Company's plans and could cause volatility in the net periodic benefit cost, future funding requirements of the plans and the funded status of the plans. A significant increase in the Company's obligations or future funding requirements could have a negative impact on the Company's results of operations and cash flows for a particular period and on the Company's financial condition.
Separation from DowDuPont: Risks related to achieving the anticipated benefits of Dow's separation from DowDuPont.
Risks related to achieving the anticipated benefits of Dow's separation from DowDuPont include, but are not limited to, a number of conditions outside the control of Dow, including risks related to (i) Dow's inability to achieve some or all of the benefits that it expects to receive from the separation from DowDuPont, (ii) certain tax risks associated with the separation, (iii) Dow's inability to make necessary changes to operate as a stand-alone company, (iv) the failure of Dow's pro forma financial information to be a reliable indicator of Dow's future results, (v) Dow's inability to enjoy the same benefits of diversity, leverage and market reputation that it enjoyed as a combined company, (vi) Dow's inability to receive third-party consents required under the separation agreement, (vii) Dow's customers, suppliers and others' perception of Dow's financial stability on a stand-alone basis, (viii) non-compete restrictions under the separation agreement, (ix) receipt of less favorable terms in the commercial agreements Dow entered into with DuPont and Corteva, Inc. ("Corteva"), including restrictions under intellectual property cross-license agreements, than Dow would have received from an unaffiliated third party; and (x) Dow's obligation to indemnify DuPont and/or Corteva for certain liabilities.
Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
Item 2. PROPERTIES
The Company's corporate headquarters are located in Midland, Michigan. The Company's manufacturing, processing, marketing and research and development facilities, as well as regional purchasing offices and distribution centers are located throughout the world. The Company has investments in property, plant and equipment related to global manufacturing operations. Collectively, the Company operates 109 manufacturing sites in 31 countries. The following table includes the major manufacturing sites by segment, including consolidated variable interest entities:
| Major Manufacturing Sites by Segment | Packaging & Specialty Plastics | Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure | Performance Materials & Coatings |
| Location | |||
| Bahia Blanca, Argentina | X | ||
| Candeias, Brazil | X | X | |
| Canada: | |||
| Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta | X | ||
| Prentiss, Alberta | X | ||
| Zhangjiagang, China | X | X | X |
| Germany: | |||
| Boehlen | X | X | X |
| Leuna | X | ||
| Schkopau | X | X | |
| Stade | X | ||
| Terneuzen, The Netherlands | X | X | |
| Tarragona, Spain | X | X | |
| Map Ta Phut, Thailand | X | X | X |
| Barry, United Kingdom | X | ||
| United States: | |||
| Carrollton, Kentucky | X | ||
| Hahnville, Louisiana | X | X | X |
| Plaquemine, Louisiana | X | X | |
| Midland, Michigan | X | ||
| Deer Park, Texas | X | X | |
| Freeport, Texas | X | X | X |
| Orange, Texas | X | ||
| Seadrift, Texas | X | X |
Including the major manufacturing sites, the Company has manufacturing sites and holdings in all geographic regions as follows:
| Manufacturing Sites by Region | |
| Asia Pacific | 19 manufacturing sites in 10 countries |
| EMEAI | 37 manufacturing sites in 15 countries |
| Latin America | 18 manufacturing sites in 4 countries |
| U.S. & Canada | 35 manufacturing sites in 2 countries |
Properties of the Company include facilities which, in the opinion of management, are suitable and adequate for their use and will have sufficient capacity for the Company’s current needs and expected near-term growth. All of the Company’s plants are owned or leased, subject to certain easements of other persons which, in the opinion of management, do not substantially interfere with the continued use of such properties or materially affect their value. No title examination of the properties has been made for the purpose of this report. Additional information with respect to the Company's property, plant and equipment and leases is contained in Notes 12, 16 and 18 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Asbestos-Related Matters of Union Carbide Corporation
Union Carbide Corporation (“Union Carbide”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, is and has been involved in a large number of asbestos-related suits filed primarily in state courts during the past four decades. These suits principally allege personal injury resulting from exposure to asbestos-containing products and frequently seek both actual and punitive damages. The alleged claims primarily relate to products that Union Carbide sold in the past, alleged exposure to asbestos-containing products located on Union Carbide’s premises, and Union Carbide’s responsibility for asbestos suits filed against a former Union Carbide subsidiary, Amchem Products, Inc.
For additional information, see Part II, Item 7. Other Matters, Asbestos-Related Matters of Union Carbide Corporation in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and Notes 1 and 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Environmental Matters
In April 2012 and May 2015, Dow Silicones Corporation ("Dow Silicones"), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, received the following notifications from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA"), Region 5 related to Dow Silicones' Midland, Michigan, manufacturing facility (the “Facility”): 1) a Notice of Violation and Finding of Violation which alleges a number of violations in connection with the detection, monitoring and control of certain organic hazardous air pollutants at the Facility and various recordkeeping and reporting violations under the Clean Air Act and 2) a Notice of Violation alleging a number of violations relating to the management of hazardous wastes at the Facility pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. On June 25, 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") filed a proceeding on behalf of the EPA against Dow Silicones in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan ("District Court"), which proposes to resolve the previously reported allegations of noncompliance with requirements of federal air, water, waste and chemical release reporting laws at the Facility predating the ownership restructure of Dow Silicones. The consent decree, which was entered by the District Court on January 24, 2020, provides for a penalty of $4.55 million, performance of supplemental environmental projects and enhancements at the site that will cost approximately $2 million, as well as additional environmental studies and other actions.
On July 5, 2018, the Company received a draft consent decree from the EPA, the DOJ and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”), relating to the operation of steam-assisted flares at the Company’s olefins manufacturing facilities in Freeport, Texas; Plaquemine, Louisiana; and St. Charles, Louisiana. Discussions between the EPA, the DOJ and the DEQ are ongoing.
On October 30, 2018, DC Alabama, Inc. (“DCA”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, finalized and executed a consent order (“Order”) from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (“ADEM”) relating to alleged unpermitted discharges of industrial process water and certain water quality and equipment violations at DCA’s silicon metal production facility located in Mt. Meigs, Alabama. The Order included, among other remedies, a civil penalty of $250,000 that DCA paid in December 2018. Implementation of the Order has been ongoing and DCA remains compliant with the Order. Discussions between DCA and ADEM are ongoing.
On August 27, 2019, the EPA, DOJ, Texas Environmental Quality Board, and Texas Office of the Attorney General (the “Government Agencies”) added Performance Materials NA, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, as an additional signatory to an existing draft consent decree relating to alleged environmental violations at the Sabine manufacturing facility in Orange, Texas (the “Orange, TX Facility”). Performance Materials NA, Inc. acquired the Orange, TX Facility in February 2019 and became a subsidiary of the Company in April 2019. The alleged violations were first identified during multimedia environmental inspections that the EPA conducted at the Orange, TX Facility while under prior ownership in March 2009 and December 2015, and involve the management of materials in the Orange, TX Facility’s wastewater treatment system, hazardous waste management, flare and air emissions, including leak detection and repair. Discussions are ongoing between the Government Agencies, the Company, and the Orange, TX Facility’s prior owner, who is the other named signatory.
On October 23, 2019, Union Carbide received a proposed Agreed Order from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (“TCEQ”) relating to emissions of ethylene oxide from a process leak at Union Carbide’s manufacturing facility in Seadrift, Texas. The proposed Agreed Order included an administrative penalty of $800,000. On December 30, 2019, TCEQ sent a revised Agreed Order reducing the penalty to $600,000 based on Union Carbide’s corrective actions. Discussions between Union Carbide and TCEQ are ongoing.
On November 8, 2019, a proposed consent decree was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Civil Action No. 1:19-cv-13292 between the Company and federal, state and tribal trustees to resolve allegations of natural resource damages arising from the historic operations of the Company’s Midland manufacturing facility. On November 14, 2019, a Notice of Lodging and Notice of Availability and Request for Comments on Draft Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment was published in the Federal Register. Public comments on the proposed consent decree and the draft Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment were required to be submitted within 45 days of that publication. The proposed consent decree would require the Company to pay a $15 million cash settlement to be used for Trustee-selected remediation projects and $6.75 million to specified local projects managed by third parties, and require the Company to complete 13 additional environmental restoration projects which are valued by the trustees at approximately $77 million.
Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
| Dow Inc. and Subsidiaries | ||
| The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries | ||
| PART II |
Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
On April 1, 2019, DowDuPont Inc. (“DowDuPont” and effective June 3, 2019, n/k/a DuPont de Nemours, Inc.) completed the separation of its materials science business and Dow Inc. became the direct parent company of The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries (“TDCC” and together with Dow Inc., “Dow” or the “Company”), owning all of the outstanding common shares of TDCC. Dow Inc. is now an independent, publicly traded company and Dow Inc. common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “DOW.” Dow Inc. common stock began regular-way trading on April 2, 2019.
Dow Inc. has paid dividends on a quarterly basis since the separation from DowDuPont and expects to continue to do so, subject to approval by the Company’s Board of Directors. Quarterly market price of common stock and dividend information can be found in Note 28 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
At January 31, 2020, there were 81,546 stockholders of record.
See Part III, Item 11. Executive Compensation for information relating to shares authorized for issuance under Dow Inc.'s equity compensation plans.
The Company grants stock-based compensation to employees and non-employee directors in the form of stock incentive plans, which include stock options, restricted stock units ("RSUs") and restricted stock. The Company also provides stock-based compensation in the form of performance stock units ("PSUs"). See Note 22 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The following table provides information regarding purchases of Dow Inc. common stock by the Company during the three months ended December 31, 2019:
| Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities | Total number of shares purchased as part of the Company's publicly announced share repurchase program | Approximate dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased under the Company's publicly announced share repurchase program 1 (In millions) | |||||||||
| Period | Total number of shares purchased | Average price paid per share | |||||||||
| October 2019 | — | $ | — | — | $ | 2,594 | |||||
| November 2019 | 735,600 | $ | 53.84 | 735,600 | $ | 2,555 | |||||
| December 2019 | 1,032,502 | $ | 53.17 | 1,032,502 | $ | 2,500 | |||||
| Fourth quarter 2019 | 1,768,102 | $ | 53.45 | 1,768,102 | $ | 2,500 |
| 1. | On April 1, 2019, Dow Inc.'s Board of Directors ratified the share repurchase program originally approved on March 15, 2019, authorizing up to $3.0 billion to be spent on the repurchase of the Company's common stock, with no expiration date. |
Item 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
| Selected Financial Data - Dow Inc. | |||||||||||||||
| In millions, except as noted (Unaudited) | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | ||||||||||
| Summary of Operations | |||||||||||||||
| Net sales 1 | $ | 42,951 | $ | 49,604 | $ | 43,730 | $ | 36,264 | $ | 37,101 | |||||
| Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax 2 | $ | (1,717 | ) | $ | 2,940 | $ | (1,287 | ) | $ | 1,478 | $ | 6,462 | |||
| Per share of common stock (in dollars): | |||||||||||||||
| Earnings (loss) per common share from continuing operations - basic 2 | $ | (2.42 | ) | $ | 3.80 | $ | (1.88 | ) | $ | 1.57 | $ | 8.64 | |||
| Earnings (loss) per common share from continuing operations - diluted 2 | $ | (2.42 | ) | $ | 3.80 | $ | (1.88 | ) | $ | 1.55 | $ | 8.31 | |||
| Cash dividends declared per share of common stock 3 | $ | 2.10 | $ | — | $ | 1.38 | $ | 1.84 | $ | 1.72 | |||||
| Year-end Financial Position | |||||||||||||||
| Total assets | $ | 60,524 | $ | 83,699 | $ | 85,852 | $ | 79,511 | $ | 67,938 | |||||
| Long-term debt | $ | 15,975 | $ | 19,253 | $ | 19,757 | $ | 20,444 | $ | 16,202 | |||||
| Financial Ratios | |||||||||||||||
| Research and development expenses as percent of net sales | 1.8 | % | 1.6 | % | 1.8 | % | 2.1 | % | 2.0 | % | |||||
| Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes as percent of net sales 2 | (2.9 | )% | 7.6 | % | 0.5 | % | 3.5 | % | 21.8 | % | |||||
| Return on stockholders' equity 2 | (10.0 | )% | 14.3 | % | 1.5 | % | 15.3 | % | 28.2 | % | |||||
| Gross debt as a percent of total capitalization | 54.7 | % | 37.2 | % | 39.1 | % | 43.9 | % | 39.5 | % | |||||
| Net debt as a percent of total capitalization | 50.9 | % | 33.7 | % | 31.1 | % | 35.1 | % | 24.6 | % |
| Selected Financial Data - TDCC | |||||||||||||||
| In millions, except as noted (Unaudited) | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | ||||||||||
| Summary of Operations | |||||||||||||||
| Net sales 1 | $ | 42,951 | $ | 49,604 | $ | 43,730 | $ | 36,264 | $ | 37,101 | |||||
| Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax 2 | $ | (1,595 | ) | $ | 2,940 | $ | (1,287 | ) | $ | 1,478 | $ | 6,462 | |||
| Year-end Financial Position | |||||||||||||||
| Total assets | $ | 60,390 | $ | 83,699 | $ | 85,852 | $ | 79,511 | $ | 67,938 | |||||
| Long-term debt | $ | 15,975 | $ | 19,253 | $ | 19,757 | $ | 20,444 | $ | 16,202 | |||||
| Financial Ratios | |||||||||||||||
| Research and development expenses as percent of net sales | 1.8 | % | 1.6 | % | 1.8 | % | 2.1 | % | 2.0 | % | |||||
| Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes as percent of net sales 2 | (2.6 | )% | 7.6 | % | 0.5 | % | 3.5 | % | 21.8 | % | |||||
| Return on stockholders' equity 2 | (8.6 | )% | 14.3 | % | 1.5 | % | 15.3 | % | 28.2 | % | |||||
| Gross debt as a percent of total capitalization | 53.3 | % | 37.2 | % | 39.1 | % | 43.9 | % | 39.5 | % | |||||
| Net debt as a percent of total capitalization | 49.6 | % | 33.7 | % | 31.1 | % | 35.1 | % | 24.6 | % |
| 1. | The Company has certain product and service agreements with DuPont and Corteva that were considered intercompany transactions prior to the separation, but are trade transactions subsequent to the separation. Treatment of these transactions as trade transactions have been reflected in the tables above for 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016. The amounts for 2015 were not updated as the impact to "Net sales" for this period was not significant. |
| 2. | See Notes 4, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 16, 17 and 21 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for information on items materially impacting the results for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, including the effects of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, enacted on December 22, 2017; Swiss tax reform; loss on early redemption of debt; integration and separation costs; charges related to restructuring programs; goodwill impairment and other asset related charges (including charges related to Sadara Chemical Company); a charge related to environmental remediation; a charge related to payment of plan obligations to certain participants of a U.S. non-qualified pension plan; litigation related charges, awards and adjustments; and charges associated with agreements entered into with DuPont and Corteva as part of the separation from DowDuPont. |
| 3. | Amount shown for 2019 represents dividends declared by Dow Inc. Amounts shown for 2017, 2016 and 2015 represent cash dividends declared by TDCC prior to the Merger. Subsequent to the Merger, TDCC has no common shares outstanding. |
Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
On April 1, 2019, DowDuPont Inc. (“DowDuPont” and effective June 3, 2019, n/k/a DuPont de Nemours, Inc. or "DuPont") completed the separation of its materials science business and Dow Inc. became the direct parent company of The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries (“TDCC” and together with Dow Inc., “Dow” or the “Company”), owning all of the outstanding common shares of TDCC. For filings related to the period commencing April 1, 2019 and thereafter, TDCC was deemed the predecessor to Dow Inc., and the historical results of TDCC are deemed the historical results of Dow Inc. for periods prior to and including March 31, 2019. As a result of the parent/subsidiary relationship between Dow Inc. and TDCC, and the expectation that the financial statements and disclosures of each company will be substantially similar, the companies are filing a combined report for this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The information reflected in the report is equally applicable to both Dow Inc. and TDCC, except where otherwise noted.
The separation was contemplated by the merger of equals transaction effective August 31, 2017, under the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of December 11, 2015, as amended on March 31, 2017. TDCC and E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company and its consolidated subsidiaries (“Historical DuPont”) each merged with subsidiaries of DowDuPont and, as a result, TDCC and Historical DuPont became subsidiaries of DowDuPont (the “Merger”). Subsequent to the Merger, TDCC and Historical DuPont engaged in a series of internal reorganization and realignment steps to realign their businesses into three subgroups: agriculture, materials science and specialty products. Dow Inc. was formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of DowDuPont to serve as the holding company for the materials science business.
As of the effective date and time of the distribution, DowDuPont does not beneficially own any equity interest in Dow and no longer consolidates Dow and its consolidated subsidiaries into its financial results. The consolidated financial results of Dow for all periods presented reflect the distribution of TDCC’s agricultural sciences business (“AgCo”) and specialty products business (“SpecCo”) as discontinued operations, as well as reflect the receipt of Historical DuPont’s ethylene and ethylene copolymers businesses (other than its ethylene acrylic elastomers business) (“ECP”) as a common control transaction from the closing of the Merger on August 31, 2017. See Notes 3 and 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements and Dow Inc.'s Amendment No. 4 to the Registration Statement on Form 10 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on March 8, 2019 for additional information.
Throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K, unless otherwise indicated, amounts and activity are presented on a continuing operations basis.
Except as otherwise indicated by the context, the terms "Union Carbide" means Union Carbide Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and "Dow Silicones" means Dow Silicones Corporation (formerly known as Dow Corning Corporation, which changed its name effective as of February 1, 2018), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.
Items Affecting Comparability of Financial Results
As a result of the separation from DowDuPont, pro forma net sales and pro forma Operating EBIT are provided in this section and based on the consolidated financial statements of TDCC, adjusted to give effect to the separation from DowDuPont as if it had been consummated on January 1, 2017. Pro forma adjustments include (1) the margin impact of various manufacturing, supply and service related agreements entered into with DuPont and Corteva, Inc. ("Corteva") in connection with the separation which provide for different pricing than the historical intercompany and intracompany pricing practices of TDCC and Historical DuPont (only included for 2018 and the first three months of 2019), (2) the inclusion of ECP for the period of January 1, 2017 through August 31, 2017, (3) the removal of the amortization of ECP's inventory step-up recognized in connection with the Merger, (4) the elimination of the impact of events directly attributable to the Merger, internal reorganization and business realignment, separation, distribution and other related transactions (e.g., one-time transaction costs), and (5) the elimination of the effect of a consummated divestiture agreed to with certain regulatory agencies as a condition of approval for the Merger. These adjustments impacted the consolidated results as well as the reportable segments. See Note 27 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a summary of the pro forma adjustments impacting segment measures for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017.
ABOUT DOW
Dow combines global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation and leading business positions to achieve profitable growth. The Company’s ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company. Dow’s portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure and consumer care. Dow operates 109 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 36,500 people.
In 2019, the Company had annual sales of $43 billion, of which 36 percent of the Company’s sales were to customers in U.S. & Canada; 34 percent were in Europe, Middle East, Africa and India ("EMEAI"); while the remaining 30 percent were to customers in Asia Pacific and Latin America.
In 2019, the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries did not operate in countries subject to U.S. economic sanctions and export controls as imposed by the U.S. State Department or in countries designated by the U.S. State Department as state sponsors of terrorism, including Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), Sudan and Syria. The Company has policies and procedures in place designed to ensure that it and its consolidated subsidiaries remain in compliance with applicable U.S. laws and regulations.
OVERVIEW
The following is a summary of the results from continuing operations and other notable events for the Company for the year ended December 31, 2019:
The Company reported net sales in 2019 of $43 billion, down 13 percent
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Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
The Company’s business operations give rise to market risk exposure due to changes in foreign exchange rates, interest rates, commodity prices and other market factors such as equity prices. To manage such risks effectively, the Company enters into hedging transactions, pursuant to established guidelines and policies that enable it to mitigate the adverse effects of financial market risk. Derivatives used for this purpose are designated as hedges per the accounting guidance related to derivatives and hedging activities, where appropriate. A secondary objective is to add value by creating additional non-specific exposure within established limits and policies; derivatives used for this purpose are not designated as hedges. The potential impact of creating such additional exposures is not material to the Company’s results.
The global nature of the Company’s business requires active participation in the foreign exchange markets. The Company has assets, liabilities and cash flows in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. The primary objective of the Company’s foreign currency risk management is to optimize the U.S. dollar value of net assets and cash flows. To achieve this objective, the Company hedges on a net exposure basis using foreign currency forward contracts, over-the-counter option contracts, cross-currency swaps and nonderivative instruments in foreign currencies. Exposures primarily relate to assets, liabilities and bonds denominated in foreign currencies, as well as economic exposure, which is derived from the risk that currency fluctuations could affect the dollar value of future cash flows related to operating activities. The largest exposures are denominated in European currencies, the Japanese yen and the Chinese yuan, although exposures also exist in the Canadian dollar, the Indian rupee and other currencies in Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.
The main objective of interest rate risk management is to reduce the total funding cost to the Company and to alter the interest rate exposure to the desired risk profile. To achieve this objective, the Company hedges using interest rate swaps, “swaptions,” and exchange-traded instruments. The Company’s primary exposure is to the U.S. dollar yield curve.
The Company has a portfolio of equity securities derived primarily from the investment activities of its insurance subsidiaries. This exposure is managed in a manner consistent with the Company’s market risk policies and procedures.
Inherent in the Company’s business is exposure to price changes for several commodities. Some exposures can be hedged effectively through liquid tradable financial instruments. Natural gas and crude oil, along with feedstocks for ethylene and propylene production, constitute the main commodity exposures. Over-the-counter and exchange traded instruments are used to hedge these risks, when feasible.
The Company uses value-at-risk (“VAR”), stress testing and scenario analysis for risk measurement and control purposes. VAR estimates the maximum potential loss in fair market values, given a certain move in prices over a certain period of time, using specified confidence levels. The VAR methodology used by the Company is a variance/covariance model. This model uses a 97.5 percent confidence level and includes at least one year of historical data. The 2019 and 2018 year-end and average daily VAR for the aggregate of all positions are shown below. These amounts are immaterial relative to the total equity of the Company.
| Total Daily VAR by Exposure Type at Dec 31 | 2019 | 2018 | ||||||||||
| In millions | Year-end | Average | Year-end | Average | ||||||||
| Commodities | $ | 7 | $ | 12 | $ | 26 | $ | 30 | ||||
| Equity securities | 10 | 11 | 12 | 7 | ||||||||
| Foreign exchange | 43 | 36 | 26 | 28 | ||||||||
| Interest rate | 77 | 69 | 81 | 80 | ||||||||
| Composite | $ | 137 | $ | 128 | $ | 145 | $ | 145 |
The Company’s composite VAR for the aggregate of all positions decreased from $145 million at December 31, 2018 to $137 million at December 31, 2019. The interest rate and commodities VAR declined due to a decrease in exposure. The equity securities VAR declined due to a decrease in managed exposures and lower equity volatility. The foreign exchange VAR increased due to increased hedging. See Note 23 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further disclosure regarding market risk.
Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Dow Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Dow Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, equity, and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2019, and the related notes and the schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a)2 (collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2019, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated February 7, 2020, expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting.
Changes in Accounting Principles
As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, in the first quarter of 2018, the Company changed its method of accounting for revenue due to the adoption of Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 606, Revenue From Contracts with Customers and, in the first quarter of 2019, the Company changed the method of accounting for leases due to the adoption of ASC Topic 842, Leases.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
Goodwill - Coatings & Performance Monomers Reporting Unit - Refer to Note 1 and Note 14 to the financial statements
Critical Audit Matter Description
The Company tests goodwill for impairment annually (in the fourth quarter), or more frequently when events or changes in circumstances indicate it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit has declined below its carrying value. The Company utilizes a discounted cash flow methodology to calculate the fair value of its reporting units, which requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions related to projected revenue growth rates, discount rates, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”). Changes in these assumptions could have a significant impact on the fair value
of the reporting unit and the amount of any goodwill impairment charge. As of December 31, 2019, the Company has six reporting units, all but one of which have goodwill.
Throughout 2019, the Coatings & Performance Monomers reporting unit (“C&PM”) did not consistently meet expected financial targets and experienced volume reductions and reduced margins for products across the portfolio due to changes in customer buying patterns and supply and demand balances, as well as the continued trend of customer consolidation in end markets, which reduced its future revenue and profitability projections. Therefore, in 2019, the Company used a discounted cash flow methodology to determine the fair value of the C&PM reporting unit. These discounted cash flows did not support the carrying value of C&PM. As a result, the Company recorded a goodwill impairment charge of $1,039 million in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Given the significant judgments made by management to estimate the fair value of the C&PM reporting unit, performing audit procedures to evaluate the reasonableness of management’s estimates and assumptions related to projected revenue growth rates, discount rates, EBITDA and EBITDA margin required a high degree of auditor judgment and an increased extent of effort, including the assistance of our fair value specialists.
How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit
Our audit procedures related to management’s estimates and assumptions related to projected revenue growth rates, discount rates, EBITDA and EBITDA margin for the C&PM reporting unit included the following, among other procedures:
| • | We tested the effectiveness of internal controls over the goodwill impairment evaluation, including controls over the selection of the discount rates and over forecasts of future revenue growth rates, EBITDA, and EBITDA margin. |
| • | We performed a retrospective review comparing actual revenue and EBITDA results of the reporting unit for 2019 to the forecasted results from 2018. |
| • | We performed a retrospective review comparing management’s estimates and assumptions relating to revenue, EBITDA, and EBITDA margin projections for the reporting unit used for the purpose of current year’s annual impairment test to the projections previously used in connection with the prior year annual impairment test. |
| • | We evaluated the consistency of estimates and assumptions relating to revenue and EBITDA growth inherent in the discounted cash flow model for the reporting unit to those used by management in other annual forecasting activities. |
| • | With the assistance of our fair value specialists, we performed a benchmarking exercise comparing management’s estimates and assumptions related to revenue growth, EBITDA and EBITDA margin for the reporting unit as of the measurement date to the revenue growth, EBITDA and EBITDA margins of a peer group of public companies for the most recent three years and the projection period. |
| • | With the assistance of our fair value specialists, we evaluat |
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Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
Not applicable.
Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
As of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, Dow Inc. and The Dow Chemical Company (the "Companies") carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of the Companies' Disclosure Committee and the Companies' management, including the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Companies' disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to paragraph (b) of Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15. Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Companies' disclosure controls and procedures were effective.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in the Companies' internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by paragraph (d) of Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 that was conducted during the last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Companies' internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. The Companies' internal control framework and processes are designed to provide reasonable assurance to management and the Board of Directors regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of the Companies' consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
The Companies' internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:
| • | pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Companies; |
| • | provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Companies are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and Directors of the Companies; and |
| • | provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Companies' assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements. |
Because of its inherent limitations, any system of internal control over financial reporting can provide only reasonable assurance and may not prevent or detect misstatements.
Management assessed the effectiveness of the Companies' internal control over financial reporting and concluded that, as of December 31, 2019, such internal control is effective. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013).
The Companies' independent auditors, Deloitte & Touche LLP, with direct access to the Companies' Board of Directors through the Audit Committee of Dow Inc., have audited the consolidated financial statements prepared by the Companies. Their reports on the consolidated financial statements are included in Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. Deloitte & Touche LLP’s reports on the Companies' internal control over financial reporting are referenced therein and included herein.
February 7, 2020
| /s/ JIM FITTERLING | /s/ HOWARD UNGERLEIDER | |
| Jim Fitterling | Howard Ungerleider | |
| Chief Executive Officer | President and Chief Financial Officer | |
| /s/ RONALD C. EDMONDS | ||
| Ronald C. Edmonds | ||
| Controller and Vice President of Controllers and Tax |
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Dow Inc.
Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Dow Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019, of the Company and the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a)2 and our report dated February 7, 2020, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements and financial statement schedule and included an explanatory paragraph regarding a) a change in the method of accounting for revenue due to the adoption of Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 606, Revenue From Contracts with Customers, in the first quarter of 2018 and b) a change in the method of accounting for leases due to the adoption of ASC Topic 842, Leases, in the first quarter of 2019.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
| /S/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP |
| Deloitte & Touche LLP |
| Midland, Michigan |
| February 7, 2020 |
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Stockholder and the Board of Directors of The Dow Chemical Company
Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of The Dow Chemical Company and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019, of the Company and the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a)2 and our report dated February 7, 2020, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements and financial statement schedule and included an explanatory paragraph regarding a) a change in the method of accounting for revenue due to the adoption of Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 606, Revenue From Contracts with Customers, in the first quarter of 2018 and b) a change in the method of accounting for leases due to the adoption of ASC Topic 842, Leases, in the first quarter of 2019.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
| /S/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP |
| Deloitte & Touche LLP |
| Midland, Michigan |
| February 7, 2020 |
Item 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None.
| Dow Inc. and Subsidiaries |
| The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries |
| PART III |
Item 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Information relating to Directors, certain executive officers and certain corporate governance matters (including identification of Audit Committee members and financial expert(s)) is contained in the definitive Proxy Statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Dow Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. See also the information regarding executive officers of the registrant set forth in Part I, Item 1. Business under the caption "Executive Officers of the Registrant" in reliance on General Instruction G to Form 10-K.
This information is omitted for The Dow Chemical Company pursuant to General Instruction I of Form 10-K.
Item 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Information relating to executive compensation and the Company's equity compensation plans is contained in the definitive Proxy Statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Dow Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference.
This information is omitted for The Dow Chemical Company pursuant to General Instruction I of Form 10-K.
Item 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
Information with respect to beneficial ownership of Dow Inc. common stock by each Director and all Directors and executive officers of the Company as a group is contained in the definitive Proxy Statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Dow Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference.
Information relating to any person who beneficially owns in excess of 5 percent of the total outstanding shares of Dow Inc. common stock is contained in the definitive Proxy Statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting of the Stockholders of Dow Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference.
Information with respect to compensation plans under which equity securities are authorized for issuance is contained in the definitive Proxy Statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Dow Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference.
This information is omitted for The Dow Chemical Company pursuant to General Instruction I of Form 10-K.
Item 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
Reportable relationships and related transactions, if any, as well as information relating to director independence are contained in the definitive Proxy Statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Dow Inc. and are incorporated herein by reference.
This information is omitted for The Dow Chemical Company pursuant to General Instruction I of Form 10-K.
Item 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Independent Registered Public Accountants
Information with respect to fees and services related to the Company's independent auditors, Deloitte & Touche LLP, and the disclosure of the Audit Committee's pre-approval policies and procedures are contained in the definitive Proxy Statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Dow Inc. and are incorporated herein by reference.
The Audit Committee of Dow Inc. carefully considers the qualifications and competence of candidates for the independent registered public accounting firm. In accordance with its pre-approval policies and procedures, the Audit Committee pre-approved all professional services rendered by and associated fees paid to Deloitte, for the Companies, for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018. Professional services were performed by Deloitte, its member firms of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, and their respective affiliates (“Deloitte Entities”). Total fees paid to the Deloitte Entities are shown by category in the following table:
| Type of Fees | ||||||
| In thousands | 2019 | 2018 | ||||
| Audit Fees 1 | $ | 25,142 | $ | 26,199 | ||
| Audit-Related Fees 2 | 4,438 | 6,976 | ||||
| Tax Fees 3 | 2,780 | 600 | ||||
| Total | $ | 32,360 | $ | 33,775 |
| 1. | The aggregate fees billed for the integrated audit of the Company's annual financial statements and internal control over financial reporting, the reviews of the financial statements in quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, comfort letters, consents, statutory audits, and other regulatory filings. For 2019, the fees include $850,000 associated with supporting the DuPont de Nemours, Inc. SEC filings for the period prior to the separation from DowDuPont Inc. |
| 2. | The aggregate fees billed primarily for audits of carve-out financial statements, assessment of controls relating to outsourced services, audits and reviews supporting divestiture activities, and agreed-upon procedures engagements. |
| 3. | The aggregate fees billed primarily for corporate tax consulting services, the preparation of expatriate employees' tax returns and tax compliance services. |
| Dow Inc. and Subsidiaries |
| The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries |
| PART IV |
Item 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
| (a) | The following documents are filed as part of this report: |
| (1) | The Company’s 2019 Consolidated Financial Statements and the Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm are included in Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. |
| (2) | Financial Statement Schedules – The following Financial Statement Schedule should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm included in Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data: |
| Schedule II | Valuation and Qualifying Accounts |
Schedules other than the one listed above are omitted due to the absence of conditions under which they are required or because the information called for is included in the Consolidated Financial Statements or the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
| (3) | The following exhibits are filed with or incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K: |
| Exhibit No. | Description of Exhibit |
| 3.1 | Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Dow Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Dow Inc.'s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 2, 2019). |
| 3.2 | Amended and Restated Bylaws of Dow Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to Dow Inc.'s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 2, 2019). |
| 3.4 | Amended and Restated Bylaws of The Dow Chemical Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to The Dow Chemical Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 1, 2017). |
| 4.3* | Indenture, dated July 26, 2019 (the "2019 Indenture"), between The Dow Chemical Company and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as trustee. |
| 4.4 | Dow Inc. agrees to provide the SEC, on request, copies of all other such indentures and instruments that define the rights of holders of long-term debt of Dow Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, including The Dow Chemical Company, pursuant to Item 601(b)(4)(iii)(A) of Regulation S-K. |
| 4.5* | Description of Securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. |
| 10.5 | Dow Inc. 2019 Stock Incentive Plan effective as of April 1, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to Dow Inc.'s Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed with the SEC on April 1, 2019). |
| 21* | Subsidiaries of Dow Inc. |
| 23.1.1* | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for Dow Inc. |
| 23.1.2* | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for The Dow Chemical Company. |
| 23.2* | Ankura Consulting Group, LLC's Consent. |
| 31.1* | Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| 31.2* | Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| 32.1* | Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| 32.2* | Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| 101.INS | The instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document. |
| 101.SCH | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document. |
| 101.CAL | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document. |
| 101.DEF | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document. |
| 101.LAB | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document. |
| 101.PRE | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document. |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File. The cover page interactive data file does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document. |
*Filed herewith
A copy of any exhibit can be obtained via the Internet through the Investor Relations section of the Company's website (www.dow.com/investors), or the Company will provide a copy of any exhibit upon receipt of a written request for the particular exhibit or exhibits desired. All requests should be addressed to the Controller and Vice President of Controllers and Tax of the Company at the address of the Company’s principal executive offices. The referenced website and its content are not deemed incorporated by reference into this report.
Item 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
Not applicable.
| Dow Inc. and Subsidiaries | ||
| The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries | ||
| Valuation and Qualifying Accounts | Schedule II |
| (In millions) For the years ended Dec 31, | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | ||||||
| Accounts Receivable - Allowance for Doubtful Receivables | |||||||||
| Balance at beginning of year | $ | 42 | $ | 59 | $ | 51 | |||
| Additions charged to expenses 1 | 24 | 10 | 23 | ||||||
| Additions charged to other accounts 2 | — | 4 | 2 | ||||||
| Deductions from reserves 3 | (21 | ) | (31 | ) | (17 | ) | |||
| Balance at end of year | $ | 45 | $ | 42 | $ | 59 | |||
| Inventory - Obsolescence Reserve | |||||||||
| Balance at beginning of year | $ | 23 | $ | 18 | $ | 34 | |||
| Additions charged to expenses | 19 | 7 | 5 | ||||||
| Deductions from reserves 4 | (7 | ) | (2 | ) | (21 | ) | |||
| Balance at end of year | $ | 35 | $ | 23 | $ | 18 | |||
| Reserves for Other Investments and Noncurrent Receivables | |||||||||
| Balance at beginning of year | $ | 460 | $ | 430 | $ | 350 | |||
| Additions charged to expenses 1 | 1,758 | 44 | 83 | ||||||
| Deductions from reserves | (3 | ) | (14 | ) | (3 | ) | |||
| Balance at end of year | $ | 2,215 | $ | 460 | $ | 430 | |||
| Deferred Tax Assets - Valuation Allowance | |||||||||
| Balance at beginning of year | $ | 1,225 | $ | 1,255 | $ | 936 | |||
| Additions charged to expenses | 140 | 152 | 369 | ||||||
| Deductions from reserves | (103 | ) | (182 | ) | (50 | ) | |||
| Balance at end of year | $ | 1,262 | $ | 1,225 | $ | 1,255 |
| 1. | In 2019, additions charged to expenses for "Accounts Receivable - Allowance for Doubtful Receivables" included $2 million and additions charged to expenses for "Reserves for Other Investments and Noncurrent Receivables" included $1,753 million related to the Company's investment in Sadara Chemical Company. See Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information. |
| 2. | Additions to allowance for doubtful accounts charged to other accounts were classified as "Accounts and notes receivable - Other" in the consolidated balance sheets. These reserves relate to the Company's sale of trade accounts receivable. Anticipated credit losses in the portfolio of receivables sold were used to fair value the Company's interests held in trade accounts receivable conduits. See Notes 15 and 24 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information. |
| 3. | Deductions included write-offs, recoveries, currency translation adjustments and other miscellaneous items. |
| 4. | Deductions included disposals and currency translation adjustments. |
| Dow Inc. and Subsidiaries The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries | ||||
| Signatures |
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| DOW INC. |
| THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY |
| /s/ RONALD C. EDMONDS |
| Ronald C. Edmonds, Controller and Vice President of Controllers and Tax |
| February 7, 2020 |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| /s/ SAMUEL R. ALLEN | /s/ JEFF M. FETTIG | |
| Samuel R. Allen, Director, Dow Inc. | Jeff M. Fettig, Non-Executive Chairman, Dow Inc. | |
| February 7, 2020 | February 7, 2020 | |
| /s/ AJAY BANGA | /s/ JIM FITTERLING | |
| Ajay Banga, Director, Dow Inc. | Jim Fitterling, Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dow Inc. and TDCC | |
| February 7, 2020 | February 7, 2020 | |
| /s/ JACQUELINE K. BARTON | /s/ JACQUELINE C. HINMAN | |
| Jacqueline K. Barton, Director, Dow Inc. | Jacqueline C. Hinman, Director, Dow Inc. | |
| February 7, 2020 | February 7, 2020 | |
| /s/ JAMES A. BELL | /s/ RUTH G. SHAW | |
| James A. Bell, Director, Dow Inc. | Ruth G. Shaw, Director, Dow Inc. | |
| February 7, 2020 | February 7, 2020 | |
| /s/ WESLEY G. BUSH | /s/ HOWARD UNGERLEIDER | |
| Wesley G. Bush, Director, Dow Inc. | Howard Ungerleider, President and Chief Financial Officer, Dow Inc. and TDCC; Director, TDCC | |
| February 7, 2020 | February 7, 2020 | |
| /s/ RICHARD K. DAVIS | /s/ DANIEL W. YOHANNES | |
| Richard K. Davis, Director, Dow Inc. | Daniel W. Yohannes, Director, Dow Inc. | |
| February 7, 2020 | February 7, 2020 | |
| /s/ RONALD C. EDMONDS | ||
| Ronald C. Edmonds, Controller and Vice President of Controllers and Tax | ||
| February 7, 2020 |
| Dow Inc. and Subsidiaries The Dow Chemical Company and Subsidiaries |
| Trademark Listing |
The following trademarks or service marks of The Dow Chemical Company and certain affiliated companies of Dow appear in this report: ACOUSTICRYL, ACRYSOL, AFFINITY, AQUASET, AVANSE, CARBOWAX, DOW, DOWSIL, ECOFAST, ELITE, ENGAGE, EVOLV3D, EVOQUE, FORMASHIELD, IMAGIN3D, MAINCOTE, NORDEL, OPULUX, PRIMAL, RENUVA, RHOPLEX, SENTRY, SILASTIC, SYL-OFF, TAMOL, TERGITOL, TRITON, UCAR, UCARTHERM, UCON, VERSENE, VORARAD, WALOCEL
The following registered trademark of Disability:IN appears in this report: Disability Equality Index®
The following registered trademark of Incapital Holdings appears in this report: InterNotes®
The following registered service mark of American Chemistry Council in the United States appears in this report:
Responsible Care®
The following trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or an affiliated company of DuPont appear in this report: GREAT STUFF**™, SMART DISPENSER™**
® ™ Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("TDCC") or an affiliated company, except as otherwise specified.