ANNUAL
REPORT
2024
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, 2024
OR
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
(Commission File Number) 001-32410
CELANESE CORPORATION
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Delaware
98-0420726
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
222 W. Las Colinas Blvd., Suite 900N
Irving, TX 75039-5421
(Address of Principal Executive Offices and zip code)
(972) 443-4000
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act
Title of Each Class
Trading Symbol(s)
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share
CE
New York Stock Exchange
4.777% Senior Notes due 2026
CE /26A
New York Stock Exchange
2.125% Senior Notes due 2027
CE /27
New York Stock Exchange
0.625% Senior Notes due 2028
CE /28
New York Stock Exchange
5.337% Senior Notes due 2029
CE /29A
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. 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. 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. 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). 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.
Large accelerated Filer ☑ Accelerated filer ☐ Non-accelerated filer ☐ 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. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over
financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
☑
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the
correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the
registrant's executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☑
The aggregate market value of the registrant's common stock held by non-affiliates as of June 30, 2024 (the last business day of the registrants' most recently completed
second fiscal quarter) was $14,686,088,441.
The number of outstanding shares of the registrant's common stock, $0.0001 par value, as of February 17, 2025 was 109,332,326.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Certain portions of the registrant's Definitive Proxy Statement relating to the 2025 annual meeting of shareholders, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, are incorporated by reference into Part III.
Table of Contents
CELANESE CORPORATION
Form 10-K
For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements ..................................................................................................
3
PART I
Item 1.
Business ...............................................................................................................................................
4
Item 1A.
Risk Factors ..........................................................................................................................................
17
Item 1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments ................................................................................................................
30
Item 1C.
Cybersecurity .......................................................................................................................................
30
Item 2.
Properties .............................................................................................................................................
31
Item 3.
Legal Proceedings ................................................................................................................................
32
Item 4.
Mine Safety Disclosures ......................................................................................................................
32
Information about our Executive Officers ...........................................................................................
32
PART II
Item 5.
Market for the Registrant's Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of
Equity Securities ..................................................................................................................................
34
Item 6.
Reserved ...............................................................................................................................................
35
Item 7.
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ...............
36
Item 7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk .............................................................
52
Item 8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data ....................................................................................
52
Item 9.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure ..............
52
Item 9A.
Controls and Procedures ......................................................................................................................
52
Item 9B.
Other Information ................................................................................................................................
53
Item 9C.
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections .................................................
53
PART III
Item 10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance ...................................................................
54
Item 11.
Executive Compensation ......................................................................................................................
54
Item 12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder
Matters .................................................................................................................................................
54
Item 13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence ....................................
54
Item 14.
Principal Accounting Fees and Services ..............................................................................................
54
PART IV
Item 15.
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules .......................................................................................
55
Signatures .......................................................................................................................................................................
61
Table of Contents
2
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K ("Annual Report") or in other materials we have filed or will file with
the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and incorporated herein by reference, are forward-looking in nature as
defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do
not relate to matters of a strictly factual or historical nature and generally discuss or relate to forecasts, estimates or other
expectations regarding future events. Generally, the words "believe," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "project,"
"plan," "may," "can," "could," "might," "will" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, including
statements that relate to such matters as planned and expected capacity increases and utilization rates; anticipated capital
spending; environmental matters; legal proceedings; sources of raw materials and exposure to, and effects of hedging of raw
material and energy costs and foreign currencies; interest rate fluctuations; global and regional economic, political, business and
regulatory conditions; expectations, strategies, and plans for individual assets and products, business segments, as well as for
the whole Company; cash requirements and uses of available cash; financing plans; deleveraging efforts; future revenues and
financial performance; pension expenses and funding; dividend policy; anticipated restructuring, divestiture, and consolidation
activities; planned construction or operation of facilities; cost reduction and control efforts and targets and integration and
expected synergies of acquired businesses.
Forward-looking statements are not historical facts or guarantees of future performance but instead represent only our beliefs at
the time the statements were made regarding future events, which are subject to significant risks, uncertainties, and other
factors, many of which are outside of our control and certain of which are listed above. Any or all of the forward-looking
statements included in this Annual Report and in any other materials incorporated by reference herein may turn out to be
materially inaccurate. This can occur as a result of incorrect assumptions, in some cases based upon internal estimates and
analyses of current market conditions and trends, management plans and strategies, economic conditions, or as a consequence
of known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Many of the risks and uncertainties mentioned in this Annual Report, such as
those discussed in Item 1A. Risk Factors, Item 3. Legal Proceedings and Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations will be important in determining whether these forward-looking statements
prove to be accurate. Consequently, neither our shareholders nor any other person should place undue reliance on our forward-
looking statements and should recognize that actual results may differ materially from those anticipated by us.
All forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report are made as of the date hereof, and the risk that actual results will
differ materially from expectations expressed in this Annual Report will increase with the passage of time. We undertake no
obligation, and disclaim any duty, to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events, changes in our expectations or otherwise. However, we may make further disclosures regarding
future events, trends and uncertainties in our subsequent reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K to the extent required under the
Exchange Act. The above cautionary discussion of risks, uncertainties and possible inaccurate assumptions relevant to our
business includes factors we believe could cause our actual results to differ materially from expected and historical results.
Other factors beyond those listed above or in Item 1A. Risk Factors, Item 3. Legal Proceedings and Item 7. Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations below, including factors unknown to us and factors
known to us which we have determined not to be material, could also adversely affect us.
Table of Contents
3
Item 1. Business
Basis of Presentation
In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the term "Celanese" refers to Celanese Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and not its
subsidiaries. The terms "Company," "we," "our" and "us" refer to Celanese and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis. The
term "Celanese U.S." refers to the Company's subsidiary, Celanese US Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company,
and not its subsidiaries.
Industry
This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes industry data obtained from industry publications and surveys, as well as our own
internal company surveys. Third-party industry publications, surveys and forecasts generally state that the information
contained therein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable.
Overview
We are a global chemical and specialty materials company. We are a global producer of high performance engineered polymers
that are used in a variety of high-value applications, as well as one of the world's largest producers of acetyl products, which are
intermediate chemicals for nearly all major industries. As a recognized innovator in the chemicals industry, we engineer and
manufacture a wide variety of products essential to everyday living. Our broad product portfolio serves a diverse set of end-use
applications including automotive, chemical additives, construction, consumer and industrial adhesives, medical, consumer
electronics, energy storage, filtration, paints and coatings, paper and packaging, industrial applications and textiles. Our
products enjoy leading global positions due to our differentiated business models, large global production capacity, operating
efficiencies, proprietary technology and competitive cost structures.
Our large and diverse global customer base primarily consists of major companies across a broad array of industries. We hold
geographically balanced global positions and participate in diversified end-use applications. We combine a demonstrated track
record of execution, strong performance built on differentiated business models and a clear focus on growth and value creation.
Known for operational excellence, reliability and execution of our business strategies, we partner with our customers around the
globe to deliver best-in-class technologies and solutions.
Celanese's history began in 1918, the year that its predecessor company, The American Cellulose & Chemical Manufacturing
Company, was incorporated. The company, which manufactured cellulose acetate, was founded by Swiss brothers Drs. Camille
and Henri Dreyfus. The current Celanese was incorporated in 2004 under the laws of the State of Delaware and is a U.S.-based
public company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CE.
Headquartered in Irving, Texas, our operations are primarily located in North America, Europe and Asia and consist of 56
global production facilities and an additional 20 strategic affiliate production facilities. As of December 31, 2024, we employed
12,163 people worldwide.
Business Segment Overview
We operate principally through two business segments: Engineered Materials and the Acetyl Chain. See Business Segments in
this Item 1. Business and Note 21 - Segment Information and Note 22 - Revenue Recognition in the accompanying consolidated
financial statements for further information.
Table of Contents
4
Business Segments
Engineered Materials
Products
Major End-Use
Applications
Principal Competitors
Key Raw Materials
• Nylon compounds or
formulations
• High temperature nylons
("HTN")
• Polyoxymethylene
("POM")
• Polyethylene terephthalate
("PET")
• Polybutylene terephthalate
("PBT")
• Ultra-high molecular
weight polyethylene
("UHMW-PE")
• Long-chain polyamides
("LCPA")
• Long-fiber reinforced
thermoplastics ("LFRT")
• Liquid crystal polymers
("LCP")
• Thermoplastic elastomers
("TPE")
• Thermoplastic vulcanizates
("TPV")
• Polypropylene compounds
or formulations
• Polyphenylene sulfide
("PPS")
• Ethylene vinyl acetate
("EVA") pharmaceutical
grade copolymers
• Ethylene acrylic elastomers
("EAE")
• Automotive
• Medical
• Industrial
• Energy storage
• Consumer electronics
• Appliances
• Construction
• Filtration equipment
• Telecommunications
• Beverages
• Electrical
• Consumer apparel
• Anhui Jinhe Industrial Co.,
Ltd.
• Ascend Performance
Materials LLC
• BASF SE
• Daicel Corporation
("Daicel")
• DOMO Chemicals
• Kingfa Science and
Technology
• Korea Petrochemical Ind.
Co, Ltd ("KPIC")
• Envalior GmbH
• SABIC Innovative Plastics
• Solvay S.A.
Other regional competitors:
• Asahi Kasei Corporation
• Braskem S.A.
• Mitsubishi Gas Chemical
Company, Inc.
• Sumitomo Corporation
• Teijin Limited
• Toray Industries, Inc.
• HMD
• Adipic acid
• Formaldehyde
• DMT
• BDO
• Ethylene
• Fiberglass
• Polypropylene
• Acetic anhydride
• Propylene
• Ethylene propylene diene
monomer
• Base Oil
• PA6
• PA66
• Para-dichlorobenzene
• Diketene
• TPEE
• PTMEG
• Flame Retardants
• DDDA
• PTA
• Methyl acrylate
• Precious metals
• PET
•
Overview
Our Engineered Materials segment includes our engineered materials business and certain strategic affiliates. The engineered
materials business leverages our leading project pipeline model to more rapidly commercialize projects. Our unique approach is
based on deep customer engagement to develop new projects that are aligned with our skill domains to address critical customer
needs and ensure our success and growth.
Engineered Materials is a project-based business where growth is driven by increasing new project commercializations from the
pipeline. Our project pipeline model leverages competitive advantages that include our global assets and resources, marketplace
presence, broad materials portfolio and differentiated capabilities. Our global assets and resources are represented by our
operations, including polymerization, compounding, research and development, and customer technology centers in all regions
of the world, including Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Singapore, South
Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the U.S., along with sites associated with our 17 strategic affiliates in
China, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, United Kingdom and the U.S.
Our broad marketplace presence reflects our deep understanding of global and customer trends, including the growing global
demand for more sophisticated vehicles, evolving environmental considerations, increased global connectivity, and improved
health and wellness. These global trends drive a range of needed customer solutions, such as vehicle lightweighting, precise
components, aesthetics and appearance, low emissions, heat resistance and low-friction for medical applications, that we are
Table of Contents
5
uniquely positioned to address with our materials portfolio. In addition, the opportunity pipeline process identifies a number of
emerging trends early, enabling faster growth.
Our materials portfolio offers differentiated chemical and physical properties that enable them to perform in a variety of
conditions. These include enduring a wide range of temperatures, resisting adverse chemical interactions and withstanding
deformation. Nylon compounds are used in a range of applications including automotive, consumer, electrical, electronic and
industrial. These value-added applications in diverse end uses support the business' global growth objectives. POM, PBT and
LFRT are used in a broad range of performance-demanding applications, including fuel system components, automotive safety
systems, consumer electronics, appliances, industrial products and medical applications. UHMW-PE is used in battery
separators, industrial products, filtration equipment, coatings and medical applications. Primary end uses for LCP are electrical
applications or products and consumer electronics. Thermoplastic elastomers offer unique attributes for use in automotive,
appliances, consumer goods, electrical, electronic and industrial applications.
We also have several differentiated polymer technologies designed for the utility industry, the oil and gas industry, original
equipment manufacturers and companies that enhance supply chain efficiency. These include composite technologies for the
utility industry that deliver greater reliability, capacity and performance for utility transmission lines.
Our differentiated capabilities are highlighted in our intimate and unique customer engagement which allows us to work across
the entirety of our customers' value chain. For example, in the automotive industry we work with original equipment
manufacturers as well as system and tier suppliers and injection molders in numerous areas, including polymer formulation and
functionality, part and structural design, mold design, color development, part testing and part processing. This broad access
allows us to create a demand pull for our solutions. This business segment also includes 17 strategic affiliates that complement
our global reach, improve our ability to capture growth opportunities in emerging economies.
In November 2022, we acquired a majority of the Mobility & Materials business (the "M&M Business") of DuPont de
Nemours, Inc. ("DuPont") pursuant to a definitive transaction agreement entered into in February 2022 by us, DuPont and an
affiliate of DuPont (the "M&M Acquisition"). The M&M Acquisition was completed for a purchase price of $11.0 billion,
subject to transaction adjustments. The M&M Business is a global producer of engineering thermoplastics and elastomers
serving a variety of end-uses including automotive, electrical and electronics, consumer goods and industrial applications. The
acquired M&M Business product portfolio includes numerous specialty materials with global leadership positions in nylons,
specialty nylons polyesters and elastomers. See Note 4 - Acquisitions, Dispositions and Plant Closures in the accompanying
consolidated financial statements for further information.
In September 2023, we formed a food ingredients joint venture with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. ("Mitsui") under the name Nutrinova.
We contributed receivables, inventory, property, plant and equipment, certain other assets, liabilities, technology and employees
of our food ingredients business while retaining a 30% interest in the joint venture. Mitsui acquired the remaining 70% interest
in the food ingredients business for a purchase price of $503 million. See Note 4 - Acquisitions, Dispositions and Plant Closures
in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
•
Key Products
Nylon. Our nylon products include Celanyl® (PA 6, PA 6.6), FRIANYL® (flame retardant PA 6, PA 66, PPA compounds),
ECOMID® (recycled polyamide), Zytel® (PA, PA 6, PA 66, PA 610, PA 612), Zytel® HTN (PPA) and Zytel® LCPA and are
used in automotive, appliances, electrical, medical, industrial and consumer applications due to their mechanical properties,
dimensional stability, high impact resistance, resistance to organic solvents, high wear and fatigue resistance even at high
temperatures, and easy processing and molding.
POM. Commonly known as polyacetal in the chemical industry, POM is sold by our engineered materials business under the
trademarks Celcon® and Hostaform®. POM is used for diverse end-use applications in the automotive, industrial, consumer and
medical industries. These applications include mechanical parts in automotive fuel system components and window lift
systems, water handling, conveyor belts, sprinkler systems, drug delivery systems and gears in large and small home
appliances.
We continue to innovate and broaden the portfolio of Celcon® and Hostaform® in order to support the industry needs for higher
performing polyacetal. We have expanded our portfolio to include products with higher impact resistance and stiffness, low
emissions, improved wear resistance and enhanced appearance such as laser marking and metallic effects. Our sustainable
polyacetal, POM ECO-B, allows customers to realize reduction in carbon dioxide emissions in their end-use products and
advance toward their renewable content goals.
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6
Korea Engineering Plastics Co., Ltd., our 50%-owned strategic affiliate, manufactures POM and other engineering resins in the
Asia-Pacific region. For further discussion, see Strategic Affiliates in this Item 1. Business.
National Methanol Company, our 25% owned strategic affiliate, produces methanol which is a key feedstock for POM
production. Its production facilities are located in Saudi Arabia. For further discussion, see Strategic Affiliates in this Item 1.
Business.
The primary raw material for POM is formaldehyde, which is manufactured from methanol. Raw materials are sourced from
internal production and from third parties, generally through long-term contracts.
Polyesters. Our products include a series of thermoplastic polyesters including Celanex® PBT, Crastin® PBT and Thermx® PCT
(polycyclohexylene-dimethylene terephthalate), as well as Rynite® PET, a polyester resin. These products are used in a wide
variety of automotive, electrical, medical, industrial and consumer applications, including ignition system parts, radiator grilles,
electrical switches, medical devices, insulation, photovoltaic panels, critical energy components, appliance and sensor housings,
light emitting diodes and technical fibers.
UHMW-PE. GUR®, our UHMW-PE trademark, is a highly engineered thermoplastic designed for a variety of industrial,
consumer and medical applications. Primary applications for the material include lead acid battery separators, heavy machine
components, lithium ion separator membranes, and noise and vibration dampening tapes. Several specialty grades are also
produced for applications in high performance filtration equipment, ballistic fibers, thermoplastic and elastomeric additives, as
well as medical implants.
LFRT. Celstran® and Factor®, our LFRT products, impart extra strength and stiffness, making them more suitable for larger
parts than conventional thermoplastics. These products are used in automotive, transportation and industrial applications, such
as instrument panels, consoles and front end modules. LFRTs meet a wide range of end-user requirements and are excellent
candidates for metal replacement where they provide the required structural integrity with significant weight reduction,
corrosion resistance and the potential to lower manufacturing costs.
LCP. Vectra® and Zenite®, our LCP brands, are primarily used in electrical and electronics applications for precision parts with
thin walls and complex shapes and applications requiring heat dissipation. They are also used in high heat cookware
applications.
TPE. Forprene®, Sofprene® T, Laprene® and Hytrel®, our TPE brands, are primarily used in automotive, construction,
appliances and consumer applications due to their ability to combine the advantages of both flexible and plastic materials.
These materials are selected for their ability to stretch and return to their near original shape creating a longer life and better
physical range than other materials.
TPV. SantopreneTM, DytronTM and GeolastTM, our TPV trademarks, are chemically cross-linked, high-performance materials
which leverage a unique combination of engineering thermoplastic and elastomer properties. These products are used in future
mobility, infrastructure, medical and sustainability applications.
Elastomers. Vamac® EAE, our elastomer brand, is primarily used in variety of demanding automotive applications, including
electric and hybrid vehicle components. These materials can be formulated to provide excellent resistance to extreme
temperatures and fluids.
Polypropylene. Our polypropylene products include Polifor® and Tecnoprene® and are primarily used in automotive,
appliances, electrical and consumer applications due to their high impact and fatigue resistance, exceptional rigidity at high
temperatures and an ability to withstand chemical agents.
VitalDose®. Our ethylene vinyl acetate ("EVA") copolymers, sold under the VitalDose® trademark, are an enabling technology
used for controlled-release drugs, medical implants and combination devices, including drug-eluting implants, reliable
controlled-release performance in subcutaneous and surgical implants, intravitreal and extraocular devices.
•
Customers
Engineered Materials' principal customers are original equipment manufacturers and their suppliers serving the automotive,
medical, industrial and consumer industries. We utilize our customer options mapping process to collaborate with our
customers to identify customized solutions that leverage our broad range of polymers and technical expertise. Our engineered
materials business has long-standing relationships through multi-year and annual arrangements with many of its major
customers and utilizes distribution partners to expand its customer base.
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7
Because Engineered Materials is a project-based business focused on solutions, the pricing of products in this segment is
primarily based on the value-in-use and is generally independent of changes in the cost of raw materials. Therefore, in general,
margins may expand or contract in response to changes in raw material costs.
See Note 22 - Revenue Recognition in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
Acetyl Chain
Products(1)
Major End-Use
Applications
Principal Competitors
Key Raw Materials
• Acetic acid
• Vinyl acetate monomer
("VAM")
• Vinyl acetate ethylene
("VAE") emulsions
• Conventional emulsions
• Ethylene vinyl acetate
("EVA") resins and
compounds
• Low-density polyethylene
resins ("LDPE")
• Redispersible Powders
("RDP")
• Acetic anhydride
• Ethyl acetate
• Formaldehyde
• Butyl acetate
• Acetate tow
• Acetate flake
• Paints
• Coatings
• Adhesives
• Textiles
• Paper finishing
• Flexible packaging
• Lamination products
• Pharmaceuticals
• Films
• Inks
• Plasticizers
• Solvents
• Automotive parts
• External thermal insulation
composite systems
• Tiling
• Plasters and renders
• Lubricants
• Filtration
• Food and beverage
• Consumer goods
• Food packaging
• Arkema
• BASF SE
• Cerdia
• Chang Chun Petrochemical
Co., Ltd.
• Daicel
• Dairen Chemical
Corporation
• Dow Inc.
• Eastman Chemical
Company
• ExxonMobil Chemical
• Huayi Chemical Co., Ltd.
• INEOS
• Jiangsu Sopo (Group) Co.,
Ltd.
• Kuraray Co., Ltd.
• LyondellBasell Industries
N.V.
• Nippon Gohsei
• Showa Denko K.K.
• Sipchem
• Wacker Chemie AG
• Methanol
• Carbon monoxide
• Ethylene
• Acetic acid
• VAM
• VAE emulsions
• Conventional emulsions
• Acrylate esters
• Styrene
• Polyvinyl alcohol
• Wood pulp
• Acetic anhydride
_____________________________
(1)
Our globally-integrated value chain positions us to provide solutions with carbon capture content across all products in the
Acetyl Chain as well as other methanol derived products like acetal copolymers, including POM.
•
Overview
The Acetyl Chain segment, which includes the integrated chain of acetic acid, VAM, acetic anhydride, acetate esters, emulsion
polymers, EVA polymers, redispersible powders, and acetate tow businesses, is active in every major global industrial sector
and serves diverse consumer end-use applications. The Acetyl Chain operates as an integrated business with the breadth and
flexibility to sell solutions across the segment and across global geographies utilizing various feedstocks. These solutions
include traditional vinyl-based end uses, such as paints and coatings and adhesives, as well as other unique, high-value end uses
including flexible packaging, thermal laminations, wire and cable, and compounds.
Our acetyl chain business produces and supplies acetyl products, including acetic acid, VAM, acetic anhydride and acetate
esters. These products are generally used as starting materials for colorants, paints, adhesives, coatings and pharmaceuticals.
Our acetyl chain business also produces organic solvents and intermediates for pharmaceutical, agricultural and chemical
products.
We have focused in recent years on enhancing our ability to drive incremental value through our global production network and
productivity initiatives as well as proactively managing the acetyl chain business in response to trade flows and prevailing
industry trends.
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8
Our Acetyl Chain segment has production sites in Belgium, Canada, China, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore,
Sweden, Switzerland and the U.S. We are a global industry leader, with a broad acetyls product portfolio, leading technology,
low cost production footprint and a global supply chain. We believe our production technology is among the lowest cost in the
industry and provides us with global growth opportunities through low cost expansions and a cost advantage over our
competitors. With decades of experience, advanced proprietary process technology and favorable capital and production costs,
we are a leading global producer of acetic acid, VAM and VAE. AOPlus®3 technology extends our historical technology
advantage in acetic acid and enables us to construct a world scale greenfield acetic acid facility at a lower capital cost than our
competitors. Our VAntage®2 technology enables us to increase VAM capacity to meet growing customer demand globally with
minimal investment. VAM produced by the acetyl chain business is a primary raw material for our emulsion polymers and
EVA polymers businesses.
Our emulsion polymers business is a leading global producer of vinyl acetate-based emulsions and develops products and
application technologies to improve performance, create value and drive innovation in applications such as paints and coatings,
adhesives, construction, glass fiber, textiles and paper. Our emulsion polymers products are sold under globally and regionally
recognized brands including EcoVAE®, Mowilith®, Vinamul®, Celvolit®, Dur-O-Set®, Avicor®, Flexbond® and Resyn®.
Our EVA polymers business is a leading North American manufacturer of a full range of specialty EVA resins and compounds,
as well as select grades of LDPE. Sold under the Ateva® brand, these products are used in many applications, including flexible
packaging films, lamination film products, hot melt adhesives, automotive parts and carpeting.
Our RDP business is a leading global producer of redispersible polymer powders, sold under the Elotex® brand. The business
consumes polymer emulsions which are converted into powdered thermoplastic resin materials. RDP products are used in a
variety of applications in the mortar industry, including decorative mortar, exterior insulation and finish systems, gypsum-based
materials, plaster and render, self-leveling floor systems, skim coat and tile adhesives.
Our acetate tow business is a leading global producer and supplier of acetate tow and acetate flake, primarily used in filter
products applications. We hold an approximately 30% ownership interest in three separate ventures in China that produce
acetate flake and acetate tow. China National Tobacco Corporation, a Chinese state-owned tobacco entity, has been our venture
partner for over three decades.
•
Key Products
Acetyl Products. Acetyl products include acetic acid, VAM, acetic anhydride and acetate esters. Acetic acid is primarily used to
manufacture VAM, purified terephthalic acid and other acetyl derivatives. VAM is used in a variety of adhesives, paints, films,
coatings and textiles. Acetic anhydride is a raw material used in the production of cellulose acetate, detergents and
pharmaceuticals. Acetate esters are used in solvents for ink formulations, surface coatings, adhesives and pharmaceutical
industries. We manufacture acetic acid, VAM and acetic anhydride for our own use in producing downstream, value-added
products, as well as for sale to third parties.
Acetic acid and VAM leverage global supply and demand fundamentals. The principal raw materials in these products are
carbon monoxide, methanol and ethylene. We generally purchase carbon monoxide under long-term contracts. We generally
purchase methanol and ethylene under both annual and multi-year contracts. Methanol and ethylene are commodity products
and generally available from a wide variety of sources, while carbon monoxide is typically purpose-made in close proximity.
We have a joint venture, Fairway Methanol LLC ("Fairway"), with Mitsui, in which we own a 50% interest, for the production
of methanol at our integrated chemical plant in Clear Lake, Texas. The methanol unit utilizes natural gas in the U.S. Gulf Coast
region as a feedstock. Almost all of our North American methanol needs are met from our share of the production, as well as
the long-term contract we have with our joint venture partner, Mitsui.
In December 2023, we began carbon capture and utilization ("CCU") operations at our Clear Lake site as part of our Fairway
joint venture. The unit is capable of capturing CO2 industrial emissions and producing low-carbon methanol which would help
our global customers meet the growing demand for more sustainable and circular solutions. The products will be launched
under the ECO-CC name and be supported through third-party mass balance tracking and life cycle assessment processes.
Solvents and Derivatives. We manufacture a variety of solvents, formaldehyde and other chemicals, which in turn are used in
the manufacture of paints, coatings, adhesives and other products. Many solvents and derivatives products are derived from our
production of acetic acid. Primary products are:
•
Ethyl acetate, an acetate ester that is a solvent used in coatings, inks and adhesives;
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•
Butyl acetate, an acetate ester that is a solvent used in inks, pharmaceuticals and perfume; and
•
Formaldehyde and paraformaldehyde, which are primarily used to produce adhesive resins for plywood, particle board,
coatings, POM engineering resins and a compound used in making polyurethane.
Emulsion Polymers. Our emulsion polymers business produces conventional vinyl- and acrylate-based emulsions and VAE
emulsions. VAE emulsions are a key component of water-based architectural coatings, adhesives, non-wovens, textiles, glass
fiber and other applications. VAE emulsions are in high demand in Europe and Asia as they enable low volatile organic
compound paints, specifically in interior paints.
EVA Polymers. Our EVA polymers business produces low-density polyethylene, EVA resins and compounds. Low-density
polyethylene is produced in high-pressure reactors from ethylene, while EVA resins and compounds are produced in high-
pressure reactors from ethylene and VAM.
Redispersible Powders. Our RDP business uses a number of emulsions in manufacturing redispersible powders to meet
requirements for various applications and formulated to fit our customers' needs for optimal production.
Acetate tow and acetate flake. Acetate tow is a fiber used primarily in cigarette filters. In order to produce acetate tow, we first
produce acetate flake by processing wood pulp with acetic acid and acetic anhydride. Wood pulp generally comes from
reforested trees and is purchased externally from a variety of sources, and acetic anhydride is an intermediate chemical that we
produce from acetic acid in our intermediate chemistry business. Acetate flake is then further processed into acetate tow.
•
Customers
Our acetyl chain business sells its products both directly to customers and through distributors. Acetic acid, VAM, acetate
esters and acetic anhydride are global businesses, and we generally supply our customers under a mix of short- and long-term
agreements. Acetic acid, VAM and acetic anhydride customers produce intermediate chemicals and polymers used in water-
based paints, adhesives, paper coatings, polyesters, film modifiers, pharmaceuticals, cellulose acetate and textiles. We have
long-standing relationships with most of these customers. Solvents and derivatives are sold to a diverse group of regional and
multinational customers under multi-year contracts and on the basis of long-standing relationships. Solvents and derivatives
customers are primarily engaged in the production of paints, coatings and adhesives. We manufacture formaldehyde for our
own use as well as for sale to a few regional customers.
Emulsion, RDP and EVA polymers products are sold to a diverse group of regional, family owned and multinational customers.
Customers of our emulsion polymers and RDP business are manufacturers of water-based paints and coatings, adhesives, paper,
building and construction products, glass fiber, non-wovens, textiles and premixed dry mortars. Customers of our EVA
polymers business are engaged in the manufacture of a variety of products, including hot melt adhesives, automotive
components, thermal laminations, and flexible and food packaging materials.
Acetate tow is sold principally to the major tobacco companies that account for a majority of worldwide cigarette production.
Many sales are conducted under contracts with pricing for one or more years. As a result, margins may expand or contract in
response to changes in market conditions over these similar periods, and we may be unable to adjust pricing due to other
factors, such as the intense level of competition in the industry.
Pricing of our products within the Acetyl Chain segment is influenced by industry utilization, changes in the cost of raw
materials, sensitivity to demand and the value-in-use. Therefore, in general, there is a direct correlation between these factors
and our net sales for most Acetyl Chain products. This impact to pricing typically lags changes in raw material costs over
months or quarters and impacts profit margins over those periods.
See Note 22 - Revenue Recognition in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
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10
Other Activities
Other Activities primarily consists of corporate center costs, including administrative activities such as finance, taxes,
information technology and human resource functions, interest income and expense associated with our financing activities and
results of our captive insurance companies. Our two wholly-owned captive insurance companies are a key component of our
global risk management program, as well as a form of self-insurance for our liability, property and workers compensation risks.
The captive insurance companies retain risk at levels approved by management and obtain reinsurance coverage from third
parties to limit the net risk retained. Other Activities also includes the interest cost, expected return on assets and net actuarial
gains and losses components of our net periodic benefit cost for our defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement
plans, which are not allocated to our business segments. Ongoing merger, acquisition and integration related costs are also
included in Other Activities.
Strategic Affiliates
Our strategic affiliates represent an important component of our strategy. During 2022, we acquired interests in several global
strategic affiliates as part of the M&M Acquisition, described further below. In September 2023, we formed a food ingredients
joint venture with Mitsui under the name Nutrinova, also described below.
We have a substantial portfolio of affiliates in various regions, including Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America and the Middle
East. These affiliates have sizeable operations and are significant within their industries.
With shared characteristics such as products, applications and manufacturing technology, these strategic affiliates complement
and extend our technology and specialty materials portfolio. We have historically entered into these investments to gain access
to local demand, minimize costs and accelerate growth in areas we believe have significant future business potential.
Our strategic affiliates contribute substantial earnings and cash flows to us. During the year ended December 31, 2024, our
equity method strategic affiliates generated combined sales of $2.2 billion, resulting in our recording $149 million of equity in
net earnings of affiliates and $130 million of dividends.
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11
Our strategic affiliates as of December 31, 2024 are as follows:
Location of
Headquarters
Ownership
Partner(s)
Year
Entered
Equity Investments
Engineered Materials
National Methanol Company ...........
Saudi
Arabia
25 %
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (50%);
Duke Energy Arabian Ltd. (25%)
1981
Nutrinova Netherlands B.V. .............
Netherlands
30 %
Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (70%)
2023
Korea Engineering Plastics Co.,
Ltd. ...................................................
South
Korea
50 %
Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.
(40%);
Mitsubishi Corporation (10%)
1999
Fortron Industries, LLC ...................
U.S.
50 %
Kureha America Inc. (50%)
1992
Toray Celanese Co., Ltd. ..................
Japan
50 %
Toray (50%)
2022
DuBay Polymer GmbH ....................
Germany
50 %
Lanxess AG (50%)
2022
Mylar Specialty Films UK Limited ..
United
Kingdom
50 %
Teijin Limited (50%)
2022
Mylar Specialty Films Netherlands
B.V. ..................................................
Netherlands
50 %
Teijin Limited (50%)
2022
Mylar Specialty Films Luxembourg
S.A. ...................................................
Luxembourg
50 %
Teijin Limited (50%)
2022
Mylar Specialty Films U.S. Limited
Partnership .......................................
U.S.
50 %
Teijin Limited (50%)
2022
Mylar Specialty Films Incorporated .
U.S.
50 %
Teijin Limited (50%)
2022
Consolidated Investments
Engineered Materials
Mylar Specialty Films China
Limited .............................................
China
51 %
Teijin Limited (49%)
2022
DuPont Teijin Hongji Films Ningbo
Co. Ltd. ............................................
China
26 %
Teijin Limited (73.99%)
2022
Mylar Hongji Films Foshan Co.,
Ltd. ...................................................
China
26 %
Teijin Limited (73.99%)
2022
Celanese Filaments-Americas, LLC
U.S.
70 %
Xingda (30%)
2022
Celanese Filaments-Europe B.V. .....
Netherlands
70 %
Xingda (30%)
2022
Celanese Xingda Filaments Co.,
Ltd. ...................................................
China
70 %
Xingda (30%)
2022
Acetyl Chain
Fairway Methanol LLC ....................
U.S.
50 %
Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (50%)
2014
Equity Investments Without Readily Determinable Fair Value
Acetyl Chain
Kunming Cellulose Fibers
Company, Limited ............................
China
30 %
China National Tobacco Corporation (70%)
1993
Nantong Cellulose Fibers
Company, Limited ............................
China
31 %
China National Tobacco Corporation (69%)
1986
Zhuhai Cellulose Fibers Company,
Limited .............................................
China
30 %
China National Tobacco Corporation (70%)
1993
National Methanol Company. National Methanol Company ("Ibn Sina") is one of the world's largest producers of methyl
tertiary-butyl ether, a gasoline additive. Its production facilities are located in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Basic Industries Corporation
("SABIC") is responsible for all product marketing. Methanol is a key feedstock for POM production and is produced by our
Ibn Sina affiliate which provides an economic hedge against raw material costs in our engineered materials business.
Nutrinova Netherlands B.V. Nutrinova Netherlands B.V. ("Nutrinova") is a producer of Sunett® acesulfame potassium (Ace-K)
and Nutrinova® sorbates, which are used to improve the safety, shelf-life and taste of its customers' products including food and
beverages, personal care, pet food, household cleaning products and pharmaceutical products.
Korea Engineering Plastics Co., Ltd. Korea Engineering Plastics Co., Ltd. ("KEPCO") is a leading producer of POM in South
Korea. KEPCO has polyacetal production facilities in Ulsan, South Korea, compounding facilities for PBT and nylon in
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12
Pyongtaek, South Korea, and participates with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc. in a world-scale POM facility in
Nantong, China.
Fortron Industries, LLC. Fortron Industries, LLC ("Fortron") is a global producer of PPS, sold under the Fortron® brand, which
is used in a wide variety of automotive and other applications, especially those requiring heat and/or chemical resistance.
Fortron's facility is located in Wilmington, North Carolina. This venture combines our sales, marketing, distribution,
compounding and manufacturing expertise with the PPS polymer technology expertise of Kureha America Inc.
Toray Celanese Co., Ltd. Toray Celanese Co., Ltd. manufactures Hytrel® for sale primarily in the Japanese market. Hytrel® is a
versatile material with the ability to flex in multiple directions long after rubber would break. Its strength and durability,
combined with its heat resilience and chemical resistance make it an essential ingredient in automotive and construction
applications due to its ability to combine the advantages of both flexible and plastic materials.
DuBay Polymer GmbH. DuBay Polymer GmbH is a manufacturing joint venture with Lanxess AG for the production of PBT-
based products.
Mylar Specialty Films. Mylar Specialty Films is a global producer of PET polyester films, which are used in a wide variety of
end markets such as consumer, industrial, healthcare and electronics. Mylar® and Melinex® brand films, known for their wide
range of performance capabilities, are used in a variety of applications.
Celanese Filaments. Celanese Filaments is a joint venture with Xingda for the production and sale of nylon and PBT-based
filament products used in the personal care, construction and industrial end-markets.
Acetyl Chain strategic ventures. Our Acetyl Chain ventures generally fund their operations using operating cash flow and pay
dividends based on each ventures' performance in the preceding year. In 2024, 2023 and 2022, we received cash dividends of
$127 million, $125 million and $132 million, respectively.
Although our ownership interest in each of our Acetyl Chain ventures exceeds 20%, we account for these investments at cost
after considering observable price changes for similar instruments, minus impairment, if any, because we determined that we
cannot exercise significant influence over these entities due to local government investment in and influence over these entities,
limitations on our involvement in the day-to-day operations and the present inability of the entities to provide timely financial
information prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America. Further,
these investments were determined not to have a readily determinable fair value.
Other Equity Method Investments
InfraServs. We hold indirect ownership interests in several German InfraServ Groups that own and develop industrial parks and
provide various technical and administrative services to tenants. Our ownership interest in the equity investments in InfraServ
affiliates are as follows:
As of December 31, 2024
(In percentages)
InfraServ GmbH & Co. Gendorf KG .......................................................................................................
30
InfraServ GmbH & Co. Hoechst KG .......................................................................................................
31
Yncoris GmbH & Co. KG ........................................................................................................................
22
Intellectual Property
We attach importance to protecting our intellectual property, including safeguarding our confidential information and through
our patents, trademarks and copyrights, in order to preserve our investment in research and development, manufacturing and
marketing. Patents may cover processes, equipment, products, intermediate products and product uses. We also seek to register
trademarks as a means of protecting the brand names of our Company and products.
Patents. In most industrial countries, patent protection exists for new substances and formulations, as well as for certain unique
applications and production processes. However, we do business in regions of the world where intellectual property protection
may be limited and difficult to enforce.
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13
Confidential Information. We maintain stringent information security policies and procedures wherever we do business. Such
information security policies and procedures include data encryption, controls over the disclosure and safekeeping of
confidential information and trade secrets, as well as employee awareness training.
Trademarks. Amcel®, AOPlus®, Ateva®, Avicor®, Celanese®, Celanex®, Celanyl®, Celcon®, Celstran®, Celvolit®, Clarifoil®,
Crastin®, Dur-O-Set®, Dytron®, ECOMID®, EcoVAE®, Elotex®, Factor®, Flexbond®, Forprene®, FRIANYL®, Fortron®,
Geolast®, GHR®, GUR®, Hostaform®, Hytrel®, Laprene®, Melinex®, MetaLX®, Micromax®, Mowilith®, MT®, Mylar®,
NILAMID®, Nylfor®, OmniLon®, Pibifor®, Pibiter®, Polifor®, Resyn®, Rynite®, Santoprene®, SlideX®, Sofprene®, Sofpur®,
Talcoprene®, Tarnoform®, Tecnoprene®, TufCOR®, Tynex®, Vamac®, VAntage®, Vectra®, Vinac®, Vinamul®, VitalDose®,
Zenite®, Zytel® and certain other branded products and services named in this document are registered or reserved trademarks
or service marks owned or licensed by Celanese. The foregoing is not intended to be an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all
registered or reserved trademarks and service marks owned or licensed by Celanese. Fortron® is a registered trademark of
Fortron Industries LLC. Hostaform® is a registered trademark of Hoechst GmbH. Mowilith® and NILAMID® are registered
trademarks of Celanese in most European countries.
We monitor competitive developments and defend against infringements on our intellectual property rights. Neither Celanese
nor any particular business segment is materially dependent upon any one patent, trademark, copyright or trade secret.
Environmental and Other Regulation
Matters pertaining to environmental and other regulations are discussed in Item 1A. Risk Factors, as well as Note 2 - Summary
of Accounting Policies, Note 13 - Environmental and Note 19 - Commitments and Contingencies in the accompanying
consolidated financial statements.
We expect to incur approximately $20 million to $50 million in capital expenditures for environmental control measures in each
of 2025 and 2026.
Climate Change
Climate change is a challenging issue. The nature of our operations is energy and fossil fuel intensive. We have therefore
invested in capital projects to increase energy efficiency, improve reliability, recover and reuse waste heat, and increase our
purchase of renewable energy as well as more sustainable raw materials. These include a combined heat and power unit at our
Lanaken, Belgium facility, a waste-to-energy system in Nanjing, China, using solar energy at our Clear Lake, Texas facility
designed for use by us and our onsite industrial partners, and a carbon dioxide capture and conversion to methanol project at our
Clear Lake, Texas facility.
We are focused on developing products to help our customers meet their sustainability goals. Examples include products for
improving the sustainability of building and construction materials, adhesives, fiber coatings, flexible packaging, stretch
fabrics, vehicle lightweighting and powering electric vehicles. We are also focused on making our own products from more
sustainable sources, including increasing our product offerings using bio-mass balanced, carbon capture and utilization, and
recycled feedstocks. We believe these capabilities, together with trends such as the automobile industry's commitment towards
improved energy efficiency and clean energy, present market opportunities for us.
With the fourth quarter 2024 publication of our 2023-2024 Sustainability Report, we have reported updated gross Scope 1 and
Scope 2 greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions for 2021, 2022, and 2023 using The Greenhouse Gas Protocol, A Corporate
Accounting and Reporting Standard, as a guide. These emissions figures now include M&M facility manufacturing data.
Updated 2024 emissions figures were not available at the time of this Form 10-K filing. We have announced a Scope 1 and 2
GHG emissions reduction target described in our 2023-2024 Sustainability Report, integrated the M&M Business into our GHG
measurement and reporting process, obtained limited external assurance on our 2021-2023 environmental metrics, and are
working to better understand where we can further reduce our GHG emissions sources.
For information on the risks we face related to climate change and other sustainability matters as well as, potential legislative
and regulatory developments in this area that may increase our operating costs, potentially significantly, please see the risk
factors in Item 1A. Risk Factors titled "We are subject to financial, regulatory, physical and transition risks associated with
climate change or other sustainability matters as well as potential legislation, regulation and international accords to address
climate change and other sustainability matters," "Changes in environmental, health and safety regulations in the jurisdictions
where we manufacture or sell our products could lead to a decrease in demand for or significant restrictions on use and/or
production of our products and raw materials" and "Our aspirations, goals, and initiatives related to sustainability, and our
public statements and disclosures regarding them, expose us to risks." Climate-related regulatory risks are assessed as a part of
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14
our Enterprise Risk Management process. However, due to the level of uncertainty regarding what legislative or regulatory
requirements may be enacted, it is not possible for us to estimate the impact of climate-related developments on our results of
operations or financial condition.
Human Capital Resources
Workforce Composition
Our business is operated by a global workforce, with employees in the following key geographies:
Employees as of
December 31, 2024
North America
U.S. .............................................................................................................................................................
4,085
Other North America ..................................................................................................................................
863
Total ..........................................................................................................................................................
4,948
Europe
Germany .....................................................................................................................................................
1,736
Other Europe ..............................................................................................................................................
2,469
Total ..........................................................................................................................................................
4,205
Asia
China ..........................................................................................................................................................
1,831
Other Asia ..................................................................................................................................................
1,058
Total ..........................................................................................................................................................
2,889
Rest of World ...............................................................................................................................................
121
Total .......................................................................................................................................................
12,163
We believe that providing a workplace that promotes mutual respect and equal opportunity for all employees is critical to our
success and to driving innovation and growth. To that end, we continue to make progress in our efforts to promote inclusion
and equal opportunity in our Company. As part of this, we invest in initiatives in order to enhance our visibility to a broad
pipeline of talent and broaden our candidate pool.
As of December 31, 2024:
•
globally, women represent approximately 33% of our senior leadership team and 26% of our overall workforce; and
•
in the U.S., people of color represent approximately 11% of our senior leadership team and 28% of our overall
workforce.
The following shows our attrition rate for the year ended December 31, 2024:
Attrition Rate
Employee Category
Global employees ...................................................................................................................................................
9.1 %
Women (globally) ...................................................................................................................................................
9.3 %
People of Color (U.S.) ............................................................................................................................................
10.8 %
Stewardship: Health, Safety and Environmental
We focus on more than the occupational health and safety of our employees, contractors and any visitors to our sites. We have
an expanded view and measurement of "Stewardship" that includes process safety and environmental events since these
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15
incidents may have an impact on our communities. Our Stewardship values and guiding principles are centered on a
commitment to do no harm to our workforce, environment, people or communities.
Achieving and maintaining stewardship excellence is a process of continuous improvement. Our values include a commitment
to the health and safety of our employees, contractors, communities and the environment.
We utilize a mixture of leading and lagging indicators to assess the Stewardship performance of our operations. Lagging
indicators for occupational health and safety include Total Recordable Incident Rate ("TRIR") and Lost Time Incident Rate
("LTIR") based upon the number of incidents per 200,000 work hours of both employees and contractors. Process Safety
lagging indicators follow the industry standard from API RP 754 for Tier 1 and Tier 2 events for incident count, rate, and
severity. In 2023, the criteria for tracking release to the environment was enhanced to a criteria that includes impact to the
community and notification to a regulatory authority outside of routine communications.
Examples of Stewardship Tier 3 leading indicators include reporting and resolution of near miss events and high potential
events, losses of primary containment releases and challenges to process safety systems.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, we had a TRIR of 0.15 and an LTIR of 0.02. These rates continue to reflect world class
safety performance as compared to our industry peers. We remain committed to the value we have established for safety.
Rounding out our Stewardship performance in 2024, we had 12 Tier 1 and Tier 2 process safety incidents and 5 environmental
incidents. Any other loss of primary containment incidents, challenges to pressure relief systems, safety instrumented systems
and safe operating limits are tracked as Tier 3 leading indicators. Our expanded tracking of leading indicator events helps
identify potential emerging deficiencies that enables us to take continuous improvement actions. For example, we concentrated
heavily on improving our hazard identification and risk assessment and migration systems, which included expanding these
concepts beyond process safety. We are also working to strengthen and fully integrate our stewardship management systems
and developing new ways to establish and maintain an effective stewardship culture in a changing and evolving world around
us so that all members of our workforce understand and act on their responsibilities seriously, leaders lead, and the entire
workforce is fully involved and engaged. We continue to strive to create a workplace where every worker can return home
safely every day.
Talent Development
We are committed to fostering an engaging and inclusive workplace with opportunities for collaboration, development and
leadership. Our Talent Management strategies provide a consistent and efficient approach to how we acquire talent, manage
performance, develop bench strength, support development and help employees reach their fullest potential.
We have a structured approach to reviewing talent with management, as well as with the Board of Directors. This includes
discussions of employee development, executive succession, talent pipelines and workforce planning requirements. We
regularly report to the Board of Directors on talent management strategies across functional areas, and annually review
executive succession with the Board of Directors.
Available Information — Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") Filings and Corporate Governance Materials
We make available free of charge, through the investor portion of our internet website (http://investors.celanese.com), our
annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, 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, as well as ownership reports on
Form 3 and Form 4, as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing such material with, or furnishing it to, the SEC.
References to our website in this report are provided as a convenience, and the information on our website is not, and shall not
be deemed to be a part of this report or incorporated into any other filings we make with the SEC. The SEC maintains a website
that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers, including Celanese
Corporation, that electronically file with the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.
We also make available free of charge, through our website, our Corporate Governance Guidelines of our Board of Directors
and the charters of each of the standing committees of our Board of Directors.
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Item 1A. Risk Factors
The following risks could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations,
and the trading price of our common stock or outstanding senior notes could decline. These risk factors do not identify all risks
that we face; our operations could also be affected by factors that are not presently known to us or that we currently consider
to be immaterial to our operations. Additionally, some of the factors, events, and contingencies discussed below may have
occurred in the past, and the disclosures below are not representations as to whether or not the factors, events or contingencies
have occurred in the past, but are provided because future occurrences of such factors, events, or contingencies could have a
material adverse effect. Due to risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, our past financial results may not be a reliable
indicator of future performance, and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results or trends in future periods. Refer
also to the other information set forth in this Form 10-K, including in Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations and the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.
Risks Related to Business and Industry Conditions
We are exposed to general economic, political and regulatory conditions and risks in the countries in which we have
operations and customers.
We operate globally and have customers in many countries. Our major facilities are primarily located in North America, Europe
and Asia, and we hold interests in affiliates that operate in the United States ("U.S."), Germany, China, Japan, South Korea and
Saudi Arabia. Our principal customers are similarly global in scope and the prices of our most significant products are typically
regional or world market prices. Consequently, our business and financial results are affected, directly and indirectly, by world
economic conditions, including declines in consumer and business confidence, fluctuating commodity prices and interest rates,
cost inflation, instability in credit markets, volatile exchange rates and other challenges such as the changing regulatory
environment.
Our operations are also subject to global political conditions, which may be subject to heightened uncertainty as a result of
changes in governmental administration in the jurisdictions in which we operate and elsewhere. For example, any future
withdrawal or renegotiation of trade agreements, or the failure to reach agreement over trade agreements, or the imposition of
new or increased tariffs, including, but not limited to, anti-dumping and countervailing duties, on our products or raw materials,
or the more aggressive prosecution of trade disputes with countries like China, may increase costs or reduce profitability, or
adversely affect our ability to operate our business and execute our growth strategy. In addition, it may be more difficult for us
to enforce agreements, collect receivables, receive dividends and repatriate earnings through foreign legal systems. In certain
foreign jurisdictions our operations are subject to nationalization and expropriation risk and some of our contractual
relationships within these jurisdictions are subject to cancellation without full compensation for loss. Furthermore, in certain
cases where we benefit from local government subsidies or other undertakings, such benefits are subject to the solvency of local
government entities and are subject to termination without meaningful recourse or remedies.
We have invested significant resources in China and other Asian countries. This region's growth may continue to slow, or trade
flows could be negatively impacted, and we may fail to realize the anticipated benefits associated with our investment there
and, consequently, our financial results may be adversely impacted.
In addition, we have significant operations and financial relationships based in Europe. Historically, sales originating in Europe
have accounted for approximately one-third of our net sales annually, and accounted for approximately 31% of our Net sales in
2024. Adverse conditions in the European economy are expected to continue to negatively impact our overall financial results
and liquidity due to reduced economic growth, trade disruptions, decreased end-use customer demand or other factors.
We are subject to risks associated with the volatility in the prices and availability of key raw materials and energy, which
could have a significant adverse effect on the margins of our products and our financial results.
We are exposed to volatility in the prices of our raw materials and energy. We purchase significant amounts of ethylene,
methanol, carbon monoxide and natural gas from third parties primarily for use in our production of basic chemicals in our
intermediate chemistry business, principally acetic acid, VAM and formaldehyde. We use a portion of our output of these
chemicals, in turn, as inputs in the production of downstream products in all of our business segments. We also purchase some
of these raw materials for use in our emulsion polymers and EVA polymer businesses, primarily for vinyl acetate ethylene
emulsions and ethylene vinyl acetate production, as well as significant amounts of wood pulp for use in our production of
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acetate tow. We also procure polymers, rubber and polypropylene for use in production of engineered materials, and other raw
materials as additives to our products including fiberglass, flame retardant materials and other compounding components.
The prices and availability of many of these items are dependent on supply and logistics considerations. Prices can increase
significantly as a result of uncertainties associated with inflationary pressures, transportation or logistics disruptions, weather,
natural disasters, epidemics, pandemics, the effects of climate change or political instability, plant or production disruptions,
war or conflicts, strikes or other labor unrest, breakdown or degradation of transportation infrastructure used in the delivery of
raw materials and energy commodities, terrorist activities, civil unrest, or changes in laws, regulations, or tariffs in any of the
countries in which we have significant suppliers. In particular, to the extent of our vertical integration in the production of
chemicals, shortages in the availability of raw material chemicals, such as natural gas, ethylene and methanol or the loss of our
dedicated supplies of carbon monoxide, may have an increased adverse impact on us as it can cause a shortage in intermediate
and finished products. Such shortages would adversely impact our ability to produce certain products and increase our costs
resulting in reduced margins and adverse impacts to our financial results.
Like many companies, we have experienced significant supply disruptions and increased costs of inputs. These trends have
impacted, and may in the future impact, our operating costs. We have previously undertaken efforts to offset these costs through
pricing actions, alternative supply arrangements, and hedging strategies, however, these have not eliminated all exposure to
inflationary pressure. We cannot always successfully pass increased costs to customers, and even where we are successful,
increased prices have led to and could lead to reduced demand for our products or could result in competitive disadvantages.
Although we generally have long-term supply agreements, multi-year purchasing and sales agreements and forward purchase
contracts providing for the supply of ethylene, methanol, carbon monoxide, wood pulp, hexamethylene diamine, PA66, PBT,
ethanol, natural gas, fuel oil, and electricity, the contractual prices for these raw materials and energy can vary with economic
conditions and may be highly volatile. In addition to the factors noted above that may impact supply or price, factors that have
caused volatility in our raw material prices in the past and which may do so in the future include:
•
Shortages of raw materials due to increasing demand, e.g., from growing uses or new uses;
•
Capacity constraints, e.g., due to construction delays, labor disruption, government-imposed work or travel
restrictions, involuntary shutdowns or turnarounds;
•
A supplier's inability to meet our delivery orders, a supplier's decision not to fulfill orders or to terminate a supply
contract or our inability to obtain or renew supply contracts on favorable terms;
•
The general level of business, economic and industry activity; and
•
The direct or indirect effect of governmental regulation (including the impact of government regulation relating to
power usage, climate change or regulation of production and transport of certain chemicals).
If we are not able to fully offset the effects of higher energy and raw material costs through price increases, productivity
improvements or cost reduction programs, or if such commodities become unavailable, it could have a significant adverse effect
on our ability to timely and profitably manufacture and deliver our products resulting in reduced margins, lost sales and adverse
impacts to our financial results.
We have a practice of maintaining, when available, multiple sources of supply for raw materials and services. However, some
of our individual plants may have single sources of supply for some of their raw materials, such as carbon monoxide, steam and
ethylene, or site services. Almost all of our supply of methanol in North America is currently obtained from our Fairway joint
venture with Mitsui, in which we own a 50% interest, for the production of methanol at our integrated chemical plant in Clear
Lake, Texas. Although we have been able to obtain sufficient supplies of raw materials and services, there can be no assurance
that unforeseen developments will not affect our ability to source raw materials or services in the future. Even if we have
multiple sources of supply for a raw material or a service, there can be no assurance that these sources can make up for the loss
of a major supplier. Furthermore, if any sole source or major supplier were unable or unwilling to deliver a raw material or a
service for an extended period of time, we may not be able to find an acceptable alternative or any such alternative could result
in increased costs. It is also possible that profitability would be adversely affected if we were required to qualify additional
sources of supply for a raw material or a service to our specifications in the event of the loss of a sole source or major supplier.
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Risks Related to Our Global Operations and Our Strategy
Production at our manufacturing facilities, or at our suppliers', could be disrupted for a variety of reasons, which could
prevent us from producing enough of our products to maintain our sales and satisfy our customers' demands.
A disruption in production at one or more of our manufacturing facilities, or our suppliers, could have a material adverse effect
on our business. Disruptions or interruptions of operations could occur for many reasons, including fire, natural disasters,
severe weather, unplanned maintenance or other manufacturing problems, public health crises, disease, geopolitical events,
strikes or other labor unrest, transportation interruption, government regulation, political unrest or terrorism, accidents,
interruptions in sources of raw materials, cybersecurity incidents, the direct or indirect consequences of acts of war or conflict
(such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict or conflicts in the Middle East), or other unforeseen events or delays in construction or
operation of facilities. Alternative facilities with sufficient capacity or capabilities may not be available, may cost substantially
more or may take a significant time to start production, each of which could negatively affect our business and financial
performance.
We have experienced disruptions of the type described above in recent years. For example, in 2024, concurrent outages by two
of our suppliers of critical raw materials for production of acetic acid and subsequent production of VAM at our U.S. gulf coast
sites led to the declaration of force majeure for these products sold in the Western Hemisphere. Additionally, we proactively
and temporarily shut down one or more of our Texas production facilities during Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 and
Hurricane Laura in August 2020, each of which instances resulted in lost sales and impacted our financial results for the
relevant quarter.
If one of our key manufacturing facilities is unable to produce our products for an extended period of time, our sales may be
reduced by the shortfall caused by the disruption and we may not be able to meet our customers' needs, which could cause them
to seek other suppliers. In particular, production disruptions at our manufacturing facilities that produce chemicals used as
inputs in the production of chemicals in other business segments, such as acetic acid, VAM and formaldehyde, had in the past
and could have a more significant adverse effect on our business and financial performance and results of operations to the
extent of such vertical integration. Furthermore, to the extent a production disruption occurs at a manufacturing facility that has
been operating at or near full capacity, the resulting shortage of our product could be particularly harmful because production at
such manufacturing facility may not be able to reach levels achieved prior to the disruption.
We may experience difficulties or delays achieving the intended benefits from acquiring the M&M Business.
In November 2022, we completed the acquisition of the M&M Business of DuPont. Since closing, we have actively worked,
and continue to actively work, to integrate the M&M Business and its systems into our own and improve the performance of the
M&M Business. The benefits of the M&M Acquisition, including the anticipated financial benefits and the synergies and
growth opportunities, may not be realized as expected or may not be achieved within the anticipated timeframe, or at all. Since
closing we have also worked, and continue to actively work, to integrate the M&M Business and its systems into our own. For
example, in February 2024 we incorporated the M&M Business into the new enterprise resource planning ("ERP") system used
by the Company. As we work to further integrate technology, information and ERP systems, financial reporting and
commercial activities, it is possible that we may encounter unanticipated delays, costs or inefficiencies in connection with our
continuing efforts to integrate the M&M Business.
If the potential financial and other benefits and synergies of the M&M Business going forward do not materialize in the
amounts or on the timing we expect, or if we are not as successful as we plan at aligning our and the M&M Business's practices
and operations, then our business, financial performance and operating results could be adversely affected.
Failure to develop new products and production technologies, or to implement productivity and cost reduction initiatives
successfully, may harm our competitive position.
Our operating results depend significantly on the development of commercially viable new products, product grades and
applications, as well as improving process technologies. If we are unsuccessful in developing new products, applications and
improved production processes in the future, including failing to leverage our opportunity pipeline in our Engineered Materials
segment, our competitive position and operating results may be negatively affected. However, as we invest in new technology,
we face the risk of unanticipated operational or commercialization difficulties, including an inability to obtain necessary permits
or governmental approvals, the development of competing technologies, failure of facilities or processes to operate in
accordance with specifications or expectations, construction delays, cost overruns, the unavailability of financing, required
materials or equipment and various other factors. Likewise, we have undertaken and are continuing to undertake initiatives in
all of our business segments to improve productivity and performance and to generate cost savings. These initiatives, which
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may be limited or offset by, among other things, contractual obligations, may not be completed or beneficial or the estimated
cost savings from such activities may not be realized.
We could be subject to damages based on claims brought against us by our customers or lose customers as a result of the
failure of our products to meet certain quality specifications.
Our products provide important performance attributes to our customers' products. If one of our products fails to perform in a
manner consistent with applicable quality specifications, a customer could seek replacement of the product or damages for costs
incurred as a result of the product failing to perform as specified. A successful claim or series of claims against us could have a
material adverse effect on our reputation, financial condition and results of operations and could result in a loss of one or more
key customers.
Our production facilities, including facilities we own and/or operate and operations at our facilities owned and/or operated
by third parties, handle the processing of some volatile and hazardous materials that subject us to operating and other risks
that could have a negative effect on our operating results.
Although we take precautions to enhance the safety of, and minimize the disruption to, our operations and operations at our
facilities owned and/or operated by third parties, we are subject to operating and other risks associated with chemical
manufacturing, including the storage and transportation of raw materials, finished products and waste. These risks include,
among other things, pipeline and storage tank leaks and ruptures, explosions and fires and discharges or releases of toxic or
hazardous substances. In addition, we may have limited control over operations at our facilities owned and/or operated by third
parties or such operations may not be fully integrated into our safety programs.
These operating and other risks can cause personal injury, property damage, third-party damages and environmental
contamination, and may result in the shutdown of affected facilities and the imposition of civil or criminal penalties. The
occurrence of any of these events may disrupt production and have a negative effect on the productivity and profitability of a
particular manufacturing facility, our operating results and cash flows.
Our future success depends in part on our ability to protect our intellectual property rights and our rights to use our
intellectual property. Our inability to protect and enforce these rights could reduce our ability to maintain our industry
position and our profit margins.
We rely on our patents, trademarks, copyrights, know-how and trade secrets, and patents and other technology licensed from
third parties, to protect our investment in research and development and our competitive commercial positions in manufacturing
and marketing our products. We have adopted internal policies and practices for protecting our know-how and trade secrets. In
addition, our practice is to seek patent or trade secret protection for significant developments that provide us competitive
advantages and freedom to practice for our businesses. Patents may cover catalysts, processes, products, intermediate products
and product uses. These patents are usually filed in strategic countries throughout the world and provide varying periods and
scopes of protection based on the filing date and the type of patent application. The legal life and scope of protection provided
by a patent may vary among those countries in which we seek protection. As patents expire, the catalysts, processes, products,
intermediate products and product uses described and claimed in those patents generally may become available for use by the
public subject to our continued protection for associated know-how and trade secrets. We also monitor intellectual property of
others, especially patents that could impact our rights to commercially implement research and development, our rights to
manufacture and market our products, and our rights to use know-how and trade secrets. We will not intentionally infringe upon
the valid intellectual property rights of others, and we will continue to assess and take actions as necessary to protect our
positions. We also seek to register trademarks as a means of protecting the brand names of our products, which brand names
become more important once the corresponding product or process patents have expired. We operate in regions of the world
where intellectual property protection may be limited and difficult to enforce and our continued growth strategy may result in us
seeking intellectual property protection in additional regions with similar challenges. We also monitor the trademarks of others
and take action when our trademark rights are being infringed upon. If we are not successful in protecting or maintaining our
patent, license, trademark or other intellectual property rights, or protecting our rights to commercially make, market and sell
our products, our net sales, results of operations and cash flows may be adversely affected.
We have recognized goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment losses and may be required to recognize
goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment losses in the future.
At December 31, 2024, the Company has $5.4 billion of goodwill and $1.5 billion of indefinite-lived intangible assets recorded
on its balance sheet. We test goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles for impairment at least annually and more frequently if
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the Company believes indicators of impairment exist. The valuation models used to determine the fair value of goodwill or
indefinite-lived intangible assets are dependent upon various assumptions and reflect management's best estimates.
The goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment analyses are sensitive to changes in key assumptions used, such
as discount rate, revenue growth rate, tax rate, cash flow projections and terminal value rate. Such key assumptions may be
adversely impacted by significant negative industry or economic trends and forecasts, disruptions to our business, inability to
effectively integrate acquired businesses, unexpected significant change or planned changes in use of our assets, changes in the
structure of our business, divestitures, or market capitalization declines. Changes in market conditions or key assumptions made
in future quantitative tests could negatively impact the results of future impairment testing for any of the Company's reporting
units and could result in the recognition of an impairment charge. Because of the significance of our goodwill and indefinite-
lived intangible assets, any future impairment of these assets could require material noncash impairment losses, which also
could be material to our statements of operations.
During the three months ended December 31, 2024, we recognized a non-cash goodwill impairment loss of $1.5 billion in our
Engineered Materials segment. Additionally, we recognized aggregate non-cash impairment losses of $117 million for the year
ended December 31, 2024 related to certain trade names, primarily Zytel®, included in the Engineered Materials segment. See
Note 9 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Net in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
There can be no assurance that future events or conditions may not result in additional impairments in our engineered materials
reporting unit or impairment to any of our other reporting units' goodwill or to any of our indefinite-lived intangible or long-
lived assets.
Our business is exposed to risks associated with the creditworthiness of our suppliers, customers and business partners and
the industries in which our suppliers, customers and business partners participate are cyclical in nature, both of which may
adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Our business is exposed to risks associated with the creditworthiness of our key suppliers, customers and business partners and
reductions in demand for our customers' products. These risks include the interruption of production at the facilities of our
customers, the reduction, delay or cancellation of customer orders, delays in or the inability of customers to obtain financing to
purchase our products, delays in or interruptions of the supply of raw materials we purchase and bankruptcy of customers,
suppliers or other creditors. Furthermore, some of the industries in which our end-use customers participate, such as the
automotive, electrical, construction and textile industries, are highly competitive, to a large extent driven by end-use
applications, and may experience overcapacity, all of which may affect demand for and the pricing of our products. In addition,
many of these industries are highly cyclical in nature, thus posing risks to us that vary throughout the year, including, but not
limited to, accurately forecasting demand and other trends affecting our ability to accurately forecast revenues and operating
results, and vary according to macroeconomic factors. The occurrence of any of these events may adversely affect our cash
flow, profitability and financial condition.
We may incur significant charges in the event we close or divest all or part of a manufacturing plant or facility and engage
in other divestitures that introduce significant risks and uncertainties.
We periodically assess our manufacturing operations in order to manufacture and distribute our products in the most efficient
manner. Based on our assessments, we may make capital improvements to modernize certain units, move manufacturing or
distribution capabilities from one plant or facility to another plant or facility, discontinue manufacturing or distributing certain
products or close or divest all or part of a manufacturing plant or facility. We also have shared services agreements at several of
our plants and if such agreements are terminated or revised, we would assess and potentially adjust our manufacturing
operations. The closure of our facility in Mechelen, Belgium, resulted in charges during fiscal 2024 and is expected to result in
charges through fiscal 2028. The closure or divestiture of all or part of a manufacturing plant or facility could result in future
charges that could be significant. Additionally, as part of our deleveraging efforts, we may engage in opportunistic dispositions
or monetization of product or business lines or other assets. Divestitures involve significant risks and uncertainties that could
adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. These include, among others, the inability to find
potential buyers on favorable terms, disruption to our business and/or diversion of management attention from other business
concerns, loss of key employees, renegotiation or termination of key business relationships, retention of certain liabilities
related to the divested business and indemnification or other post-closing claims. See Note 4 - Acquisitions, Dispositions and
Plant Closures in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
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The insurance coverage that we maintain may not fully cover all operational risks.
We maintain property, business interruption, casualty and cyber/information security insurance but such insurance may not
cover all of the risks associated with the hazards of our business and is subject to limitations, including deductibles and
maximum liabilities covered. We may incur losses beyond the limits, or outside the coverage, of our insurance policies,
including liabilities for environmental remediation. In the future, the types of insurance we obtain and the level of coverage we
maintain may be inadequate or we may be unable to continue to maintain our existing insurance or obtain comparable insurance
at a reasonable cost.
Risks associated with our joint ventures, including differences in views with our joint venture partners may cause them not
to operate according to their business plans, which may adversely affect our results of operations.
We currently participate in a number of joint ventures and may enter into additional joint ventures in the future. Our joint
ventures require us to work cooperatively with unaffiliated third parties. Differences in views among joint venture participants
may result in delayed decisions or failure to agree on major decisions. Additionally, our partners may be unable or unwilling to
meet their economic or other obligations to the joint ventures, which could negatively impact them. If these risks cause the joint
ventures to fail to achieve their desired operating performance, our results of operations could be adversely affected.
Our significant non-U.S. operations expose us to global exchange rate fluctuations that could adversely impact our
profitability.
We conduct a significant portion of our operations outside the U.S. Consequently, fluctuations in currencies of other countries,
especially the euro and Chinese yuan, may materially affect our operating results. Because our consolidated financial statements
are presented in U.S. dollars, we must translate revenues, income and expenses, as well as assets and liabilities, into U.S. dollars
based on average exchange rates prevailing during the reporting period or the exchange rate at the end of that period. Therefore,
increases or decreases in the value of the U.S. dollar against other major currencies will affect our net operating revenues,
operating income and the cost of balance sheet items denominated in foreign currencies. Foreign exchange rates can also impact
the competitiveness of products produced in certain jurisdictions and exported for sale into other jurisdictions. These changes
may impact the value received for the sale of our goods versus those of our competitors.
In addition to currency translation risks, we incur a currency transaction risk whenever one of our operating subsidiaries enters
into a purchase or sales transaction using a currency different from the operating subsidiary's functional currency. Given the
volatility of exchange rates, particularly the strengthening of the U.S. dollar against major currencies or the currencies of large
developing countries, we may not be able to manage our currency transaction and translation risks effectively.
We use financial instruments to hedge certain exposure to foreign currency fluctuations, but those hedges in most cases cover
existing balance sheet exposures and not future transactional exposures. We cannot guarantee that our hedging strategies will be
effective. In addition, the use of financial instruments creates counterparty settlement risk. Failure to effectively manage these
risks could have an adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
We are subject to information or operational technology cybersecurity threats that could materially affect our business.
We have been and will continue to be subject to advanced and persistent threats in the areas of information and operational
technology security and fraud. We rely on information and operational technology systems, including tools that utilize artificial
intelligence, to conduct our business. We seek to prevent unauthorized access, maintain the confidentiality and the integrity of
our information and operational technology systems and strive to detect and investigate any cybersecurity incidents that may
occur, however in some cases we might be unaware of a particular incident or its magnitude and effects. We may face increased
information technology security, continuity and fraud risks due in part to our business efforts to digitize certain operations at
our manufacturing sites to increase efficiencies and to our continued reliance on many employees working remotely part of the
time, which may create additional information security vulnerabilities and/or magnify the impact of any disruption in
information technology systems. In addition, the rapid evolution and increased adoption of artificial intelligence technologies
may intensify our cybersecurity risks. Many tools and resources we use integrate or will integrate some form of artificial
intelligence, which has the potential to result in bias, miscalculations, data errors, intellectual property infringement and other
unintended consequences. Artificial intelligence technologies may also be used by adversaries to enable new or augment
existing attack techniques, tactics and protocols. Additionally, we may be exposed to unauthorized access or operational
interruptions to our information or operational technology systems through undetected vulnerabilities in our service providers'
information systems or software. These risks may be heightened as a result of our ongoing efforts to integrate the M&M
Business's technology environment with our own. It may take considerable time for us to investigate and evaluate the full
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impact of incidents, particularly for sophisticated attacks. These factors may inhibit our ability to provide prompt, full, and
reliable information about the incident to our customers, partners, regulators, and the public.
The theft, misuse or publication of our intellectual property and/or confidential business information or the compromising of
our systems or networks (including through ransomware, unauthorized access or insider threats) could harm our competitive
position, cause operational disruption (including the potential to disrupt or compromise our control of physical plant operations
at our manufacturing sites), reduce the value of our investment in research and development of new products and other strategic
initiatives or otherwise adversely affect our business or results of operations. To the extent that any security breach impacts
operations at our manufacturing sites, we may experience production or shipping disruptions. To the extent that any security
breach results in inappropriate disclosure of our employees', customers' or vendors' confidential or personally identifiable
information, we may incur liability or suffer reputational damage in the marketplace as a result. We maintain cyber/information
security insurance, but any losses may be beyond the limits, or outside the coverage, of our policy.
Information and operational security threats and methods of perpetrating fraud or misappropriating information are constantly
evolving and becoming more complex, which increases the difficulty and expense of defending against these threats. Although
we attempt to mitigate these risks by employing a number of measures, including insurance, monitoring of our systems and
networks, implementation of security tools and processes, employee training, crisis simulations and maintenance of backup and
protective systems, our systems, networks, products and services remain potentially vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated
advanced persistent threats, including nation-state actors, that may have a material effect on our business. In addition, the
devotion of additional resources to the security of our information or operational technology systems in the future could
significantly increase the cost of doing business or otherwise adversely impact our financial results.
We cannot guarantee the timing or amount of our dividends and/or our share repurchases, which are subject to a number of
uncertainties that may affect the price of our common stock.
The declaration, payment, and amount of any dividends, and/or the decision to purchase common stock under our share
repurchase programs, are subject to the sole discretion of our Board of Directors and, in the context of our capital allocation
strategy, will depend upon many factors, including our financial condition, operating results, cash flows, relevant prospects, our
capital requirements and access to capital markets, covenants associated with certain of our debt obligations, legal requirements,
and other factors that our Board of Directors may deem relevant, and there can be no assurances that we will continue to pay a
dividend or repurchase shares of our common stock in the future. In furtherance of our deleveraging efforts, we have paused our
share repurchase program and are in the process of evaluating additional cash generation or conservation opportunities. As part
of this process, on November 4, 2024, we announced our intent to reduce our quarterly dividend by approximately 95 percent
beginning in the first quarter of 2025. We plan to continue to evaluate our dividend policy, taking into account our ability to
return to a balanced capital allocation strategy. Any further reduction or elimination of our dividends could adversely affect the
price of our common stock.
Regulatory, Legal, Environmental and Tax Risks
Failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations and/or changes in applicable laws or regulations may adversely affect
our business and financial results as a whole.
We are subject to extensive international, national, state, local and other laws and regulations. Failure to comply with these
laws, including antitrust, anticorruption and sanctions laws, rules, regulations or court decisions, could expose us to fines,
penalties and other costs. Although we have implemented policies, procedures and employee training designed to promote
compliance with these laws, rules, regulations and court decisions, there can be no assurance that our employees and business
partners and other third parties acting on our behalf will comply with these laws, rules, regulations and court decisions, which
could result in fines, penalties and costs and damage to our business reputation. For example, in July 2020 we announced that
we had reached a final settlement of $92 million with respect to a competition law investigation by the European Commission
based on certain past ethylene purchases by certain subsidiaries of the Company. Shell Chemicals Europe, another group of
corporate claimants, and, most recently, TotalEnergies Petrochemicals & Refining SA have filed claims for damages with the
District Court of Amsterdam against four companies, including the Company, arising from those activities. BASF SE has filed
a similar claim in the Court of Munich, Germany. See Note 19 - Commitments and Contingencies in the accompanying
consolidated financial statements for further information.
Moreover, changes in laws or regulations, including the more aggressive enforcement of such laws and regulations, such as
unexpected changes in regulatory requirements (including trade compliance requirements), or changes in reporting
requirements of the U.S., Canadian, Mexican, German, EU or Asian governmental agencies, could increase the cost of doing
business in these regions. In addition, enforcement of environmental or other governmental policy may result in plant shut
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downs or significantly decreased production, such as in China on high pollution days. Any of these types of conditions,
including the failure to obtain or maintain operating permits for our business, may have an effect on our business and financial
results as a whole and may result in volatile current and future prices for our products and raw materials. See Note 19 -
Commitments and Contingencies in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
Our business exposes us to potential product liability, warranty, and tort claims, and recalls, which could adversely affect
our financial condition and performance.
The development, manufacture and sale of specialty materials and chemical products by us, including products produced for the
medical device, pharmaceutical, automobile, construction, appliance, cigarette and aerospace end markets, involves a risk of
exposure to product liability, warranty, toxic tort, public nuisance, and other tort claims, product recalls, product seizures and
related adverse publicity. A product liability, warranty, toxic tort, public nuisance, or other tort claim or judgment against us
that is larger than those typically experienced in the regular course of business could also result in substantial and unexpected
expenditures, affect consumer or customer confidence in our products, and divert management's attention from other
responsibilities. Although we maintain product liability insurance, there can be no assurance that this type or the level of
coverage is adequate or that we will be able to continue to maintain our existing insurance or obtain comparable insurance at a
reasonable cost, if at all. A product recall or a significant partially or completely uninsured judgment against us could have a
material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition. Although we have standard contracting policies and
controls, we may not always be able to contractually limit our exposure to third party claims should our failure to perform result
in downstream supply disruptions or product recalls.
Environmental regulations and other obligations relating to environmental matters could subject us to liability for clean-
ups, fines, penalties and other damages, require us to incur significant costs to modify our operations and increase our
manufacturing and delivery costs.
Costs related to our compliance with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, and potential obligations with
respect to sites currently or formerly owned or operated by us, may have a negative impact on our operating results. We also
have obligations related to the indemnity agreement contained in the demerger and transfer agreement between Celanese GmbH
and Hoechst AG for environmental matters arising out of certain divestitures that took place prior to the demerger. See Note 13
- Environmental in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
Our operations are subject to extensive international, national, state, local and other laws and regulations that govern
environmental, health and safety matters and that regulate the handling, manufacture, use, emission and disposal of products,
materials and hazardous and non-hazardous waste. If we violate any one of those laws or regulations, we can be held liable for
substantial fines and other sanctions, including limitations on our operations as a result of changes to or revocations of
environmental permits involved. We could also face claims for damages from individuals or groups for alleged violations of
these laws or regulations.
We also incur substantial capital and other costs to comply with environmental, health and safety requirements. Stricter
environmental, safety and health laws and regulations could result in substantial additional costs and liabilities to us or
limitations on our operations. Consequently, compliance with these laws and regulations may negatively affect our earnings and
cash flows in a particular reporting period. See Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations - Liquidity and Capital Resources for further information.
For more information on risks we face specifically related to climate change and related potential regulation, see the risk factor
titled "We are subject to financial, regulatory, physical and transition risks associated with climate change or other
sustainability matters as well as potential legislation, regulation and international accords to address climate change and other
sustainability matters" below.
Changes in environmental, health and safety regulations in the jurisdictions where we manufacture or sell our products
could lead to a decrease in demand for or significant restrictions on use and/or production of our products and raw
materials.
New or revised governmental regulations, independent studies or consumer or societal perceptions relating to the effect of our
products on health, safety or the environment may affect demand for our products and the cost of producing our products. In
addition, products we produce, including VAM, formaldehyde, polymers derived from formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, may be
classified and labeled in a manner that would adversely affect demand for such products. For example, in 2019 the EPA
designated formaldehyde as a high-priority substance under the Toxic Substances Control Act ("TSCA") and the substance is
currently undergoing a multi-step review process. In December 2024, the EPA issued its final risk evaluation of certain uses of
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formaldehyde under the TSCA. We anticipate that, consistent with the TSCA, the EPA will develop a draft risk management
plan that is expected to be released for public comment in approximately 12 months.
Other initiatives, including the Chemical Strategy for Sustainability initiative currently to be undertaken by the EU as part of
the Green Deal will potentially require, or increase existing requirements for, toxicological testing and risk assessments of a
wide variety of chemicals, including chemicals used or produced by us. These assessments may result in heightened concerns
about the chemicals involved and additional regulatory requirements being placed on the production, handling, labeling and/or
use of the subject chemicals. The new requirements may necessitate reformulation of products in order to meet customers'
demands, which would be a financially burdensome process.
Such concerns and additional requirements could also increase the cost incurred by our customers to use our chemical products
and otherwise limit the use of these products, which could lead to a decrease in demand for these products. Such a decrease in
demand would likely have an adverse impact on our business and results of operations.
We are subject to financial, regulatory, physical and transition risks associated with climate change or other sustainability
matters as well as potential legislation, regulation and international accords to address climate change and other
sustainability matters.
Greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions have become the subject of significant international, national, regional, state and local
attention. For example, the EPA, SEC, and European Commission have promulgated or proposed extensive rules concerning
reporting of GHG emissions. The European Commission has also embarked on the European Green Deal initiative with the
goal of making the EU carbon neutral by 2050, which is leading to additional statutory and regulatory requirements. In addition,
regulation of greenhouse gas also could occur pursuant to future treaty obligations, statutory or regulatory changes or new
climate change legislation intended to reduce or mitigate the effects of GHG emissions. Compliance with such legislation,
regulation and accords and the associated potential cost is complicated by the fact that various countries and regions are
following different approaches and standards to the regulation of climate change.
A number of our operations are within jurisdictions that have or are developing regulatory regimes governing GHG emissions,
which may lead to direct and indirect costs on our operations. Some jurisdictions have emissions reduction measures directed at
the power or oil and gas sectors, which could result in higher power input costs or reduced energy availability for us. Other
regulations that are being implemented or contemplated include the potential for restrictions on GHG emissions, cap and trade
emissions trading systems, taxes on GHG emissions, fuel, and energy, or carbon import charges on certain products among
other provisions. These may exist in addition to country and corporate-level net-zero GHG emissions pledges. These measures,
if and where enacted, may significantly increase our costs of operations or require us to incur significant additional capital costs
for the installation of equipment to mitigate GHG emissions for our sites' manufacturing operations.
Physical impacts that could be associated with climate change, such as increased frequency and severity of hurricanes and
floods and impact on sea levels, may also impact our facilities and operations and those of our key suppliers. A number of our
sites are located in areas that are exposed to weather events and changing sea levels (such as the Texas Gulf Coast) and that
have been impacted by hurricanes and other weather events in the past as described elsewhere in these risk factors. To the
extent climate change exacerbates these threats, our operations and supply chains could experience increased levels of
disruptions and added costs.
Additionally, increased social, legislative and regulatory focus on climate change and other sustainability matters as well as
customer demand for responsibly manufactured products could lead to changes in the behavior of our customers or their end-
customers, and could result in reduced customer demand for products made from materials that are perceived to be significant
contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change. We may fail to accurately react to these trends and refine
our product offerings through innovation, or we may not be able to fully address these concerns through changes in
manufacturing methods or use of more sustainable materials and processes, which could result in reduced demand for our
products.
We closely monitor developments in this area, but there is significant uncertainty regarding what legislative or regulatory
requirements may be put in place, which makes it impossible for us to predict the longer-term impact these measures have on
our operations. However, we believe that future legislative and regulatory developments related to climate change are likely,
which could materially increase operating costs in the chemical industry and thereby increase our manufacturing and delivery
costs.
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Our aspirations, goals, and initiatives related to sustainability, and our public statements and disclosures regarding them,
expose us to risks.
We have developed and publicized, and expect to continue to establish, goals, targets, and other objectives related to
sustainability matters. These include a GHG intensity reduction target and other environmental targets. Such statements reflect
our current plans at the time they are made, and do not constitute a guarantee that they will be achieved. Our ability to track and
meet these goals depends on future innovations and technology and the availability of accurate reporting methods. Our efforts
to research, establish, accomplish, and accurately report on these goals, targets, and objectives could expose us to operational,
reputational, financial, legal, and other risks. Our ability to achieve any stated goal, target, or objective is and will be subject to
numerous factors and conditions, many of which are outside of our control, such as evolving regulatory or quasi-regulatory
sustainability standards, the ability of suppliers to meet our sustainability and other standards, differing requirements and the
pace of changes in technology.
We may face increased scrutiny from the investment community, other stakeholders, regulators, and the media related to our
sustainability activities, including the goals, targets, and objectives that we announce, and our methodologies and timelines for
pursuing them. If our sustainability practices do not meet regulator, investor or other stakeholder expectations and standards,
which continue to evolve and may be conflicting, our reputation, ability to attract or retain employees, and attractiveness as an
investment, business partner, or as an acquirer could be negatively impacted, which could in turn adversely impact our business
and results of operations. Similarly, our failure or perceived failure to pursue or fulfill our goals, targets, and objectives, to
comply with ethical, environmental, or other standards, regulations, or expectations, or to satisfy various reporting standards
with respect to these matters, within the timelines that we announce, or at all, could have the same negative impacts, as well as
expose us to government enforcement actions and private litigation. Even if we achieve the goals, targets, and objectives we set,
we may not realize all of the benefits expected at the time they were established.
Our business and financial results may be adversely affected by various legal and regulatory proceedings.
We are involved in legal and regulatory proceedings, lawsuits, claims and investigations in the normal course of business and
could become subject to additional claims in the future, some of which could be material. The outcome of existing proceedings,
lawsuits, claims and investigations may differ from our expectations because the outcomes of such proceedings, including
regulatory matters, are often difficult to reliably predict. Various factors or developments can lead us to change current
estimates of liabilities and related insurance receivables where applicable, or permit us to make such estimates for matters
previously not susceptible to reasonable estimates, such as a significant judicial ruling or judgment, a significant settlement,
significant regulatory developments, or changes in applicable law. A future adverse ruling, settlement, or unfavorable
development could result in charges that could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial
condition in any particular period. See Note 13 - Environmental and Note 19 - Commitments and Contingencies in the
accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
Changes in, or the interpretation of, tax legislation or rates throughout the world, or the resolution of tax examinations or
audits, could materially impact our results.
Our future effective tax rate and related tax balance sheet attributes could be impacted by changes in, or the interpretation of,
tax legislation throughout the world. The overall tax environment has made it increasingly challenging for multinational
corporations to operate with certainty about taxation in many jurisdictions. For example, the European Commission has been
conducting investigations focusing on whether local country tax rulings or tax legislation provide preferential tax treatment that
violates EU state aid rules.
Furthermore, a number of countries where we do business, including the U.S. and many countries in the EU, have changed or
are considering changes in relevant tax, accounting and other laws, regulations and interpretations, including changes to tax
laws applicable to multinational corporations. Our future effective tax rates could be affected by changes in the mix of earnings
in countries with differing statutory tax rates, expirations of tax holidays or rulings, changes in the assessment regarding the
realization of deferred tax assets, or changes in tax laws and regulations or their interpretation. The increasingly complex global
tax environment and related legislative developments could have a material adverse effect on our effective tax rate, results of
operations, cash flows and financial condition.
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For example, the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (the "OECD"), which represents a coalition of
member countries, is supporting changes to numerous long-standing tax principles through its base erosion and profit shifting
initiatives, which focus on a number of issues, including (i) the shifting of profits among affiliated entities located in different
tax jurisdictions and (ii) a global minimum tax of at least 15% of adjusted financial statement income, applied on a country-by-
country basis, applicable to multinational groups with annual revenue of EUR750 million or more. The adoption of such
changes is contingent upon the independent actions of participating countries to enact implementing domestic legislation.
Countries where we do business, including several EU member states, have either implemented, or are in the process of
implementing, the 15% global minimum tax into domestic legislation.
In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 ("IRA") was enacted in the U.S. The IRA created a new book minimum
tax, effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022, of 15% of adjusted consolidated GAAP pre-tax income for
corporations with three-year average adjusted annual book income in excess of $1.0 billion. The IRA also created an excise tax
that is generally equal to 1% of the value of any stock repurchased by us after December 31, 2022.
We are subject to the regular examination of our income tax returns by various tax authorities. Examinations in material
jurisdictions or changes in laws, rules, regulations or interpretations by local taxing authorities could result in impacts to tax
years open under statute or to foreign operating structures currently in place.
Our tax returns have been under audit for the years 2013 through 2015 by the United States, the Netherlands and Germany. In
September 2021, we received a draft joint audit report proposing adjustments to transfer pricing and the reallocation of income
between the related jurisdictions. The relevant tax authorities also proposed to apply these adjustments to open tax years
through 2019. We were unable to reach an agreement with the relevant tax authorities and therefore these audits continued on a
separate jurisdictional basis. In the fourth quarter of 2022, we concluded settlement discussions with the Dutch tax authority,
and in the third quarter of 2024, we concluded settlement discussions with the German tax authority related to the German
transfer pricing audit. We engaged in continuing discussions with the tax authority in the United States, and we are currently
evaluating all additional potential remedies regarding the ongoing examination.
In addition, we are under examination in certain jurisdictions for other matters for various years, including Mexico, Canada, the
United States and Germany.
We cannot predict with certainty the outcome of tax examinations or audits. We regularly assess the likelihood of adverse
outcomes resulting from these examinations or changes in laws, rules, regulations or interpretations to determine the adequacy
of our provision for taxes. It is possible the outcomes from these examinations or audits will have a material adverse effect on
our financial condition and operating results in future periods.
Risks Related to Our Human Capital
Our success depends upon our ability to attract and retain key employees and the identification and development of talent to
succeed senior management.
Our success depends on our ability to attract and retain key personnel including our management team. The inability to recruit
and retain talented employees or the unexpected loss of such talented employees or key personnel may adversely affect our
operations. Like many companies, we have experienced in the last couple of years and continue to experience an increasingly
competitive hiring environment for skilled employees at our manufacturing and other sites, which in some cases has increased,
or may in the future increase, the cost of retaining or hiring talented employees, particularly in technical manufacturing roles
critical to our success.
In addition, we rely on our senior management team specifically, therefore our future success depends in part on our ability to
retain those members of senior management and to identify and develop talent to succeed senior management. The hiring and
retention of key personnel and appropriate senior management succession planning will continue to be important to the
successful implementation of our strategies.
Significant changes in pension fund investment performance or assumptions relating to pension costs may have a material
effect on the valuation of pension obligations, the funded status of pension plans and our pension cost.
The cost of our pension plans is incurred over long periods of time and involves many uncertainties during those periods of
time. Our funding policy for pension plans is to accumulate plan assets that, over the long run, will approximate the present
value of projected benefit obligations. Our pension cost is materially affected by the discount rate used to measure pension
obligations, the level and value of plan assets available to fund those obligations at the measurement date and the expected
long-term rate of return on plan assets. Significant changes in investment performance or a change in the portfolio mix of
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invested assets will likely result in corresponding increases and decreases in the valuation of plan assets and a change in the
discount rate or mortality assumptions, which will likely result in an increase or decrease in the valuation of pension
obligations. The combined impact of these changes will affect the reported funded status of our pension plans as well as the net
periodic pension cost in the following fiscal years. An extended duration strategy in the asset portfolio was implemented in
some plans to reduce the influence of liability volatility due to changes in interest rates. If the funded status of a pension plan
declines, we may be required to make unscheduled contributions in addition to those contributions for which we have already
planned. See Note 12 - Benefit Obligations in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
Some of our employees are unionized, represented by workers councils or are subject to local laws that are less favorable to
employers than the laws of the U.S.
As of December 31, 2024, we had 12,163 employees globally. Approximately 13% of our 4,085 U.S.-based employees are
unionized. In addition, a large number of our employees are employed in countries in which employment laws provide greater
bargaining or other employment rights than the laws of the U.S. Such employment rights require us to work collaboratively
with the legal representatives of the employees to effect any changes to labor agreements. Most of our employees in Europe are
represented by workers councils and/or unions that must approve any changes in terms and conditions of employment,
including potentially salaries and benefits. They may also impede efforts to restructure our workforce. Although we believe we
have a good working relationship with our employees globally and their legal representatives, a strike, work stoppage, or
slowdown by our employees, including in connection with renegotiation of labor contracts from time to time, could occur,
resulting in a disruption of our operations or higher ongoing labor costs.
Risks Related to Our Indebtedness
Our indebtedness and interest expense, could adversely affect us, decrease our business flexibility, diminish our ability to
raise additional capital to fund our operations or refinance our existing indebtedness when it matures, adversely affect our
credit ratings, and limit our ability to react to changes in the economy or the chemicals industry.
See Note 11 - Debt in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information about our indebtedness. See
Note 12 - Benefit Obligations, Note 13 - Environmental and Note 19 - Commitments and Contingencies in the accompanying
consolidated financial statements for further information about our other obligations.
As of December 31, 2024, our total debt was $12.6 billion. Despite our level of indebtedness, we expect to continue to have the
ability to borrow additional debt. There may be circumstances in which required payments of principal and/or interest on our
debt could adversely affect our cash flows, our operating results or our ability to return capital to our shareholders. We have
allocated, and intend to continue to allocate, capital to repay and reduce our outstanding debt using cash from operations and
proceeds from asset sales or dispositions in cases where we are able to do so on favorable terms. Our ability to reduce our level
of indebtedness over time in line with our strategic goals depends on a number of factors including our business performance,
macroeconomic and industry conditions, commercial and financing market conditions, and other factors described in these risk
factors, and our inability to achieve these objectives could delay or alter our deleveraging plan, or could negatively impact the
trading prices of our securities or our credit ratings. In furtherance of our deleveraging efforts, we have paused our share
repurchase program and are in the process of evaluating additional cash generation or conservation opportunities. As part of this
process, on November 4, 2024, we announced our intent to reduce our quarterly dividend by approximately 95 percent
beginning in the first quarter of 2025.
Our higher level of indebtedness and other liabilities could have other important consequences, including:
•
Increasing our vulnerability to general economic and industry conditions, including exacerbating the impact of any
adverse business effects that could impact our ability to repay amounts due under existing senior credit agreements
(the "Credit Agreements") or the indentures (the "Indentures") governing our outstanding senior unsecured notes
(collectively, the "Senior Notes");
•
Requiring a substantial portion of cash flow from operations to be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on
indebtedness and amounts payable in connection with the satisfaction of our other liabilities, therefore reducing our
ability to use our cash flow to fund operations, capital expenditures and future business opportunities or pay dividends
on or repurchase our common stock, par value $0.0001 per share ("Common Stock");
•
Reducing our flexibility to respond to changing business and economic conditions;
•
Exposing us to the risk of increased interest rates as certain of our borrowings are at variable rates of interest;
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•
Exposing us to the risk of changes in currency exchange rates as certain of our borrowings are denominated in foreign
currencies;
•
Adversely affecting our ability to comply with restrictive covenants in our debt agreements, which could result in an
event of default, including cross-defaults to other debt facilities, if not cured or waived;
•
Adversely affecting our future credit ratings, which could increase our future costs of funding, liquidity and access to
capital markets; and
•
Limiting our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, product development, debt
service requirements, acquisitions and general corporate or other purposes.
We may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service our indebtedness and may be forced to take other actions to satisfy
obligations under our indebtedness, which may not be successful.
If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt obligations, we may be forced to sell assets on
unfavorable terms, seek additional capital, restructure or refinance our indebtedness or delay capital expenditures. These
alternative measures may not be successful and may not permit us to meet our scheduled debt service and other obligations. In
the absence of such operating results and resources, we could face substantial liquidity problems and might be required to
dispose of material assets or operations to meet our debt service and other obligations. We may not be able to complete those
dispositions or to obtain the proceeds that we could realize from them, and these proceeds may not be adequate to meet any debt
service obligations then due.
Restrictive covenants in our debt agreements may limit our ability to engage in certain transactions and may diminish our
ability to make payments on our indebtedness, pay dividends, or repurchase our Common Stock.
The Credit Agreements, the Indentures and the Receivables Purchase Agreement governing our receivables securitization
facility each contain various covenants that limit our ability to engage in specified types of transactions. The Credit Agreements
contain covenants including, but not limited to, restrictions on our and certain of our subsidiaries' ability to incur additional
debt; incur liens securing debt; merge or consolidate with any other person; and sell, assign, transfer, lease, convey or otherwise
dispose of all or substantially all of the Issuer's assets or the assets of certain subsidiaries. Additionally, the Credit Agreements
require the maintenance of certain financial ratios. The Indentures contain covenants including, but not limited to, restrictions
on our and certain of our subsidiaries' ability to incur liens securing debt; merge or consolidate with any other person; and sell,
assign, transfer, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the Issuer's assets or the assets of certain
subsidiaries.
The Receivables Purchase Agreement also contains covenants including, but not limited to, restrictions on CE Receivables
LLC's, a wholly-owned, "bankruptcy remote" special purpose subsidiary of the Company, and certain other Company
subsidiaries' ability to incur indebtedness; grant liens on assets; merge, consolidate, or sell assets; pay dividends, repurchase our
Common Stock or make other restricted payments; make investments; prepay or modify certain indebtedness; or engage in
other businesses.
Such restrictions in the instruments governing our debt obligations could result in us having to obtain the consent of our lenders
and holders of the Senior Notes in order to take certain actions. Disruptions in credit markets may prevent us from obtaining or
make it more difficult or more costly for us to obtain such consents. Our ability to expand our business or to address declines in
our business may be limited if we are unable to obtain such consents.
A breach of any of these covenants could result in a default, which, if not cured or waived, could have a material adverse effect
on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, a default under any of the Credit Agreements could
permit lenders to accelerate the maturity of our indebtedness under such Credit Agreement and to terminate any commitments
to lend. If the lenders under any Credit Agreement accelerate the repayment of such indebtedness, we may not have sufficient
liquidity to repay such amounts or our other indebtedness, including the Senior Notes. In such event, we could be forced into
bankruptcy or liquidation.
Our credit ratings are subject to change and may not reflect all risks of investments in our securities.
Our credit ratings are an assessment by rating agencies of our ability to pay our debts when due. Consequently, real or
anticipated changes in our credit ratings will generally affect the market value of our securities. These credit ratings may not
reflect the potential impact of risks relating to our securities. Agency ratings are not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any
security, and may be revised or withdrawn at any time by the issuing organization. Each agency's rating should be evaluated
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independently of any other agency's rating. In November 2024, S&P Global Ratings downgraded our long-term credit rating
from BBB- to BB+, with a stable outlook and in December 2024 Fitch Ratings affirmed our long-term credit rating of BBB- but
revised our rating outlook to negative from stable. On February 12, 2025 Moody's Ratings downgraded our long-term and
short-term credit ratings from Baa3 to Ba1 with a negative outlook. We cannot be assured that we will be able to maintain our
current credit ratings, and any additional actual or anticipated negative changes or downgrades in our credit ratings or ratings
outlook or watch, including any announcement that our ratings are under review for a downgrade, could further increase our
corporate borrowing costs and affect the market value of our securities and may have a negative impact on our liquidity, capital
position and access to capital markets.
Celanese and Celanese U.S. are holding companies and depend on subsidiaries to satisfy their obligations under the Senior
Notes and the guarantee of Celanese U.S.'s obligations under the Senior Notes and the Credit Agreements by Celanese.
As holding companies, Celanese and Celanese U.S. conduct substantially all of their operations through their subsidiaries,
which own substantially all of our consolidated assets. Consequently, the principal source of cash to pay Celanese and Celanese
U.S.'s obligations, including obligations under the Senior Notes and the guarantee of Celanese U.S.'s obligations under the
Credit Agreements and the Indentures by Celanese, is the cash that our subsidiaries generate from their operations. We cannot
assure that our subsidiaries will be able to, or be permitted to, make distributions to enable Celanese U.S. and/or Celanese to
make payments in respect of their obligations. Each of our subsidiaries is a distinct legal entity and, under certain
circumstances, applicable country or state laws, regulatory limitations and terms of our debt instruments may limit our
subsidiaries' ability to distribute cash to Celanese U.S. and Celanese. In the event Celanese U.S. and/or Celanese do not receive
distributions from our subsidiaries, Celanese U.S. and/or Celanese may be unable to make required payments on the
indebtedness under the Credit Agreements, the Indentures, the guarantee of Celanese U.S.'s obligations under the Credit
Agreements and the Indentures by Celanese, or our other indebtedness.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity Risk Management and Oversight
Strategy for Management of Cybersecurity Risk
Cybersecurity, resilience and data privacy are important to maintaining our proprietary information and the trust of our
customers, suppliers and employees, and we recognize the importance of working to secure our data and information systems
from potential cybersecurity and data privacy incidents. We are a large global manufacturer with sites around the world, and we
identify and assess our cybersecurity risk through that lens. Securing the execution and control of our manufacturing operations,
to the extent implemented through digital technology, is a primary area of focus. We also face risks encountered by
substantially all large global companies such as the risks of intellectual property and information being compromised, fraud,
business interruption and violation of privacy or security laws.
We identify, assess, manage and mitigate cybersecurity risk through a risk management program based on the NIST
Cybersecurity Framework that is regularly assessed by a third party cybersecurity consultant. As part of our processes, we
perform routine scanning and have an established vulnerability management program and patching policy. We have in our
learning management system a comprehensive cybersecurity awareness course that is mandatory for all employees with
computers and covers key topics such as identifying workplace cybersecurity hazards and attacks, and our separate CyberSAFE
and Data Privacy intranets provide content to help employees identify and avoid cybersecurity and data privacy risks. We also
have data privacy educational tools, policies and procedures to help employees prevent, recognize and report data privacy
incidents. We perform penetration tests and vulnerability and breach assessments with third-party advisors to support our
compliance with laws and regulations including those applicable to chemical manufacturing sites. We also have a third-party
risk management program with a formal approach to evaluating and managing risks associated with third-party information
technology solutions and software. We maintain cyber/information security insurance to protect against certain expenses and
liabilities that may be incurred in the event of an incident.
Cybersecurity, resilience and data privacy risks are maintained and managed on an ongoing basis as part of our broader
enterprise risk management program. Specifically, a risk management workstream focused on our information technology
function (including cybersecurity, resilience and data privacy) is designed to assess, identify and manage cybersecurity-
resilience and data privacy-related risks and mitigation measures.
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Our cybersecurity risk program also includes a documented incident response plan to be used in the event of a cybersecurity
incident. The incident response plan provides for certain responses based on various factors of a cybersecurity incident and
integrates with our enterprise crisis management program.
Governance and Oversight
Primary responsibility for assessing and managing risks from cybersecurity threats resides with our management team,
including a Chief Information Officer who has nearly 30 years of information technology experience including leadership roles
at multiple large, global and/or publicly-traded companies, and a Chief Information Security Officer who has over 30 years of
experience in cybersecurity with large international publicly-traded companies and who holds a Certified Information Systems
Security Professional (CISSP) certification. These individuals, together with others on their teams, are informed about the
monitoring, prevention, detection, mitigation, and remediation of cybersecurity incidents through their management of and
participation in the cybersecurity risk management policies, processes and operations discussed above. They regularly report to
and consult with the executive leadership team on such matters.
At the Board level, the full Board and its Stewardship Committee (which oversees many of our operational risks related to
manufacturing) are both involved in oversight of the Company's management of cybersecurity risk. Management, including the
Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer, updates our Stewardship Committee and full Board on
cybersecurity matters quarterly. We also have processes by which certain cybersecurity incidents are escalated within the
Company and may be reviewed by a designated management committee and, where appropriate, reported in a timely manner to
the Board.
Additional Information
For additional information on the risks we face related to cyber and information security threats, please see the risk factors in
Item 1A. Risk Factors titled "Production at our manufacturing facilities, or at our suppliers', could be disrupted for a variety of
reasons, which could prevent us from producing enough of our products to maintain our sales and satisfy our customers'
demands" on page 19 and "We are subject to information or operational technology cybersecurity threats that could materially
affect our business" on page 22.
Item 2. Properties
Description of Property
Our corporate headquarters is located in Irving, Texas and we also have administrative offices in Amsterdam, Netherlands;
Asturias, Spain; Budapest, Hungary; Hyderabad, India; Mexico City, Mexico; Meyrin, Switzerland; Nanjing, China; Shanghai,
China; and Sulzbach, Germany. We own or lease numerous production and manufacturing facilities throughout the world. We
also own or lease other properties, including office buildings, warehouses, pipelines, research and development facilities and
sales offices. We continuously review and evaluate our facilities as a part of our strategy to optimize our business portfolio. The
following table sets forth our principal production and other facilities throughout the world as of December 31, 2024. These
facilities are well-maintained, in good operating condition, are suitable and adequate for their use and have sufficient capacity
for our current needs and expected near-term growth.
Geographic Region
Engineered Materials(1)
Acetyl Chain(1)
Corporate
Leased
Owned
Leased
Owned
Leased
Owned
North America
9
9
1
7
2
—
Europe and Africa
5
6
1
4
4
1
Asia-Pacific
4
8
3
—
3
—
South America
2
1
—
—
—
—
Total
20
24
5
11
9
1
______________________________
(1)
Certain geographic locations may contain sites used by multiple segments.
We have also entered into strategic ventures with partners in various locations around the world. See Item 1. Business for a
discussion of our investments in affiliates and their respective site locations.
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31
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
The Company is involved in legal and regulatory proceedings, lawsuits, claims and investigations incidental to the normal
conduct of its business, relating to such matters as product liability, land disputes, insurance coverage disputes, contracts,
employment, antitrust and competition, intellectual property, personal injury and other actions in tort, workers' compensation,
chemical exposure, asbestos exposure, taxes, trade compliance, acquisitions and divestitures, claims of legacy shareholders,
past waste disposal practices and release of chemicals into the environment. The Company is actively defending those matters
where it is named as a defendant. Due to the inherent subjectivity of assessments and unpredictability of outcomes of legal
proceedings, the Company's litigation accruals and estimates of possible loss or range of possible loss may not represent the
ultimate loss to the Company from legal proceedings. See Note 13 - Environmental and Note 19 - Commitments and
Contingencies in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a discussion of material environmental matters and
material commitments and contingencies related to legal and regulatory proceedings. See Item 1A. Risk Factors for certain risk
factors relating to these legal proceedings.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
Information about our Executive Officers
The names, ages and biographies of our executive officers as of February 21, 2025 are as follows:
Name
Age
Position
Scott A. Richardson ................
48 President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Chuck B. Kyrish .....................
53 Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Todd Elliott .............................
59 Senior Vice President, Engineered Materials
Mark C. Murray ......................
54 Senior Vice President, Acetyls
Ashley B. Duffie .....................
50 Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Scott A. Richardson was named President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of our Board of Directors effective
January 1, 2025. He served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Celanese Corporation from
November 2023 until his current role. He had previously served as served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer for Celanese Corporation since February 2018 after serving as Senior Vice President of the Engineered Materials
business since December 2015, where he had global responsibility for strategy, product and business management, planning
and portfolio development, and pipeline management. He was promoted to Executive Vice President in March 2020.
Previously, Mr. Richardson served as Vice President and General Manager of the Acetyl Chain since 2011. Mr. Richardson has
progressed through several Celanese roles including global commercial director, Acetyls; manager of Investor Relations;
business analysis manager, Acetyls; and business line controller, Polyols and Solvents. He joined Celanese in 2005. Prior to
joining Celanese, Mr. Richardson held various finance, operational and leadership roles at American Airlines. He earned a
Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Westminster College and a Master of Business Administration from Texas Christian
University.
Chuck B. Kyrish has served as our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since November 2023. He previously
served as Vice President of Corporate Finance from April 2022, with supervisory responsibility for the Company's finance areas
including accounting, treasury, internal audit, and tax. He has held previous financial leadership roles at Celanese serving as
CFO, Acetyl Chain from January 2020 to April 2022, leading Investor Relations from December 2018 to January 2020 and
December 2015 through January 2017 and serving as Treasurer from February 2011 to November 2015 and January 2017 to
January 2020. He joined Celanese in 2006 as Financial Risk Manager and was promoted to Assistant Treasurer in 2008. Prior to
joining Celanese, he held financial roles at Sabre Corporation and ExxonMobil Corporation. Mr. Kyrish holds a Bachelor of
Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration from Texas Christian
University.
Todd Elliott returned to Celanese to serve as Senior Vice President, Engineered Materials in February 2025. Mr. Elliott first
joined Celanese in 1987 in a district sales role. He quickly rose through increasing leadership opportunities in regional sales,
business analysis, investor relations, and corporate development. He led the Acetate Tow business before becoming Senior Vice
President of global sales for both Acetyls and Engineered Materials in 2016. In 2017, he became Senior Vice President and
global commercial leader for Engineered Materials and head of Celanese Europe until 2018. At that time, he was elevated to
Senior Vice President of Acetyls and is credited with transforming the Acetyls operating model to a differentiated focus on
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downstream derivatives optionality that has redefined the value of the Acetyls business. He retired from Celanese in 2020 and
had been an independent consultant to clients in the chemicals and polymers industry prior to rejoining the Company. Mr.
Elliott earned his undergraduate degree at Westminster College and his Master of Business Administration at Fontbonne
University.
Mark C. Murray was named Senior Vice President, Acetyls in February 2023 after having served as the interim leader of
Celanese's Acetyls Business since November 2022. Before rejoining Celanese in June 2022 as Vice President of Business
Strategy and Development, Mr. Murray served as Executive Vice President, Biomaterials and Advanced Technologies at
Avantor, a global materials manufacturer and distributor. Mr. Murray previously served in senior commercial and business
roles within the Acetyl Chain and Engineered Materials businesses at Celanese from November 2009 through June 2019 and
from May 2002 to March 2007. Earlier in his career he served as a consultant with McKinsey & Co. Mr. Murray holds a
Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business
Administration from Northwestern University.
Ashley B. Duffie has served as Celanese's Senior Vice President and General Counsel since November 2023. She had
previously served as Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer since June 2020, where she was responsible for leading the
Company's strategy and execution of materials and supply procurement as well as managing supplier relationships. Prior to that
role, she has held legal and business leadership positions with Celanese including President and General Counsel of Asia
Pacific and China (January 2019 to June 2020), Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel of Asia Pacific and China
(June 2018 to January 2019), Vice President of the Integration Management Office (June 2017 to June 2018) and Chief
Compliance Officer (2013 to 2017). She joined Celanese in 2007 as Associate General Counsel, and previously practiced at the
law firm of Haynes and Boone, LLP specializing in environmental law, internal corporate investigations, and litigation. She
holds a law degree from Vermont Law School and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University.
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33
PART II
Item 5. Market for the Registrant's Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity
Securities
Market Information
Our common stock, par value $0.0001 per share ("Common Stock"), has traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the
symbol "CE" since January 21, 2005.
Holders
As of February 17, 2025, there were 125 holders of record of our Common Stock. A substantially greater number of holders of
our common stock are "street name" or beneficial holders, whose shares of record are held by banks, brokers and other financial
institutions.
Dividend Policy
The amount available to us to pay cash dividends is not currently restricted by our existing senior credit facilities and our
indentures governing our senior unsecured notes. Also, the general corporation law of the State of Delaware imposes
restrictions on the payment of dividends by all Delaware corporations that do not currently limit our ability to pay our current
and anticipated regular cash dividends. See Note 14 - Shareholders' Equity in the accompanying consolidated financial
statements for further information.
Celanese Purchases of its Equity Securities
We did not repurchase any Common Stock during the three months ended December 31, 2024. As of December 31, 2024, our
Board of Directors had authorized the repurchase of $6.9 billion of our Common Stock since February 2008, with
approximately $1.1 billion value of shares remaining that may be purchased under the program. See Note 14 - Shareholders'
Equity in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
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34
Performance Graph
The following performance graph compares the cumulative total return on Celanese Corporation Common Stock from
December 31, 2019 through December 31, 2024 to that of the Standard & Poor's ("S&P") 500 Stock Index and the Dow Jones
U.S. Chemicals Index. Cumulative total return represents the change in stock price and the amount of dividends received during
the indicated period, assuming reinvestment of all dividends. The performance graph assumes an investment of $100 on
December 31, 2019. The stock performance shown in the graph is included in response to SEC requirements and is not intended
to forecast or to be indicative of future performance.
Comparison of Cumulative Total Return
The above performance graph and related information shall not be deemed "soliciting material" or to be "filed" with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any future filing under the
Securities Act of 1933 or Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended, except to the extent that we specifically
incorporate it by reference into such filing.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
Our deferred compensation plan offers certain of our senior employees and directors the opportunity to defer a portion of their
compensation in exchange for a future payment amount equal to their deferments plus or minus certain amounts based upon the
market-performance of specified measurement funds selected by the participant. These deferred compensation obligations may
be considered securities of Celanese. Participants were required to make deferral elections under the plan prior to January 1 of
the year such deferrals will be withheld from their compensation. We relied on the exemption from registration provided by
Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act in making this offer to a select group of employees, fewer than 35 of which were non-
accredited investors under the rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Item 6. Reserved
This item is no longer required, as the Company adopted the amendment to Item 301 of Regulation S-K contained in SEC
Release No. 33-10890, which became effective on February 10, 2021.
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35
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
In this Annual Report on Form 10-K ("Annual Report"), the term "Celanese" refers to Celanese Corporation, a Delaware
corporation, and not its subsidiaries. The terms the "Company," "we," "our" and "us," refer to Celanese and its subsidiaries on
a consolidated basis. The term "Celanese U.S." refers to the Company's subsidiary, Celanese US Holdings LLC, a Delaware
limited liability company, and not its subsidiaries.
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes to
the consolidated financial statements, which are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America ("U.S. GAAP").
Investors are cautioned that the forward-looking statements contained in this section and other parts of this Annual Report
involve both risk and uncertainty. Several important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those
anticipated by these statements. Many of these statements are macroeconomic in nature and are, therefore, beyond the control
of management. See "Forward-Looking Statements" below.
Forward-Looking Statements
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A") and other parts of this
Annual Report contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995 and information relating to us that are based on the beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by, and
information currently available to, us. Generally, words such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "project,"
"plan," "may," "can," "could," "might," and "will," and similar expressions, as they relate to us are intended to identify forward-
looking statements. These statements reflect our current views and beliefs with respect to future events as of the date hereof, are
not historical facts or guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and many
of which are outside of our control. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions as to future events
that may not prove to be accurate. See "Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" at the beginning of this Annual
Report for further discussion. All forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report are made as of the date hereof, and
the risk that actual results will differ materially from expectations expressed in this Annual Report will increase with the
passage of time. We undertake no obligation, and disclaim any duty, to publicly update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in our expectations or otherwise.
Risk Factors
Item 1A. Risk Factors of this Annual Report also contains a description of certain risk factors that you should consider which
could significantly affect our business and/or financial results. In addition, the following factors, among others, could cause our
actual results to differ materially from those results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements:
•
changes in general economic, business, political and regulatory conditions in the countries or regions in which we operate;
•
the length and depth of product and industry business cycles particularly in the automotive, electrical, textiles, electronics
and construction industries;
•
volatility or changes in the price and availability of raw materials and energy, particularly changes in the demand for,
supply of, and market prices of ethylene, methanol, natural gas, carbon monoxide, wood pulp, hexamethylene diamine,
Polyamide 66 ("PA66"), polybutylene terephthalate, ethanol, natural gas and fuel oil, and the prices for electricity and other
energy sources;
•
the ability to pass increases in raw materials prices, logistics costs and other costs on to customers or otherwise improve
margins through price increases;
•
the possibility that we will not be able to realize the anticipated benefits of the Mobility & Materials business (the "M&M
Business") we acquired from DuPont de Nemours, Inc. (the "M&M Acquisition"), including synergies and growth
opportunities, whether as a result of difficulties arising from the operation of the M&M Business or other unanticipated
delays, costs, inefficiencies or liabilities;
•
additional impairments of goodwill or intangible assets;
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36
•
increased commercial, legal or regulatory complexity of entering into, or expanding our exposure to, certain end markets
and geographies;
•
risks in the global economy and equity and credit markets and their potential impact on our ability to pay down debt in the
future and/or refinance at suitable rates, in a timely manner, or at all;
•
risks and costs associated with increased leverage from the M&M Acquisition, including increased interest expense and
potential reduction of business and strategic flexibility;
•
the ability to maintain plant utilization rates and to implement planned capacity additions, expansions and maintenance;
•
the ability to reduce or maintain current levels of production costs and to improve productivity by implementing
technological improvements to existing plants;
•
increased price competition and the introduction of competing products by other companies;
•
the ability to identify desirable potential acquisition or divestiture opportunities and to complete such transactions,
including obtaining regulatory approvals, consistent with our strategy;
•
market acceptance of our products and technology;
•
compliance and other costs and potential disruption or interruption of production or operations due to accidents,
interruptions in sources of raw materials, transportation, logistics or supply chain disruptions, cybersecurity incidents,
terrorism or political unrest, public health crises, or other unforeseen events or delays in construction or operation of
facilities, including as a result of geopolitical conditions, the direct or indirect consequences of acts of war or conflict (such
as the Russia-Ukraine conflict or conflicts in the Middle East) or terrorist incidents or as a result of weather, natural
disasters, or other crises;
•
the ability to obtain governmental approvals and to construct facilities on terms and schedules acceptable to us;
•
changes in applicable tariffs, duties and trade agreements, tax rates or legislation throughout the world including, but not
limited to, anti-dumping and countervailing duties, adjustments, changes in estimates or interpretations or the resolution of
tax examinations or audits that may impact recorded or future tax impacts and potential regulatory and legislative tax
developments in the United States and other jurisdictions;
•
changes in the degree of intellectual property and other legal protection afforded to our products or technologies, or the
theft of such intellectual property;
•
potential liability for remedial actions and increased costs under existing or future environmental, health and safety
regulations, including those relating to climate change or other sustainability matters;
•
potential liability resulting from pending or future claims or litigation, including investigations or enforcement actions, or
from changes in the laws, regulations or policies of governments or other governmental activities, in the countries in which
we operate;
•
our level of indebtedness, which could diminish our ability to raise additional capital to fund operations or limit our ability
to react to changes in the economy or the chemical industry, and the success of our deleveraging efforts, as well as any
changes to our credit ratings.
•
changes in currency exchange rates and interest rates;
•
tax rates and changes thereto; and
•
various other factors, both referenced and not referenced in this Annual Report.
Many of these factors are macroeconomic in nature and are, therefore, beyond our control. Should one or more of these risks or
uncertainties materialize, affect us in ways or to an extent that we currently do not expect or consider to be significant, or
should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results, performance or achievements may vary materially from those
described in this Annual Report as anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended, planned or projected. We neither intend
nor assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates hereof.
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37
Results of Operations
Financial Highlights
Year Ended
December 31,
2024
2023
Change
(In $ millions, except percentages)
Statement of Operations Data
Net sales ............................................................................................................................ 10,280
10,940
(660)
Gross profit ....................................................................................................................
2,356
2,603
(247)
Selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses ................................................. (1,030)
(1,075)
45
Other (charges) gains, net ................................................................................................. (1,744)
(68)
(1,676)
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net ...................................................
(14)
505
(519)
Operating profit (loss) ....................................................................................................
(697)
1,687
(2,384)
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates ..........................................................................
196
102
94
Non-operating pension and other postretirement employee benefit (expense) income ....
(20)
(69)
49
Interest expense .................................................................................................................
(676)
(720)
44
Interest income ..................................................................................................................
33
39
(6)
Dividend income - equity investments .............................................................................
128
126
2
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax ..................................................
(996)
1,183
(2,179)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations ................................................................... (1,506)
1,973
(3,479)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations ................................................................
(8)
(9)
1
Net earnings (loss) ..................................................................................................... (1,514)
1,964
(3,478)
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation .......................................... (1,522)
1,960
(3,482)
Other Data
Depreciation and amortization ..........................................................................................
801
706
95
SG&A expenses as a percentage of Net sales ...................................................................
10.0 %
9.8 %
Operating margin(1)
...........................................................................................................
(6.8) %
15.4 %
Other (charges) gains, net
Restructuring ..................................................................................................................
(107)
(52)
(55)
Asset impairments .......................................................................................................... (1,639)
(15)
(1,624)
Plant/office closures .......................................................................................................
2
(1)
3
Total Other (charges) gains, net ................................................................................ (1,744)
(68)
(1,676)
_____________________________
(1)
Defined as Operating profit (loss) divided by Net sales.
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Balance Sheet Data
Cash and cash equivalents ...................................................................................................................
962
1,805
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates ...........
1,501
1,383
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs .............................................................
11,078
12,301
Total debt ........................................................................................................................................
12,579
13,684
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38
Factors Affecting Business Segment Net Sales
The percentage increase (decrease) in Net sales attributable to each of the factors indicated for each of our business segments is
as follows:
Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023
Volume
Price
Currency
Total
(In percentages)
Engineered Materials .............................................................................
(5)
(3)
(1)
(9)
Acetyl Chain ..........................................................................................
4
(6)
—
(2)
Total Company ..................................................................................
(1)
(4)
(1)
(6)
Consolidated Results
Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023
Net sales decreased $660 million, or 6%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 primarily
due to:
•
lower pricing, driven by our Acetyl Chain segment due to an environment with greater supply than demand, as well as
our Engineered Materials segment due to competitive market dynamics, product mix, and decreased energy
surcharges;
•
lower volume in our Engineered Materials segment primarily due to the formation of the Nutrinova joint venture (see
Note 4 - Acquisitions, Dispositions and Plant Closures in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for
further information) and reduced demand for elastomers due to weaker automotive demand, partially offset by higher
volume, principally for POM in Europe and Asia; and
•
an unfavorable currency impact, primarily resulting from a weaker Chinese Yuan ("CNY") and Japanese Yen ("JPY")
relative to the U.S. dollar;
partially offset by:
•
higher volume in our Acetyl Chain segment for most of our products, primarily methanol, downstream derivative
products, acid, and VAM.
Operating profit decreased $2.4 billion, or 141%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023
primarily due to:
•
an unfavorable impact of $1.7 billion to Other (charges) gains, net primarily in our Engineered Materials segment
related to an impairment loss on goodwill of $1.5 billion and impairment losses on certain trade names, primarily
Zytel® (see Note 9 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Net and Note 24 - Other (Charges) Gains, Net in the
accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information);
•
lower Net sales across our segments; and
•
a gain of $515 million in our Engineered Materials segment recognized on the formation of the Nutrinova joint venture
during the year ended December 31, 2023, which did not recur in the current year (see Note 4 - Acquisitions,
Dispositions and Plant Closures in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information);
partially offset by:
•
lower raw material costs in our Engineered Materials and Acetyl Chain segments.
Non-operating pension and other postretirement employee expense decreased $49 million for the year ended
December 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 primarily due to a decrease in recognized actuarial loss of $29 million
as a result of an increase in the weighted average discount rate used to determine benefit obligations from 4.5% to 4.8%,
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39
partially offset by lower than expected actual asset returns. See Note 12 - Benefit Obligations in the accompanying consolidated
financial statements for further information.
Our effective income tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2024 was (51)% compared to (67)% for the year ended 2023.
The change in the effective income tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 was
primarily due to:
•
prior year impacts that did not recur in the current year, including the relocation of certain intangible assets to better
align with the acquired M&M foreign operations, the realignment of our European headquarters and principal
operations to Switzerland to achieve operational efficiencies, the release of valuation allowances on U.S. foreign tax
credit carryforwards, and the excess of the U.S. GAAP gain over the tax gain from the formation of the Nutrinova joint
venture; and
•
current year impacts of a non-deductible goodwill impairment loss and recognition of a valuation allowance against
certain local country, non-U.S. tax credit carryforwards due to reduced forecasts of earnings in future periods and
capital gains tax arising from an internal integration-related restructuring of our acquired China operations to optimize
our debt profile.
See Note 15 - Income Taxes in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
Discussion of our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year
ended December 31, 2022 and for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, can be
found in Part II - Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our
Annual Reports for the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.
Business Segments
Engineered Materials
Year Ended
December 31,
%
2024
2023
Change
Change
(In $ millions, except percentages)
Net sales .......................................................................................................... 5,607
6,149
(542)
(8.8) %
Net Sales Variance
Volume .........................................................................................................
(5) %
Price .............................................................................................................
(3) %
Currency ......................................................................................................
(1) %
Other (charges) gains, net ............................................................................... (1,724)
(56)
(1,668) (2,978.6) %
Operating profit (loss) .................................................................................... (1,179)
1,083
(2,262)
(208.9) %
Operating margin ............................................................................................
(21.0) %
17.6 %
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates ........................................................
172
83
89
107.2 %
Depreciation and amortization ........................................................................
510
462
48
10.4 %
Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023
Net sales decreased for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 primarily due to:
•
lower volume, primarily driven by the formation of the Nutrinova joint venture (see Note 4 - Acquisitions,
Dispositions and Plant Closures in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information) and
reduced demand for elastomers due to weaker automotive demand, partially offset by higher volume for certain
products, principally for POM in Europe and Asia;
•
lower pricing for most of our products, primarily due to competitive market dynamics, product mix, and decreased
energy surcharges; and
•
an unfavorable currency impact, primarily resulting from a weaker JPY and CNY relative to the U.S. dollar.
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40
Operating profit decreased for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 primarily due to:
•
an unfavorable impact of $1.7 billion to Other (charges) gains, net primarily related to an impairment loss on goodwill
of $1.5 billion and impairment losses on certain trade names, primarily Zytel® (see Note 9 - Goodwill and Intangible
Assets, Net and Note 24 - Other (Charges) Gains, Net in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for
further information);
•
a gain of $515 million recognized on the formation of the Nutrinova joint venture during the year ended
December 31, 2023, which did not recur in the current year (see Note 4 - Acquisitions, Dispositions and Plant Closures
in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information); and
•
lower Net sales;
partially offset by:
•
lower raw materials costs for most of our products.
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates increased for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023
primarily due to:
•
an increase in earnings from our Mylar Specialty Films strategic affiliates of $61 million, primarily due to increased
restructuring costs incurred in the year ended December 31, 2023, which did not recur in the current year.
Acetyl Chain
Year Ended
December 31,
%
2024
2023
Change
Change
(In $ millions, except percentages)
Net sales ......................................................................................................
4,763
4,884
(121)
(2.5) %
Net Sales Variance
Volume ......................................................................................................
4 %
Price .........................................................................................................
(6) %
Currency ...................................................................................................
— %
Operating profit (loss) .................................................................................
951
1,109
(158)
(14.2) %
Operating margin ........................................................................................
20.0 %
22.7 %
Dividend income - equity investments .......................................................
127
124
3
2.4 %
Depreciation and amortization ....................................................................
244
217
27
12.4 %
Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023
Net sales decreased for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 primarily due to:
•
lower pricing for most of our products globally, due to an environment with greater supply than demand during the
year ended December 31, 2024;
partially offset by:
•
higher volume for most of our products, primarily methanol, downstream derivative products, acid, and VAM.
Operating profit decreased for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 primarily due to:
•
lower Net sales; and
•
higher spending of $40 million, primarily as a result of increased plant operating and maintenance expenses, including
costs at our new acetic acid unit at Clear Lake, Texas, and plant turnaround costs related to our joint venture, Fairway
Methanol LLC;
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41
partially offset by:
•
lower raw material and sourcing costs, primarily for carbon monoxide and methanol.
Other Activities
Year Ended
December 31,
%
2024
2023
Change
Change
(In $ millions, except percentages)
Operating profit (loss) ....................................................................................
(469)
(505)
36
7.1 %
Non-operating pension and other postretirement employee benefit
(expense) income ........................................................................................
(28)
(68)
40
58.8 %
Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023
Operating loss decreased for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 primarily due to:
•
lower functional spending and incentive compensation cost of $33 million.
Non-operating pension and other postretirement employee expense decreased for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared
to the same period in 2023 primarily due to:
•
a decrease in the actuarial loss of $29 million as a result of an increase in the weighted average discount rate used to
determine benefit obligations from 4.5% to 4.8%, partially offset by lower than expected actual asset returns. See Note
12 - Benefit Obligations in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our primary sources of liquidity are cash generated from operations, available cash and cash equivalents, dividends from our
portfolio of strategic investments and available borrowings under our senior unsecured revolving credit facilities. As of
December 31, 2024, we have $1.75 billion available for borrowing under our senior U.S. unsecured revolving credit facility,
$171 million available for borrowing under our separate China Revolving Credit Facilities (defined below) and up to
$1.0 billion under the November 2024 U.S. Term Loan Credit Agreement (defined below), if required, in meeting our working
capital needs and other contractual obligations. In addition, we held cash and cash equivalents of $962 million as of
December 31, 2024. We are actively managing our business to maintain cash flow, and we believe that liquidity from the
above-referenced sources will be sufficient to meet our operational and capital investment needs and financial obligations for
the foreseeable future.
On February 29, 2024, we announced the intended closure of our facility in Mechelen, Belgium to optimize production costs
across our global network. This operation is included in the Engineered Materials segment. We fully ceased operations during
the three months ended December 31, 2024. We expect to incur additional exit and shutdown costs related to the closure of the
facility of approximately $20 million, inclusive of estimated employee termination costs, through 2028. See Note 4 -
Acquisitions, Dispositions and Plant Closures in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
In October 2023, we announced the intended closure of our PA66 and High-Performance Nylon ("HPN") polymerization units
at our facility in Uentrop, Germany to optimize production costs across our global network. These operations are included in
the Engineered Materials segment. We fully ceased operation of the PA66 polymerization unit and partially ceased operation of
the HPN polymerization units during the year ended December 31, 2024. See Note 4 - Acquisitions, Dispositions and Plant
Closures in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
In September 2023, we formed a food ingredients joint venture with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. ("Mitsui") under the name Nutrinova.
We contributed receivables, inventory, property, plant and equipment, certain other assets, liabilities, technology and employees
of our food ingredients business while retaining a 30% interest in the joint venture. Mitsui acquired the remaining 70% interest
in the food ingredients business for a purchase price of $503 million, subject to transaction adjustments. We accounted for our
interest in the joint venture as an equity method investment, and our portion of the results will continue to be included in the
Engineered Materials segment. For further information regarding the food ingredients joint venture, see Note 4 - Acquisitions,
Dispositions and Plant Closures in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
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42
In November 2022, we acquired a majority of the M&M Business for a purchase price of $11.0 billion, subject to transaction
adjustments, in an all-cash transaction. For further information regarding the acquisition and related financing transactions, see
Debt and Other Obligations in this Liquidity and Capital Resources and Note 4 - Acquisitions, Dispositions and Plant Closures
in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
Our incurrence of debt to finance the purchase price for the M&M Acquisition has increased our leverage and our ratio of
indebtedness to consolidated EBITDA as set forth in our senior unsecured credit facilities. We believe that cash flows from our
operations, together with synergy opportunities from the M&M Acquisition and cost reduction initiatives, will support our
deleveraging efforts over the next few years. However, we expect the weakened demand environment, as discussed below, to
continue to adversely impact our cash generation in the near-term. In furtherance of our deleveraging efforts, we have paused
our share repurchase program and are in the process of evaluating additional cash generation or conservation opportunities. As
part of this process, on November 4, 2024, we announced our intent to reduce our quarterly dividend by approximately
95 percent beginning in the first quarter of 2025. We will continue to evaluate our dividend policy, taking into account our
ability to return to a balanced capital allocation strategy. Our deleveraging efforts may also include, in addition to the food
ingredients joint venture described above, other opportunistic dispositions or monetization of other product or business lines or
other assets.
While our contractual obligations, commitments and debt service requirements over the next several years are significant, we
continue to believe we will have available resources to meet our liquidity requirements, including debt service, for the next
twelve months. If our cash flow from operations is insufficient to fund our debt service and other obligations, we may be
required to use other means available to us such as increasing our borrowings, reducing or delaying capital expenditures,
seeking additional capital, further reducing or pausing dividend payments, or seeking to restructure or refinance our
indebtedness. There can be no assurance, however, that we will continue to generate cash flows at or above current levels.
Total capital expenditures were $435 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. We continue to focus our near-term capital
expenditures on required maintenance projects and productivity improvements, as we continue to prioritize deleveraging and
expect total capital expenditures to be approximately $300 million to $350 million in 2025. In Engineered Materials, at our
Nanjing, China facility, our expansions of (1) the compounding plant is in construction and we are accelerating completion to
meet demand and (2) the new liquid crystal polymer ("LCP") plant is in construction and remains on schedule under a delayed
timeline. At our Bishop, Texas facility, our debottleneck of the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene ("UHMW-PE") unit is
on schedule and in detailed engineering design while construction is delayed in line with expected demand growth. Our energy
optimization productivity and greenhouse gas reduction project at our polyoxymethylene ("POM") unit in Frankfurt, Germany
is on schedule and in detailed engineering design. In the Acetyl Chain, our planned expansion of our vinyl acetate ethylene
("VAE") emulsion plant in Frankfurt, Germany is in construction and on schedule for start-up in the second half of 2025. We
continue to see the investments made in recent years strengthen the growth and reliability, while lowering the carbon footprint,
of our manufacturing network to best serve our customers.
We did not repurchase any Common Stock during the year ended December 31, 2024.
On a stand-alone basis, Celanese and its immediate 100% owned subsidiary, Celanese U.S., have no independent external
operations of their own. Accordingly, they generally depend on the cash flow of their subsidiaries and their ability to pay
dividends and make other distributions to Celanese and Celanese U.S. in order to meet their obligations, including their
obligations under senior credit facilities and senior notes, and to pay dividends on our Common Stock.
We are subject to capital controls and exchange restrictions imposed by the local governments in certain jurisdictions where we
operate, such as China, South Korea, India and Indonesia. Capital controls impose limitations on our ability to exchange
currencies, repatriate earnings or capital, lend via intercompany loans or create cross-border cash pooling arrangements. Our
largest exposure to a country with capital controls is in China. Pursuant to applicable regulations, foreign-invested enterprises in
China may pay dividends only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with Chinese accounting
standards and regulations. In addition, the Chinese government imposes certain currency exchange controls on cash transfers
out of China, puts certain limitations on duration, purpose and amount of intercompany loans, and restricts cross-border cash
pooling. While it is possible that future tightening of these restrictions or application of new similar restrictions could impact
us, these limitations do not currently restrict our operations.
We remain in compliance with the covenants in the existing Global Credit Agreements (defined below, and as amended to date)
and expect to remain in compliance based on our current expectation of future results of operations and planned cash generation
activities. If the actual future results of our operations and cash generation activities differ materially from these expectations,
we may be required to seek an amendment to or waiver of any impacted covenants, which may increase our borrowing costs
under the existing Global Credit Agreements.
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43
Cash Flows
Cash and cash equivalents decreased $843 million to $962 million as of December 31, 2024 compared to December 31, 2023.
As of December 31, 2024, $627 million of the $962 million of cash and cash equivalents was held by our foreign subsidiaries.
Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, we have incurred a prior year charge associated with the deemed repatriation of foreign
earnings. These funds are largely accessible without additional material tax consequences, if needed in the U.S., to fund
operations. See Note 15 - Income Taxes in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023
•
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities
Net cash provided by operating activities decreased $933 million to $966 million for the year ended December 31, 2024
compared to $1.9 billion for the same period in 2023, primarily due to:
•
unfavorable trade working capital of $654 million, primarily due to inventory reductions compared to those in the prior
year driven by balancing production with demand and the timing of settlement of trade payables during the year ended
December 31, 2024;
•
a decrease in Net earnings, excluding the non-cash impacts of impairment losses, primarily due to the goodwill
impairment loss of $1.5 billion in the Engineered Materials segment, (see Note 9 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Net
in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information), deferred income taxes of $1.2 billion
and the gain of $515 million recognized on the formation of the Nutrinova joint venture during the year ended
December 31, 2023, which did not recur in the current year (see Note 4 - Acquisitions, Dispositions and Plant Closures
in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information); and
•
an increase in cash taxes paid of $112 million.
•
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities increased $336 million to $470 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to
$134 million for the same period in 2023, primarily due to:
•
a cash inflow of $461 million recognized during the year ended December 31, 2023 related to the formation of the
Nutrinova joint venture (see Note 4 - Acquisitions, Dispositions and Plant Closures in the accompanying consolidated
financial statements for further information), which did not recur in the current year.
partially offset by:
•
a decrease of $133 million in capital expenditures during the year ended December 31, 2024.
•
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Net cash used in financing activities decreased $143 million to $1.3 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to
$1.5 billion for the same period in 2023, primarily due to:
•
a decrease in payments on long-term debt, primarily due to our cash tender offer of $2.25 billion completed in August
2023, payment in full of delayed-draw term loans of $870 million and repayment at maturity of the 1.125% senior
unsecured notes during the year ended December 31, 2023, that did not recur in the current year, partially offset by
repayments at maturity of the 5.900% and 3.500% senior unsecured notes during the year ended December 31, 2024;
and
•
a decrease in net payments on short-term debt, primarily driven by a payment of $500 million on our March 2022 U.S.
Term Loan Credit Agreement (defined below) during the year ended December 31, 2023, which did not recur in the
current year, partially offset by an increase in net payments on our revolving credit facilities of $74 million;
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44
partially offset by:
•
a decrease in proceeds of long-term debt, primarily due to the issuance of certain senior unsecured notes of $3.0 billion
during the year ended December 31, 2023, that did not recur in the current year, partially offset by current year
borrowings on working capital loan facilities in China; and
•
an increase in net payments on our China Working Capital Term Loan Agreement (defined below).
Debt and Other Obligations
•
Senior Credit Facilities
In March 2022, we entered into a term loan credit agreement (as amended to date, the "March 2022 U.S. Term Loan Credit
Agreement"), pursuant to which lenders provided a tranche of delayed-draw term loans due 5 years from issuance in an amount
equal to $1.0 billion (the "5-year Term Loans").
Also in March 2022, we entered into a new revolving credit agreement (as amended to date, the "U.S. Revolving Credit
Agreement" and, together with the March 2022 U.S. Term Loan Credit Agreement the "U.S. Credit Agreements") consisting of
a $1.75 billion senior unsecured revolving credit facility (with a letter of credit sublimit), maturing in 2027.
On February 21, 2023, August 9, 2023, February 16, 2024, November 1, 2024 and February 17, 2025, we amended certain
covenants in certain of the U.S. Credit Agreements, including financial ratio maintenance covenants.
The U.S. Credit Agreements are guaranteed by Celanese, Celanese U.S. and domestic subsidiaries together representing
substantially all of our U.S. assets and business operations (the "Subsidiary Guarantors").
In January 2023, Celanese (Shanghai) International Trading Co., Ltd ("CSIT"), a fully consolidated subsidiary, entered into a
restatement of an existing credit facility agreement (the "CSIT Revolving Credit Agreement") to upsize and modify the facility
thereunder to consist of an aggregate CNY1.75 billion uncommitted senior unsecured revolving credit facility available under
two tranches (with overdraft, bank guarantee and documentary credit sublimits) (the "CSIT January 2023 Facility"). Obligations
bear interest at certain fixed and floating rates. On April 7, 2024, the CSIT January 2023 Facility was reduced to
CNY750 million and on December 19, 2024, the CSIT January 2023 Facility was reduced to CNY550 million. The CSIT
Revolving Credit Agreement is guaranteed by Celanese U.S.
Also in January 2023, CSIT entered into a senior unsecured working capital loan contract for CNY800 million (the "China
Working Capital Term Loan Agreement"), payable 12 months from withdrawal date and bearing interest at 0.5% less than
certain interbank rates. The loan under the China Working Capital Term Loan Agreement was fully drawn in January 2023 and
was fully repaid during the three months ended March 31, 2024.
In December 2023, Celanese (Nanjing) Chemical Co., Ltd. ("CNC") entered into a senior unsecured working capital loan
agreement for CNY800 million, payable on December 25, 2026 and bearing interest at 2.8% (the "CNC Working Capital Loan
Agreement"). The loan under the CNC Working Capital Loan Agreement was fully drawn during the three months ended
March 31, 2024.
On June 28, 2024, CNC entered into a senior unsecured working capital loan agreement for CNY800 million, payable in
installments until June 28, 2027 and bearing interest at 2.75% (the "CNC Three Year Working Capital Loan Agreement"). The
CNC Three Year Working Capital Loan Agreement was partially drawn during the year ended December 31, 2024.
On November 1, 2024, we entered into a senior unsecured term loan credit agreement (the "November 2024 U.S. Term Loan
Credit Agreement"), pursuant to which the lenders provided a delayed-draw term loan due 364 days from the date of borrowing
in an amount up to $1.0 billion. Amounts outstanding under the November 2024 U.S. Term Loan Credit Agreement will accrue
interest at a rate equal to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate with an interest period of one or three months ("Term SOFR")
plus a margin of 1.300% to 2.250% per annum, or the base rate plus a margin of 0.300% to 1.250%, in each case, based on the
Company's senior unsecured debt rating, subject to further changes based on such ratings. The commitments under the
November 2024 U.S. Term Loan Credit Agreement will terminate by March 15, 2025. The loan under the November 2024 U.S.
Term Loan Credit Agreement was not drawn during the year ended December 31, 2024.
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On December 10, 2024, CNC entered into a credit facility agreement (the "CNC Revolving Credit Agreement," together with
the CNC Three Year Working Capital Loan Agreement, the CSIT Revolving Credit Agreement, the China Working Capital
Term Loan Agreement and the CNC Working Capital Loan Agreement, the "China Credit Agreements," and the China Credit
Agreements together with the U.S. Credit Agreements, the "Global Credit Agreements")) for a CNY1.0 billion uncommitted
senior unsecured revolving credit facility (the "CNC December 2024 Facility", and together with the CSIT January 2023
Facility and any other revolving credit facilities available to the Company's subsidiaries in China, the "China Revolving Credit
Facilities"). Obligations bear interest at certain floating rates. We expect the China Credit Agreements will facilitate our
efficient repatriation of cash to the U.S. to repay debt and effectively redomicile a portion of our U.S. debt to China at a lower
average interest rate.
On February 6, 2025, we drew $300 million from our U.S. Revolving Credit Facility. This borrowing and cash on hand were
used primarily to repay in full our senior unsecured notes due 2025, with an interest rate of 1.250%, due on February 11, 2025,
and for general corporate purposes.
•
Senior Notes
We have outstanding senior unsecured notes, issued in public offerings registered under the Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities
Act"), as amended, as follows (collectively, the "Senior Notes"):
Senior Notes
Issue Date
Principal
Interest Rate
Interest Pay Dates
Maturity Date
(In millions)
(In percentages)
1.250% Notes
December 2017
€300
1.250
(1)
February 11
February 11, 2025
6.050% Notes
July 2022
$1,000
6.050
March 15
September 15
March 15, 2025
4.777% Notes
July 2022
€1,000
4.777
July 19
July 19, 2026
1.400% Notes
August 2021
$400
1.400
February 5
August 5
August 5, 2026
2.125% Notes
November 2018
€500
2.125
March 1
March 1, 2027
6.165% Notes
July 2022
$2,000
6.165
January 15
July 15
July 15, 2027
0.625% Notes
September 2021
€500
0.625
September 10
September 10, 2028
6.350% Notes
August 2023
$1,000
6.350
(2)
May 15
November 15
November 15, 2028
5.337% Notes
July 2022
€500
5.337
January 19
January 19, 2029
6.330% Notes
July 2022
$750
6.330
January 15
July 15
July 15, 2029
6.550% Notes
August 2023
$999
6.550
(2)
May 15
November 15
November 15, 2030
6.379% Notes
July 2022
$1,000
6.379
January 15
July 15
July 15, 2032
6.700% Notes
August 2023
$1,000
6.700
(2)
May 15
November 15
November 15, 2033
______________________________
(1)
The 1.250% Notes were repaid in full on February 11, 2025.
(2)
On November 14, 2024, S&P Global Ratings downgraded our credit rating to BB+, which had the effect of increasing the
interest rates by 25 basis points on the senior unsecured notes due 2028, senior unsecured notes due 2030 and senior
unsecured notes due 2033 to 6.600%, 6.800% and 6.950%, respectively, effective November 15, 2024.
The Senior Notes were issued by Celanese U.S. and are guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by Celanese and the Subsidiary
Guarantors. Celanese U.S. may redeem some or all of each of the Senior Notes, prior to their respective maturity dates, at a
redemption price of 100% of the principal amount, plus a "make-whole" premium as specified in the applicable indenture, plus
accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date.
In August 2023, Celanese U.S. completed a public offering of senior unsecured notes registered under the Securities Act as
follows (collectively, the "2023 Offering"):
Maturity Date
Aggregate Principal
Amount Issued
Discount to Par
Interest Rate
(In $ millions)
November 15, 2028
1,000
99.986%
6.350%
November 15, 2030
999
99.950%
6.550%
November 15, 2033
1,000
99.992%
6.700%
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46
Also in August 2023, Celanese U.S. completed a cash tender offer for $2.25 billion in aggregate principal amount (the "Tender
Offer") as follows:
Maturity Date
Aggregate Principal
Amount Tendered
Purchase price per
$1,000 principal amount
Total Tender Offer
Consideration
Accrued and Unpaid
Interest
(In $ millions)
(In $ millions)
July 5, 2024
1,473 $
999.92
1,473
12
March 15, 2025
750 $
1,002.85
752
20
May 8, 2024
27 $
983.95
27
—
The net proceeds from the 2023 Offering were used (i) to fund the Tender Offer and (ii) for the repayment of other outstanding
indebtedness.
•
Accounts Receivable Purchasing Facility
In June 2023, we entered into an amendment to the amended and restated receivables purchase agreement under our U.S.
accounts receivable purchasing facility among certain of our subsidiaries, our wholly-owned, "bankruptcy remote" special
purpose subsidiary ("SPE") and certain global financial institutions ("Purchasers"). We de-recognized $1.5 billion and
$1.4 billion of accounts receivable under this agreement for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and
collected $1.5 billion and $1.3 billion of accounts receivable sold under this agreement during the same periods. Unsold U.S.
accounts receivable of $139 million were pledged by the SPE as collateral to the Purchasers as of December 31, 2024.
•
Factoring and Discounting Agreements
We have factoring agreements in Europe, Japan, Singapore and China with financial institutions. We de-recognized
$700 million and $423 million of accounts receivable under these factoring agreements for the years ended December 31, 2024
and 2023, respectively, and collected $640 million and $407 million of accounts receivable sold under these factoring
agreements during the same periods.
We have master discounting agreements (the "Master Discounting Agreements") with financial institutions in China to
discount, on a non-recourse basis, banker's acceptance drafts ("BADs"), classified as accounts receivable. We received
$100 million and $45 million from the accounts receivable transferred under the Master Discounting Agreements as of
December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Covenants
Our material financing arrangements contain customary covenants, including the maintenance of certain financial ratios, events
of default and change of control provisions. Failure to comply with these covenants, or the occurrence of any other event of
default, could result in acceleration of the borrowings and other financial obligations. We are in compliance with all of the
covenants related to our debt agreements as of December 31, 2024. On February 17, 2025, November 1, 2024,
February 16, 2024, August 9, 2023 and February 21, 2023, we amended certain covenants in the U.S. Credit Agreements,
including financial ratio maintenance covenants.
See Note 11 - Debt in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
Guarantor Financial Information
We have outstanding senior unsecured notes, issued in public offerings registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(collectively, the "Senior Notes"). The Senior Notes were issued by Celanese U.S. ("Issuer") and are guaranteed by Celanese
Corporation ("Parent Guarantor") and the Subsidiary Guarantors (collectively the "Obligor Group"). See Note 11 - Debt in the
accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information. The Issuer and Subsidiary Guarantors are 100% owned
subsidiaries of the Parent Guarantor. The Subsidiary Guarantors are listed in Exhibit 22.1 to this Annual Report.
The Parent Guarantor and the Subsidiary Guarantors have guaranteed the Senior Notes on a full and unconditional, joint and
several, senior unsecured basis. The guarantees are subject to certain customary release provisions, including that a Subsidiary
Guarantor will be released from its respective guarantee in specified circumstances, including (i) the sale or transfer of all of its
assets or capital stock; (ii) its merger or consolidation with, or transfer of all or substantially all of its assets to, another person;
or (iii) its ceasing to be a majority-owned subsidiary of the Issuer in connection with any sale of its capital stock or other
transaction. Additionally, a Subsidiary Guarantor will be released from its guarantee of the Senior Notes at such time that it
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47
ceases to guarantee the Issuer's obligations under the existing U.S. Credit Agreements (subject to the satisfaction of customary
document delivery requirements). The obligations of the Subsidiary Guarantors under their guarantees are limited as necessary
to prevent such guarantees from constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under applicable law.
The Parent Guarantor and the Issuer are holding companies that conduct substantially all of their operations through their
subsidiaries, which own substantially all of our consolidated assets. The Parent Guarantor holds the stock of its immediate
100% owned subsidiary, the Issuer, but has no material consolidated assets. The principal source of cash to pay the Parent
Guarantor's and the Issuer's obligations, including obligations under the Senior Notes and the guarantee of the Issuer's
obligations under the existing U.S. Credit Agreements, is the cash that our subsidiaries generate from their operations. Each of
the Subsidiary Guarantors and our non-guarantor subsidiaries is a distinct legal entity and, under certain circumstances,
applicable country or state laws, regulatory limitations and terms of other debt instruments may limit our subsidiaries' ability to
distribute cash to the Issuer and the Parent Guarantor.
For cash management purposes, we transfer cash among the Parent Guarantor, Issuer, Subsidiary Guarantors and non-
guarantors through intercompany financing arrangements, contributions or declaration of dividends between the respective
parent and its subsidiaries. While the non-guarantor subsidiaries do not guarantee the Issuer's obligations under our outstanding
debt, the transfer of cash under these activities facilitates the ability of the recipient to make specified third-party payments for
principal and interest on the Senior Notes, the existing U.S. Credit Agreements, other outstanding debt, Common Stock
dividends and Common Stock repurchases.
The summarized financial information of the Obligor Group is presented below on a combined basis after the elimination of: (i)
intercompany transactions among such entities and (ii) equity in earnings from and investments in the non-guarantor
subsidiaries. Transactions with, and amounts due to or from, non-guarantor subsidiaries and affiliates are separately disclosed.
Year Ended
December 31,
2024
(In $ millions)
Net sales to third parties ..................................................................................................................................
1,819
Net sales to non-guarantor subsidiaries ..........................................................................................................
1,140
Total net sales ............................................................................................................................................
2,959
Gross profit .....................................................................................................................................................
558
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations ....................................................................................................
(367)
Net earnings (loss) ..........................................................................................................................................
(374)
Net earnings (loss) attributable to the Obligor Group ....................................................................................
(374)
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Receivables from non-guarantor subsidiaries .....................................................................................
1,138
787
Other current assets .............................................................................................................................
2,372
2,245
Total current assets ........................................................................................................................
3,510
3,032
Goodwill .............................................................................................................................................
536
536
Other noncurrent assets .......................................................................................................................
6,386
3,289
Total noncurrent assets ..................................................................................................................
6,922
3,825
Current liabilities due to non-guarantor subsidiaries ..........................................................................
5,258
2,993
Current liabilities due to affiliates ......................................................................................................
5
6
Other current liabilities .......................................................................................................................
2,212
1,940
Total current liabilities ...................................................................................................................
7,475
4,939
Noncurrent liabilities due to non-guarantor subsidiaries ....................................................................
3,371
3,365
Other noncurrent liabilities .................................................................................................................
11,241
13,007
Total noncurrent liabilities .............................................................................................................
14,612
16,372
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48
Share Capital
On February 12, 2025, we declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.03 per share on our Common Stock amounting to
approximately $3 million. The cash dividend will be paid on March 11, 2025 to holders of record as of February 25, 2025. As
disclosed above, as part of our deleveraging efforts, we announced our intent to reduce our quarterly dividend by approximately
95 percent beginning in the first quarter of 2025. We will continue to evaluate our dividend policy, taking into account our
ability to return to a balanced capital allocation policy.
Our Board of Directors has authorized the aggregate repurchase of $6.9 billion of our Common Stock since February 2008.
These authorizations give management discretion in determining the timing and conditions under which shares may be
repurchased. This repurchase program does not have an expiration date. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we did not
repurchase any shares of our Common Stock. As of December 31, 2024, we had $1.1 billion remaining under authorizations by
our Board of Directors. As discussed above, as part of our deleveraging efforts, we have paused our share repurchase program.
See Note 14 - Shareholders' Equity in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
Contractual Obligations, Guarantees and Commitments
We calculated $2.5 billion of all future interest payments on debt and other obligations using the rate in effect on
December 31, 2024 and $493 million of all future pension and other postretirement funding obligations. We have directly
guaranteed various debt obligations under agreements with third parties related to certain equity affiliates. As of
December 31, 2024, we have directly guaranteed $145 million and €31 million of such obligations.
We have not entered into any material off-balance sheet arrangements.
In the accompanying consolidated financial statements, see Note 10 - Current Other Liabilities for current asset retirement
obligations, Note 11 - Debt for a description of the guarantees under our Senior Notes and Credit Agreement, Note 12 - Benefit
Obligations for a description of the pension and other postretirement funding obligations, Note 13 - Environmental for a
description of environmental obligations, Note 15 - Income Taxes for a description of uncertain tax positions, Note 16 - Leases
for lease obligations and Note 19 - Commitments and Contingencies for a discussion of commitments and contingencies related
to legal and regulatory proceedings.
Market Risks
See Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure about Market Risk for further information.
Business Environment
During the three months ended December 31, 2024, we experienced a sustained decrease in our share price, following
downward revisions in forecast earnings and our announcement to reduce our quarterly dividend by approximately 95%
beginning in the first quarter of 2025 to redeploy cash toward debt reduction, and a challenging demand environment. We faced
extended weakness in the macroeconomic environment, with downturns in the Western Hemisphere automotive and industrial
end-markets, impacting our Engineering Materials segment, as well as persistent demand weakness in paints, coatings, and
construction, impacting our Acetyl Chain segment, which deepened general demand softness. We are committed to taking
actions that are expected to improve our earnings, accelerate deleveraging, and increase shareholder returns in this challenging,
and any, environment. We also intend to continue to closely monitor the impact of, and responses to, geopolitical effects on
demand conditions and the supply chain.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements are based on the selection and application of significant accounting policies. The
preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of
the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of net sales, expenses and allocated charges during the reporting
period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
We believe the following accounting policies and estimates are critical to understanding the financial reporting risks present in
the current economic environment. These matters, and the judgments and uncertainties affecting them, are also essential to
understanding our reported and future operating results. See Note 2 - Summary of Accounting Policies in the accompanying
consolidated financial statements for further information.
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49
•
Recoverability of Long-Lived Assets
Recoverability of Goodwill and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets
We assess the recoverability of the carrying amount of our goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets annually during
the third quarter of our fiscal year using June 30 balances or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the
carrying amount of the asset may not be fully recoverable.
When assessing the recoverability of goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets, we may first assess qualitative
factors in determining whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit or another indefinite-lived
intangible asset is less than its carrying amount. The qualitative evaluation is an assessment of multiple factors, including the
current operating environment, financial performance and market considerations. We may elect to bypass the qualitative
assessment for some or all of our reporting units or other indefinite-lived intangible assets and proceed directly to a quantitative
analysis depending on the facts and circumstances.
In performing a quantitative analysis of goodwill, recoverability of goodwill for each reporting unit is measured using the
income approach based on a discounted cash flow model incorporating discount rates commensurate with the risks involved or
a combination of the income approach and the market approach using the guideline public company method. The key
assumptions used in the discounted cash flow valuation model include discount rates, revenue growth rates, tax rates, cash flow
projections and terminal value rates. Discount rates, revenue growth rates and cash flow projections are the most sensitive and
susceptible to change as they require significant management judgment. Discount rates used are similar to the rates estimated by
the weighted average cost of capital ("WACC") considering any differences in company-specific risk factors. Revenue growth
rates and cash flow projections are based on historical trends and expected growth drivers such as macroeconomic trends in the
industries and territories in which the reporting units operate.
Management tests other indefinite-lived intangible assets quantitatively utilizing the relief from royalty method under the
income approach to determine the estimated fair value for each indefinite-lived intangible asset. Key assumptions used in this
model include discount rates, royalty rates, revenue growth rates, tax rates, sales projections and terminal value rates. Discount
rates, royalty rates, revenue growth rates, tax rates and sales projections are the assumptions most sensitive and susceptible to
change as they require significant management judgment. Discount rates used are similar to the rates estimated by the WACC
considering any differences in company-specific risk factors. Royalty rates are established by management using the most
recent third party valuations and are periodically substantiated by third-party valuation consultants. Revenue growth rates and
sales projections are based on historical trends and expected growth drivers such as macroeconomic trends in the industries and
territories in which the indefinite-lived intangible assets operate. Tax rates consider the operating structure of the Company and
tax rates in jurisdictions in which the indefinite-lived intangible assets operate.
Specific assumptions discussed above are updated at the date of each test to consider current industry and company-specific risk
factors from the perspective of a market participant. The current business environment is subject to evolving market conditions
and requires significant management judgment to interpret the potential impact to our assumptions. To the extent that changes
in the current business environment result in adjusted management projections, impairment losses may occur in future periods.
During the three months ended September 30, 2024, the Company completed its annual goodwill impairment test. The results
of the test indicated the estimated fair value for each of the Company's reporting units exceeded the carrying amount of the
underlying assets. Although no impairment of the engineered materials reporting unit was identified during the nine months
ended September 30, 2024, the estimated fair value exceeded its carrying value by less than 10% as of September 30, 2024.
During the three months ended December 31, 2024, the Company experienced a significant and sustained decrease in the
Company's share price. Further, due to extended weakness in the macroeconomic environment, specifically the auto and
industrial end-markets, which deepened general demand softness during the three months ended December 31, 2024, thereby
impacting pricing and volume, the Company updated its engineered materials reporting unit forecast model for the 2025 fiscal
year which showed additional deterioration in the projected financial results for the 2025 fiscal year compared to the analyses
prepared during the three months ended September 30, 2024. While the long-term projections beyond 2025 include recovery,
the lower projections in 2025 do have an impact on the forecast model beyond 2025 by applying forecasted growth rates to a
lower anticipated 2025 base revenue. The updated 2025 projections continue to reflect industry wide challenges including
demand softness across the majority of end uses resulting in lower pricing. Based on the sustained decrease in the share price
and the downward revisions to projections, the Company determined that there were indicators that the engineered materials
reporting unit's goodwill may be impaired. As a result, the Company performed an interim quantitative test of the engineered
materials reporting unit during the three months ended December 31, 2024. The results of the test determined that the carrying
amount of the engineered materials reporting unit exceeded its estimated fair value primarily due to the downward adjustments
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in the forecast model, as well as an increase in the discount rate. As such, the Company recorded a non-cash goodwill
impairment loss of $1.5 billion in the Engineered Materials segment. As of December 31, 2024, the engineered materials
reporting unit had goodwill of $5.0 billion.
In connection with the Company's annual indefinite-lived intangible assets impairment test during the three months ended
September 30, 2024, the Company recorded a non-cash impairment loss of $34 million to impair the net book value of certain
trade names, primarily Zytel®, included in the Engineered Materials segment.
Additionally, in conjunction with the goodwill impairment test in the three months ended December 31, 2024, the Company
performed an interim impairment test of the indefinite-lived intangible assets assigned to the engineered materials reporting unit
and determined certain trade names were impaired. As a result, the Company recorded a non-cash impairment loss of
$83 million to impair the net book value of certain trade names, primarily Zytel®, included in the Engineered Materials
segment.
See Note 9 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Net in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further
information.
•
Benefit Obligations
Various assumptions are used in the calculation of the actuarial valuation of the employee benefit plans. These key assumptions
include the discount rate and expected long-term rates of return on plan assets. The actuarial assumptions used may differ
materially from actual results due to changing market and economic conditions. These differences may result in a significant
impact to the amount of net periodic benefit cost recorded in future periods.
Pension assumptions are reviewed annually in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year and whenever a plan is required to be
remeasured. Assumptions are reviewed on a plan and country-specific basis by third-party actuaries and senior management.
Such assumptions are adjusted as appropriate to reflect changes in market rates and outlook.
See Note 12 - Benefit Obligations in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
The estimated change in pension net periodic benefit cost and projected benefit obligations that would occur in 2025 from a
change in the indicated assumptions are as follows:
Change in
Rate
Impact on
Net Periodic
Benefit Cost
Impact on
Projected
Benefit
Obligations
(In $ millions)
U.S. Pension Benefits
Decrease in the discount rate .....................................................................................
0.5 %
(5)
74
Decrease in the long-term expected rate of return on plan assets(1)
...........................
0.5 %
9
N/A
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits
Decrease in the discount rate .....................................................................................
0.5 %
(1)
55
Decrease in the long-term expected rate of return on plan assets ..............................
0.5 %
3
N/A
______________________________
(1)
Excludes nonqualified pension plans.
•
Income Taxes
We regularly review our deferred tax assets for recoverability and establish a valuation allowance as needed. In forming our
judgment regarding the recoverability of deferred tax assets related to deductible temporary differences and tax attribute
carryforwards, we give weight to positive and negative evidence based on the extent to which the forms of evidence can be
objectively verified.
The recoverability of deferred tax assets and the recognition and measurement of uncertain tax positions are subject to various
assumptions and management judgment. If actual results differ from the estimates made by management in establishing or
maintaining valuation allowances against deferred tax assets, the resulting change in the valuation allowance would generally
impact earnings or Other comprehensive income depending on the nature of the respective deferred tax asset. In addition, the
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51
positions taken with regard to tax contingencies may be subject to audit and review by tax authorities, which may result in
future taxes, interest and penalties.
See Note 15 - Income Taxes in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 3 - Recent Accounting Pronouncements in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for information
regarding recent accounting pronouncements.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Market Risks
Our financial market risk consists principally of exposure to currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices.
Exchange rate and interest rate risks are managed with a variety of techniques, including use of derivatives. We have in place
policies of hedging against changes in currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices as described below.
See Note 2 - Summary of Accounting Policies in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information
regarding our derivative and hedging instruments accounting policies related to financial market risk.
See Note 17 - Derivative Financial Instruments in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information
regarding our market risk management and the related impact on our financial position and results of operations.
•
Foreign Currency Forwards and Swaps
A portion of our assets, liabilities, net sales and expenses are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Fluctuations
in the value of these currencies against the U.S. dollar can have a direct and material impact on the business and financial
results. Our largest exposures are to the euro and Chinese yuan ("CNY"). A decline in the value of the euro and CNY versus the
U.S. dollar results in a decline in the U.S. dollar value of our sales and earnings denominated in euro and CNY. Likewise, an
increase in the value of the euro and CNY versus the U.S. dollar would result in an opposite effect. We estimate that a 10%
change in the euro/U.S. dollar and CNY/U.S. dollar exchange rates would impact our earnings for the year ended
December 31, 2024 by $26 million and $55 million, respectively.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
The selected quarterly financial data is no longer required, as the Company adopted the amendment to Item 302 of Regulation
S-K contained in SEC Release No. 33-10890, which became effective on February 10, 2021. There were no material
retrospective changes to any quarters in the two most recent fiscal years that would require this disclosure.
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial
Officer, we have evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rule 13a-15(b) under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report. Based on that
evaluation, as of December 31, 2024, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our
disclosure controls and procedures are effective.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
During the three months ended December 31, 2024, there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that
have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
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52
Report of Management on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the
Company. Internal control over financial reporting is a process to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of our
financial reporting for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America. Internal control over financial reporting includes maintaining records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly
reflect our transactions; providing reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary for preparation of our
consolidated financial statements; providing reasonable assurance that receipts and expenditures of company assets are made in
accordance with management authorization; and providing reasonable assurance that unauthorized acquisition, use or
disposition of company assets that could have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements would be prevented or
detected on a timely basis. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting is not intended to provide
absolute assurance that a misstatement of our consolidated financial statements would be prevented or detected.
Management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the
framework in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the
Treadway Commission. Based on this evaluation, management concluded that the Company's internal control over financial
reporting was effective as of December 31, 2024. The Company's independent registered public accounting firm, KPMG LLP,
has issued an audit report on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Their report follows
on page 64.
Item 9B. Other Information
(c) Trading Plans
During the three months ended December 31, 2024, no director or Section 16 officer adopted or terminated any Rule 10b5-1
trading plans or "non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangements" as defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K.
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
Not applicable.
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53
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
The information required by this Item 10 is incorporated herein by reference from the subsections of "Governance," captioned
"Item 1: Election of Directors," "Director Nominees," "Board and Committee Governance," "Additional Governance Matters"
and the sections "Stock Ownership Information" and "Questions and Answers — Company Documents, Communications and
Shareholder Proposals" sections of the Company's definitive proxy statement for the 2025 annual meeting of shareholders to be
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the "2025 Proxy Statement"). With regard to the information required by this Item regarding compliance with Section
16(a) of the Exchange Act, we will provide disclosure of delinquent Section 16(a) reports, if any, in the 2025 Proxy Statement
under "Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports" and such disclosure, if any, is incorporated herein by reference. Information about
executive officers of the Company is contained in Part I of this Annual Report. A copy of our insider trading policy is filed as
Exhibit 19.1 to this Form 10-K.
Codes of Ethics
The Company has adopted a Business Conduct Policy for directors, officers and employees along with a Financial Code of
Ethics for its principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons
performing similar functions. These codes are available on the corporate governance portal of the Company's investor relations
website at investors.celanese.com. The Company intends to satisfy the disclosure requirements under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K
regarding amendments to and waivers from these codes by posting such information on the same website.
Item 11. Executive Compensation
The information required by this Item 11 is incorporated herein by reference from the section "Governance – Director
Compensation" and the subsections of "Executive Compensation" captioned "Compensation Discussion and Analysis,"
"Compensation Risk Assessment," "Compensation and Management Development Committee Report," "Compensation
Tables," "CEO Pay Ratio" and "Pay Versus Performance" of the 2025 Proxy Statement.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters
The information with respect to beneficial ownership and equity compensation plans required by this Item 12 is incorporated
herein by reference from the subsections of "Stock Ownership Information" captioned "Principal Shareholders and Beneficial
Owners" and "Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans" in the 2025 Proxy Statement.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
The information required by this Item 13 is incorporated herein by reference from the "Governance — Director Independence
and Related Person Transactions" section of the 2025 Proxy Statement.
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services
Our independent registered public accounting firm is KPMG LLP, Dallas, TX, Auditor Firm ID: 185.
The information required by this Item 14 is incorporated herein by reference from the "Audit Matters — Item 2: Ratification of
Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm" section of the 2025 Proxy Statement.
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54
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
1. Financial Statements. The report of our independent registered public accounting firm and our consolidated financial
statements are listed below and begin on page 64 of this Annual Report.
Page Number
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm ................................................................................
64
Consolidated Statements of Operations ...............................................................................................................
67
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) ................................................................................
68
Consolidated Balance Sheets ...............................................................................................................................
69
Consolidated Statements of Equity ......................................................................................................................
70
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows ..............................................................................................................
71
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements ..................................................................................................
72
2. Financial Statement Schedules.
The financial statement schedules required by this item, if any, are included as Exhibits to this Annual Report.
3. Exhibit List.
INDEX TO EXHIBITS(1)
Exhibits will be furnished upon request for a nominal fee, limited to reasonable expenses.
3.1
Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on October 18, 2016).
3.1(a)
Certificate of Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Celanese
Corporation dated as of April 21, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form
8-K filed with the SEC on April 22, 2016).
3.1(b)
Certificate of Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Celanese
Corporation dated as of September 17, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on
Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 17, 2018).
3.1(c)
Certificate of Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Celanese
Corporation dated as of April 18, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form
8-K filed with the SEC on April 23, 2019).
3.1(d)
Certificate of Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Celanese
Corporation dated as of May 13, 2024 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form
8-K filed with the SEC on May 15, 2024).
3.2
Seventh Amended and Restated By-laws, effective as of November 2, 2022 (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 3.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 4, 2022).
4.1
Form of certificate of Common Stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registration Statement
on Form 8-A/A filed with the SEC on September 18, 2018).
4.2
Indenture, dated May 6, 2011, by and between Celanese US Holdings LLC, Celanese Corporation and Wells
Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Current Report on
Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 6, 2011).
4.3
Seventh Supplemental Indenture, dated as of December 11, 2017, among Celanese US Holdings LLC,
Celanese Corporation, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as
trustee, and Deutsche Bank Trust Companies Americas, as paying agent, registrar and transfer agent
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 11, 2017).
Exhibit
Number
Description
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55
4.4
Eighth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of November 5, 2018, among Celanese US Holdings LLC, Celanese
Corporation, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee, and
Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as paying agent, registrar and transfer agent (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 5, 2018).
4.5
Tenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August 5, 2021, among Celanese US Holdings LLC, Celanese
Corporation, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 5,
2021).
4.6
Eleventh Supplemental Indenture, dated as of September 10, 2021, among Celanese US Holdings LLC,
Celanese Corporation, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as
trustee, and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as paying agent, registrar and transfer agent
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September
10, 2021).
4.7
Twelfth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of July 14, 2022, among Celanese US Holdings LLC, Celanese
Corporation, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto, U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as series
trustee and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (as successor trustee to Wells Fargo Bank, National
Association), as base trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed
with the SEC on July 14, 2022).
4.8
Thirteenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of July 19, 2022, among Celanese US Holdings LLC, Celanese
Corporation, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto, U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as series
trustee, registrar and transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (as successor trustee to Wells Fargo
Bank, National Association), as base trustee, and Elavon Financial Services DAC, UK Branch, as paying agent
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 19,
2022).
4.9
Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August 24, 2023, among Celanese US Holdings LLC, Celanese
Corporation, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto, U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as series
trustee and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (as successor trustee to Wells Fargo Bank, National
Association), as base trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed
with the SEC on August 24, 2023).
4.10*
Description of the Company's Securities Registered Under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
10.1
Credit Agreement, dated as of March 18, 2022, by and among Celanese Corporation, Celanese US Holdings
LLC, Celanese Europe B.V., certain subsidiaries of Celanese US Holdings LLC from time to time party thereto
as borrowers, each lender from time to time party thereto, Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent, a
Swing Line Lender and an L/C Issuer and other Swing Line Lenders and L/C Issuers party thereto
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K Filed with the SEC on March 24,
2022).
10.1(a)
First Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of February 21, 2023, by and among Celanese Corporation,
Celanese US Holdings LLC, Celanese Europe B.V., the subsidiary guarantors party thereto, each lender party
thereto, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent, amending that certain Credit Agreement dated as
of March 18, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the
SEC on February 23, 2023).
10.1(b)
Second Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of February 16, 2024, by and among Celanese Corporation,
Celanese US Holdings LLC, Celanese Europe B.V., the subsidiary guarantors party thereto, each lender party
thereto, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent, amending that certain Credit Agreement dated as
of March 18, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the
SEC on February 20, 2024).
10.1(c)
Third Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2024, by and among Celanese Corporation,
Celanese US Holdings LLC, Celanese Europe B.V., the subsidiary guarantors party thereto, each lender party
thereto, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent, amending that certain Credit Agreement dated as
of March 18, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the
SEC on November 4, 2024).
10.1(d)
Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of February 17, 2025, by and among Celanese Corporation,
Celanese US Holdings LLC, Celanese Europe B.V., the subsidiary guarantors party thereto, each lender party
thereto, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent, amending that certain Credit Agreement dated as
of March 18, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the
SEC on February 18, 2025).
Exhibit
Number
Description
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56
10.2
Term Loan Credit Agreement, dated as of March 18, 2022, by and among Celanese Corporation, Celanese US
Holdings LLC, each lender from time to time party thereto, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative
Agent, a Swing Line Lender and an L/C Issuer and other Swing Line Lenders and L/C Issuers party thereto
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K Filed with the SEC on March 24,
2022).
10.2(a)
First Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of February 21, 2023, by and among Celanese Corporation,
Celanese US Holdings LLC, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto, each lender party thereto, and Bank of
America, N.A., as Administrative Agent, amending that certain Term Loan Credit Agreement dated as of
March 18, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the
SEC on February 23, 2023).
10.2(b)
Second Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of August 9, 2023, by and among Celanese Corporation,
Celanese US Holdings LLC, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto, each lender party thereto, and Bank of
America, N.A., as Administrative Agent, amending that certain Term Loan Credit Agreement dated as of
March 18, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q file with the
SEC on November 8, 2023).
10.2(c)
Third Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of February 16, 2024, by and among Celanese Corporation,
Celanese US Holdings LLC, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto, each lender party thereto, and Bank of
America, N.A., as Administrative Agent, amending that certain Term Loan Credit Agreement dated as of
March 18, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the
SEC on February 20, 2024).
10.2(d)
Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2024, by and among Celanese Corporation,
Celanese US Holdings LLC, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto, each lender party thereto, and Bank of
America, N.A., as Administrative Agent, amending that certain Term Loan Credit Agreement dated as of
March 18, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the
SEC on November 4, 2024).
10.2(e)
Fifth Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of February 17, 2025, by and among Celanese Corporation,
Celanese US Holdings LLC, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto, each lender party thereto, and Bank of
America, N.A., as Administrative Agent, amending that certain Term Loan Credit Agreement dated as of
March 18, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the
SEC on February 18, 2025).
10.3
Term Loan Credit Agreement, date as of November 1, 2024, by and among Celanese Corporation, Celanese US
Holdings LLC, each lender from time to time party thereto, and Bank of America N.A., as administrative agent
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November
4, 2024).
10.3(a)
First Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of February 17, 2025, by and among Celanese Corporation,
Celanese US Holdings LLC, each lender party thereto, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent,
amending that certain Term Loan Credit Agreement dated as of November 1, 2024 (incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 10.3 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 18, 2025).
10.4‡
Celanese Corporation 2008 Deferred Compensation Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the
Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 29, 2008).
10.5(a)‡
Amendment Number One to Celanese Corporation 2008 Deferred Compensation Plan dated December 11,
2008 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed with the SEC
on April 23, 2009).
10.5(b)‡
Amendment Number Two to Celanese Corporation 2008 Deferred Compensation Plan dated December 22,
2008 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4(b) to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on
February 7, 2014).
10.5(c)‡
Amendment Number Three to the Celanese Corporation 2008 Deferred Compensation Plan dated October 31,
2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4(c) to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on
February 6, 2020).
10.5(d)‡
Amendment Number Four to the Celanese Corporation Deferred Compensation Plan dated February 5, 2020
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on April
28, 2020).
10.5(e)‡
Amendment Number Five to the Celanese Corporation Deferred Compensation Plan dated December 28, 2020
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2(e) to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on
February 11, 2021).
Exhibit
Number
Description
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57
10.6‡
Celanese Corporation 2009 Employee Stock Purchase Program (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to the
Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed on April 23, 2009).
10.7‡
Celanese Corporation Amended and Restated 2018 Global Incentive Plan, effective as of April 20, 2023
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 25,
2023).
10.8(a)‡
Form of 2022 Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.4 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on April 29, 2022).
10.8(b)‡
Form of 2022 Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Chief Executive Officer
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on April
29, 2022).
10.8(c)‡
Form of 2022 Time-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6
to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on April 29, 2022).
10.8(d)‡
Form of 2022 Time-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Chief Executive Officer (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on April 29, 2022).
10.8(e)‡
Form of 2022 Time-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (for non-employee directors) (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on July 29, 2022).
10.8(f)‡
Form of 2023 Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.4 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 10, 2023).
10.8(g)‡
Form of 2023 Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Chief Executive Officer
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May
10, 2023).
10.8(h)‡
Form of 2023 Time-Based Stock Option Award Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 10, 2023).
10.8(i)‡
Form of 2023 Time-Based Stock Option Award Agreement for Chief Executive Officer (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 10, 2023).
10.8(j)‡
Form of 2023 Time-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (for non-employee directors) (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 8, 2023).
10.8(k)‡
Form of 2024 Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.3 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 10, 2024).
10.8(l)‡
Form of 2024 Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Chief Executive Officer
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May
10, 2024).
10.8(m)‡
Form of 2024 Time-Based Stock Option Award Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 10, 2024).
10.8(n)‡
Form of 2024 Time-Based Stock Option Award Agreement for Chief Executive Officer (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 10, 2024).
10.8(o)‡
Form of 2024 Time-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (for non-employee directors) (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 2, 2024).
10.9(a)‡
Executive Severance Benefits Plan, amended effective February 6, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 12, 2013).
10.9(b)‡
Executive Severance Benefits Plan, amended effective October 18, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.9(b) the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 9, 2018).
10.9(c)‡
Executive Severance Benefits Plan, amended effective February 5, 2020 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.5 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on April 28, 2020).
10.10‡
Designated Roles Member Severance Benefits Plan dated December 9, 2024 (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 12, 2024).
10.11(a)*‡
Agreement and General Release, dated December 27, 2024 between Celanese Corporation and Lori J.
Ryerkerk.
10.11(b)‡
Offer Letter, dated December 9, 2024, between Celanese Corporation and Scott A. Richardson (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 9, 2024).
Exhibit
Number
Description
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58
10.12(a)‡
Form of Amended and Restated Change in Control Agreement between Celanese Corporation and Lori J.
Ryerkerk (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC
on April 28, 2020).
10.12(b)‡
Amended and Restated Change in Control Agreement between Celanese Corporation and Scott A. Richardson
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December
9, 2024).
10.12(c)‡
Form of Amended and Restated Change in Control Agreement between Celanese Corporation and participant,
together with a schedule identifying each of the executive officers with substantially identical agreements
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on April
28, 2020).
10.12(c).1*‡
Amended Schedule of Participants to Form of Non-CEO Amended and Restated Change in Control
Agreement.
10.13‡
Form of Long-Term Incentive Claw-Back Agreement between Celanese Corporation and award recipient
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed with the SEC on January
26, 2009).
10.14‡
Celanese Americas Supplemental Retirement Savings Plan, as amended and restated effective January 1, 2014
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.14(a) to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on
February 6, 2015).
10.14(a)‡
Amendment Number One to the Celanese Americas Supplemental Retirement Savings Plan, as amended and
restated effective January 1, 2014, dated December 28, 2020 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11(a) to
the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 11, 2021).
10.15‡
Celanese Americas Supplemental Retirement Pension Plan, as amended and restated effective January 1, 2009
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.15 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on
February 6, 2020).
10.15(a)‡
First Amendment to the Celanese Americas Supplemental Retirement Pension Plan, as amended and restated
effective January 1, 2009, dated as of July 22, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.15(a) to the
Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 6, 2020).
10.15(b)‡
Amendment Number Two to the Celanese Americas Supplemental Retirement Pension Plan, as amended and
restated effective January 1, 2009, dated as of February 5, 2020 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to
the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on April 28, 2020).
10.16*‡
Summary of Non-Employee Director Compensation.
19.1*
Insider Trading Policy and Procedures.
21.1*
List of Subsidiaries of Celanese Corporation.
22.1*
List of Guarantor Subsidiaries.
23.1*
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm of Celanese Corporation, KPMG LLP.
24.1*
Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this Annual Report on Form 10-K).
31.1*
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2*
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.1*
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.2*
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
97*
Celanese Corporation Incentive-Based Compensation Recoupment (Clawback) Policy.
101.INS*
Inline XBRL Instance Document - 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.
Exhibit
Number
Description
Table of Contents
59
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
The cover page from the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 has
been formatted in Inline XBRL.
Exhibit
Number
Description
* Filed herewith.
‡ Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
(1)
The Company and its subsidiaries have in the past issued, and may in the future issue from time to time, long-term debt.
The Company may not file with the applicable report copies of the instruments defining the rights of holders of long-term
debt to the extent that the aggregate principal amount of the debt instruments of any one series of such debt instruments for
which the instruments have not been filed has not exceeded or will not exceed 10% of the assets of the Company at any
pertinent time. The Company hereby agrees to furnish a copy of any such instrument(s) to the SEC upon request.
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60
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.
CELANESE CORPORATION
By:
/s/ SCOTT A. RICHARDSON
Name:
Scott A. Richardson
Title:
President, Chief Executive Officer and
Director
Date:
February 21, 2025
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints
Chuck B. Kyrish and Aaron M. McGilvray, and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, each with
full power of substitution and resubstitution to sign in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to do any and
all things and execute any and all instruments that any such attorney-in-fact may deem necessary or advisable under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and any rules, regulations and requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
in connection with the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 and any and all amendments
hereto, as fully for all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, and hereby ratifies and confirms all that
such said attorney-in-fact, acting alone, or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
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.
Signature
Title
Date
/s/ SCOTT A. RICHARDSON
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
February 21, 2025
Scott A. Richardson
/s/ CHUCK B. KYRISH
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
February 21, 2025
Chuck B. Kyrish
/s/ AARON M. MCGILVRAY
Vice President, Finance, Controller and
Chief Accounting Officer
(Principal Accounting Officer)
February 21, 2025
Aaron M. McGilvray
/s/ BRUCE E. CHINN
Director
February 21, 2025
Bruce E. Chinn
/s/ EDWARD G. GALANTE
Chairman of the Board of Directors
February 21, 2025
Edward G. Galante
/s/ TIMOTHY GO
Director
February 21, 2025
Timothy Go
/s/ KATHRYN M. HILL
Director
February 21, 2025
Kathryn M. Hill
/s/ DAVID F. HOFFMEISTER
Director
February 21, 2025
David F. Hoffmeister
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61
Signature
Title
Date
/s/ JAY V. IHLENFELD
Director
February 21, 2025
Jay V. Ihlenfeld
/s/ DEBORAH J. KISSIRE
Director
February 21, 2025
Deborah J. Kissire
/s/ CHRISTOPHER KUEHN
Director
February 21, 2025
Christopher Kuehn
/s/ MICHAEL KOENIG
Director
February 21, 2025
Michael Koenig
/s/ GANESH MOORTHY
Director
February 21, 2025
Ganesh Moorthy
/s/ KIM K.W. RUCKER
Director
February 21, 2025
Kim K.W. Rucker
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62
CELANESE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Page
Number
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm ......................................................................................
64
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 ............................
67
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and
2022 ............................................................................................................................................................................
68
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 .............................................................................
69
Consolidated Statements of Equity for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 ...................................
70
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 ...........................
71
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements ........................................................................................................
72
1. Description of the Company and Basis of Presentation .........................................................................................
72
2. Summary of Accounting Policies ...........................................................................................................................
72
3. Recent Accounting Pronouncements ......................................................................................................................
81
4. Acquisitions, Dispositions and Plant Closures .......................................................................................................
83
5. Receivables, Net .....................................................................................................................................................
84
6. Inventories ..............................................................................................................................................................
85
7. Investments in Affiliates .........................................................................................................................................
85
8. Property, Plant and Equipment, Net .......................................................................................................................
87
9. Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Net ......................................................................................................................
87
10. Current Other Liabilities .......................................................................................................................................
90
11. Debt ......................................................................................................................................................................
91
12. Benefit Obligations ...............................................................................................................................................
95
13. Environmental ......................................................................................................................................................
102
14. Shareholders' Equity .............................................................................................................................................
105
15. Income Taxes ........................................................................................................................................................
107
16. Leases ...................................................................................................................................................................
112
17. Derivative Financial Instruments..........................................................................................................................
114
18. Fair Value Measurements .....................................................................................................................................
116
19. Commitments and Contingencies .........................................................................................................................
118
20. Supplemental Cash Flow Information ..................................................................................................................
120
21. Segment Information ............................................................................................................................................
120
22. Revenue Recognition ............................................................................................................................................
124
23. Earnings (Loss) Per Share ....................................................................................................................................
125
24. Other (Charges) Gains, Net ..................................................................................................................................
125
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63
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Shareholders and Board of Directors
Celanese Corporation:
Opinions on the Consolidated Financial Statements and Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Celanese Corporation and subsidiaries (the Company) as of
December 31, 2024 and 2023, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), equity, and cash
flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2024, and the related notes (collectively, the
consolidated financial statements). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of
December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee
of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial
position of the Company as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the
years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2024, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of
December 31, 2024 based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee
of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
Basis for Opinions
The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, 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 Report of Management on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on the Company's consolidated financial statements and an opinion on the Company's internal control over financial
reporting 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
audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement,
whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material
respects.
Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement
of the consolidated 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 consolidated
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 consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal
control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the
risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based
on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the
circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
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.
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64
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.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the consolidated 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 consolidated 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 consolidated
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.
Evaluation of the Company's application of multinational income tax regulations
As discussed in Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company recorded $510 million of income tax
provision for the year ended December 31, 2024. Because of its multinational presence, the Company's effective
income tax rate and related income tax attributes are significantly impacted by tax regulations in certain operating
locations. As a result, the Company continuously monitors, evaluates, and responds to these impacts.
We identified the evaluation of the Company's ongoing assessment and application of multinational income tax
regulations as a critical audit matter. This was due to the complex, subjective and evolving nature of tax regulations,
the steps taken by the Company to interpret and respond to changes in the tax environment, and taxing authorities'
collective impacts on the Company's consolidated income tax computations. As a result, a high degree of auditor
judgment and the use of income tax professionals with specialized skills and knowledge were required to 1) evaluate
significant income tax regulations, including changes thereto, 2) assess the application of the taxing authorities'
regulations on the Company's business operations, and 3) evaluate the Company's accounting for income taxes
pertaining to significant transactions and restructurings.
The following are the primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter. We evaluated the design
and tested the operating effectiveness of certain internal controls related to the critical audit matter. This included
controls related to 1) the application of tax regulations, 2) the execution of certain significant transactions and
restructurings, and 3) their collective impacts on consolidated income tax computations. We involved income tax
professionals with specialized skills and knowledge, who assisted in evaluating the Company's interpretation and
application of tax regulations, including tax regulation changes, and the associated income tax consequences. They
also assisted in assessing certain significant transactions and restructurings, including reviewing the underlying
documentation and evaluating the impact on the Company's global tax rate.
Assessment of goodwill for impairment
As discussed in Notes 2 and 9 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company tests goodwill for impairment at
least annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of a reporting unit
may not be fully recoverable. The Company's goodwill impairment test uses a weighting of the income and market
approach to estimate a reporting unit's fair value. The income approach is based on a discounted cash flow analysis and
involves the use of assumptions, including projections of revenues and expenses, revenue growth rates, and the
selection of discount rates. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company recorded an impairment of goodwill in the
engineered materials reporting unit of $1,517 million. The total goodwill balance as of December 31, 2024 was
$5,387 million, of which $5,025 million relates to the engineered materials reporting unit.
We identified the evaluation of the fair value of the engineered materials reporting unit as a critical audit matter. There
was a high degree of subjective auditor judgment in evaluating the key assumptions used in the discounted cash flow
analysis used to estimate the fair value of the engineered materials reporting unit. Specifically, minor changes to key
assumptions, including projected revenue, revenue growth rates and the discount rate, could have had a significant
effect on the Company's assessment of the fair value of the reporting unit. Additionally, the use of professionals with
specialized skills and knowledge was required to assess these key assumptions.
The following are the primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter. We evaluated the design
and tested the operating effectiveness of certain internal controls over the Company's goodwill impairment process.
This included controls related to the determination of the estimated fair value of the reporting unit and the
development of the key assumptions. We evaluated the projected revenue by comparing it to the historical results of
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65
the reporting unit and assessing the impacts of internal and/or external economic factors. In addition, we involved
valuation professionals with specialized skills and knowledge, who assisted in:
•
evaluating the revenue growth rates by comparing them with projected revenue growth rates of peer companies
based on publicly available market data
•
evaluating the discount rate by comparing it to a discount rate that was independently developed using publicly
available market data for comparable companies.
/s/ KPMG LLP
We have served as the Company's auditor since 2004.
Dallas, Texas
February 21, 2025
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66
CELANESE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions, except share and per share data)
Net sales ..........................................................................................................
10,280
10,940
9,673
Cost of sales ....................................................................................................
(7,924)
(8,337)
(7,293)
Gross profit ..................................................................................................
2,356
2,603
2,380
Selling, general and administrative expenses .................................................
(1,030)
(1,075)
(824)
Amortization of intangible assets ...................................................................
(159)
(164)
(62)
Research and development expenses ..............................................................
(130)
(146)
(112)
Other (charges) gains, net ...............................................................................
(1,744)
(68)
(8)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net ...................................................................
24
32
(1)
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net .................................
(14)
505
5
Operating profit (loss) ..................................................................................
(697)
1,687
1,378
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates ........................................................
196
102
220
Non-operating pension and other postretirement employee benefit
(expense) income.........................................................................................
(20)
(69)
17
Interest expense ...............................................................................................
(676)
(720)
(405)
Refinancing expense .......................................................................................
—
(7)
—
Interest income ................................................................................................
33
39
69
Dividend income - equity investments ...........................................................
128
126
133
Other income (expense), net ...........................................................................
40
25
9
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax ................................
(996)
1,183
1,421
Income tax (provision) benefit ........................................................................
(510)
790
489
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations .................................................
(1,506)
1,973
1,910
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations ............................
(10)
(12)
(9)
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations ........................
2
3
1
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations ..............................................
(8)
(9)
(8)
Net earnings (loss) ...................................................................................
(1,514)
1,964
1,902
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests ............................
(8)
(4)
(8)
Net earnings (loss) available to Celanese Corporation ............................
(1,522)
1,960
1,894
Amounts attributable to Celanese Corporation
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations .................................................
(1,514)
1,969
1,902
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations ..............................................
(8)
(9)
(8)
Net earnings (loss) ...................................................................................
(1,522)
1,960
1,894
Earnings (loss) per common share - basic
Continuing operations ..................................................................................
(13.86)
18.09
17.55
Discontinued operations ...............................................................................
(0.07)
(0.08)
(0.07)
Net earnings (loss) - basic .......................................................................
(13.93)
18.01
17.48
Earnings (loss) per common share - diluted
Continuing operations ..................................................................................
(13.86)
18.00
17.41
Discontinued operations ...............................................................................
(0.07)
(0.08)
(0.07)
Net earnings (loss) - diluted .....................................................................
(13.93)
17.92
17.34
Weighted average shares - basic ..................................................................... 109,273,779 108,848,962 108,380,082
Weighted average shares - diluted .................................................................. 109,273,779 109,379,664 109,235,376
See the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
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67
CELANESE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
Net earnings (loss) ...........................................................................................
(1,514)
1,964
1,902
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
Foreign currency translation gain (loss) ........................................................
(99)
(213)
(217)
Gain (loss) on derivative hedges ...................................................................
—
(6)
21
Pension and postretirement benefits .............................................................
(5)
(7)
7
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax ................................
(104)
(226)
(189)
Total comprehensive income (loss), net of tax ......................................
(1,618)
1,738
1,713
Comprehensive (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests ..
(6)
(4)
(8)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation ...
(1,624)
1,734
1,705
See the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
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68
CELANESE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions, except share data)
ASSETS
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents ........................................................................................................
962
1,805
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates ...........................................................................
1,121
1,243
Non-trade receivables, net ........................................................................................................
493
541
Inventories ................................................................................................................................
2,284
2,357
Other assets ..............................................................................................................................
285
272
Total current assets ..............................................................................................................
5,145
6,218
Investments in affiliates ..............................................................................................................
1,217
1,220
Property, plant and equipment (net of accumulated depreciation - 2024: $4,562; 2023:
$4,080) ........................................................................................................................................
5,273
5,584
Operating lease right-of-use assets .............................................................................................
388
422
Deferred income taxes ................................................................................................................
1,251
1,677
Other assets .................................................................................................................................
555
524
Goodwill .....................................................................................................................................
5,387
6,977
Intangible assets, net ...................................................................................................................
3,641
3,975
Total assets ........................................................................................................................
22,857
26,597
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and
affiliates ................................................................................................................................
1,501
1,383
Trade payables - third party and affiliates ...............................................................................
1,228
1,510
Other liabilities .........................................................................................................................
1,120
1,154
Income taxes payable ...............................................................................................................
4
25
Total current liabilities ........................................................................................................
3,853
4,072
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs ....................................................
11,078
12,301
Deferred income taxes ................................................................................................................
933
999
Uncertain tax positions ...............................................................................................................
286
300
Benefit obligations ......................................................................................................................
396
457
Operating lease liabilities ...........................................................................................................
294
325
Other liabilities ...........................................................................................................................
408
591
Commitments and Contingencies
Shareholders' Equity
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized (2024 and 2023: 0 issued
and outstanding) ...................................................................................................................
—
—
Common stock, $0.0001 par value, 400,000,000 shares authorized (2024: 170,827,196
issued and 109,327,556 outstanding; 2023: 170,476,740 issued and 108,906,426
outstanding) ..........................................................................................................................
—
—
Treasury stock, at cost (2024: 61,499,640 shares; 2023: 61,570,314 shares) ..........................
(5,486)
(5,488)
Additional paid-in capital .........................................................................................................
409
394
Retained earnings .....................................................................................................................
11,100
12,929
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net ............................................................
(848)
(744)
Total Celanese Corporation shareholders' equity ................................................................
5,175
7,091
Noncontrolling interests ..............................................................................................................
434
461
Total equity ..........................................................................................................................
5,609
7,552
Total liabilities and equity ................................................................................................
22,857
26,597
See the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
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69
CELANESE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
(In $ millions, except share data)
Common Stock
Balance as of the beginning of the period ............................ 108,906,426
—
108,473,932
—
108,023,735
—
Stock option exercises ..........................................................
10,088
—
968
—
—
—
Stock awards ........................................................................
411,042
—
431,526
—
450,197
—
Balance as of the end of the period ................................. 109,327,556
—
108,906,426
—
108,473,932
—
Treasury Stock
Balance as of the beginning of the period ............................ 61,570,314
(5,488) 61,661,493
(5,491) 61,736,289
(5,492)
Issuance of treasury stock under stock plans .......................
(70,674)
2
(91,179)
3
(74,796)
1
Balance as of the end of the period ................................. 61,499,640
(5,486) 61,570,314
(5,488) 61,661,493
(5,491)
Additional Paid-In Capital
Balance as of the beginning of the period ............................
394
372
333
Stock-based compensation, net of tax ..................................
14
22
39
Stock option exercises, net of tax .........................................
1
—
—
Balance as of the end of the period .................................
409
394
372
Retained Earnings
Balance as of the beginning of the period ............................
12,929
11,274
9,677
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation .....
(1,522)
1,960
1,894
Common stock dividends .....................................................
(307)
(305)
(297)
Balance as of the end of the period .................................
11,100
12,929
11,274
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net
Balance as of the beginning of the period ............................
(744)
(518)
(329)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax ....................
(104)
(226)
(189)
Balance as of the end of the period .................................
(848)
(744)
(518)
Total Celanese Corporation shareholders' equity ........
5,175
7,091
5,637
Noncontrolling Interests
Balance as of the beginning of the period ............................
461
468
348
Net earnings (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests .
8
4
8
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax ....................
(2)
—
—
Distributions/dividends to noncontrolling interests ..............
(33)
(11)
(13)
Acquisition of noncontrolling interests ................................
—
—
125
Balance as of the end of the period .................................
434
461
468
Total equity .................................................................
5,609
7,552
6,105
See the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
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70
CELANESE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
Operating Activities
Net earnings (loss) ......................................................................................................
(1,514)
1,964
1,902
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings (loss) to net cash provided by (used in)
operating activities
Asset impairments .................................................................................................
1,639
15
14
Depreciation, amortization and accretion ..............................................................
823
739
478
Pension and postretirement net periodic benefit cost ............................................
6
13
(85)
Pension and postretirement contributions .............................................................
(54)
(49)
(48)
Actuarial (gain) loss on pension and postretirement plans ...................................
37
66
81
Pension curtailments and settlements, net .............................................................
(9)
1
—
Deferred income taxes, net ....................................................................................
216
(967)
(835)
(Gain) loss on disposition of businesses and assets, net .......................................
13
(501)
(8)
Stock-based compensation ....................................................................................
32
40
60
Undistributed earnings in unconsolidated affiliates ..............................................
(33)
55
(3)
Other, net ...............................................................................................................
19
9
11
Operating cash provided by (used in) discontinued operations ............................
(5)
(2)
(28)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates, net ..................................................
92
105
218
Inventories .............................................................................................................
11
398
(253)
Other assets ...........................................................................................................
(10)
277
(13)
Trade payables - third party and affiliates .............................................................
(234)
20
(84)
Other liabilities ......................................................................................................
(63)
(284)
412
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities ...........................................
966
1,899
1,819
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures on property, plant and equipment .............................................
(435)
(568)
(543)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired ..............................................................................
—
52
(10,589)
Proceeds from sale of businesses and assets, net .......................................................
—
480
48
Settlement of cross-currency swap agreement ...........................................................
17
—
—
Other, net ....................................................................................................................
(52)
(98)
(57)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities ............................................
(470)
(134)
(11,141)
Financing Activities
Net change in short-term borrowings with maturities of 3 months or less ................
15
(278)
36
Proceeds from short-term borrowings ........................................................................
160
452
500
Repayments of short-term borrowings .......................................................................
(418)
(603)
—
Proceeds from long-term debt ....................................................................................
328
3,001
10,769
Repayments of long-term debt ...................................................................................
(1,033)
(3,660)
(526)
Purchases of treasury stock, including related fees ....................................................
—
—
(17)
Stock option exercises ................................................................................................
1
—
—
Common stock dividends ...........................................................................................
(307)
(305)
(297)
Distributions/dividends to noncontrolling interests ...................................................
(33)
(11)
(13)
Issuance cost of bridge facility ...................................................................................
—
—
(63)
Other, net ....................................................................................................................
(26)
(52)
(99)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities ...........................................
(1,313)
(1,456)
10,290
Exchange rate effects on cash and cash equivalents .....................................................
(26)
(12)
4
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents ................................................
(843)
297
972
Cash and cash equivalents as of beginning of period .................................................
1,805
1,508
536
Cash and cash equivalents as of end of period ...................................................
962
1,805
1,508
See the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
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CELANESE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. Description of the Company and Basis of Presentation
Description of the Company
Celanese Corporation and its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company") is a global chemical and specialty materials company.
The Company produces high performance engineered polymers that are used in a variety of high-value applications, as well as
acetyl products, which are intermediate chemicals for nearly all major industries. The Company also engineers and
manufactures a wide variety of products essential to everyday living. The Company's broad product portfolio serves a diverse
set of end-use applications including automotive, chemical additives, construction, consumer and industrial adhesives, medical,
consumer electronics, energy storage, filtration, paints and coatings, paper and packaging, industrial applications and textiles.
Definitions
In this Annual Report on Form 10-K ("Annual Report"), the term "Celanese" refers to Celanese Corporation, a Delaware
corporation, and not its subsidiaries. The term "Celanese U.S." refers to the Company's subsidiary, Celanese US Holdings LLC,
a Delaware limited liability company, and not its subsidiaries.
Basis of Presentation
The consolidated financial statements contained in this Annual Report were prepared in accordance with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") for all periods presented and include the accounts of the
Company, its majority owned subsidiaries over which the Company exercises control and, when applicable, variable interest
entities in which the Company is the primary beneficiary. The consolidated financial statements and other financial information
included in this Annual Report, unless otherwise specified, have been presented to separately show the effects of discontinued
operations.
In the ordinary course of business, the Company enters into contracts and agreements relative to a number of topics, including
acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, supply agreements, product sales and other arrangements. The Company endeavors to
describe those contracts or agreements that are material to its business, results of operations or financial position. Investors
should not assume the Company has described all contracts and agreements relative to the Company's business in this Annual
Report.
For those consolidated ventures in which the Company owns or is exposed to less than 100% of the economics, the outside
shareholders' interests are shown as noncontrolling interests.
2. Summary of Accounting Policies
Critical Accounting Policies
Recoverability of Goodwill and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets
The Company assesses the recoverability of the carrying amount of its reporting unit goodwill and other indefinite-lived
intangible assets either qualitatively or quantitatively annually during the third quarter of its fiscal year using June 30 balances
or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be fully recoverable.
Recoverability of the carrying amount of goodwill is measured at the reporting unit level. The Company assesses the
recoverability of finite-lived intangible assets in the same manner as for property, plant and equipment. Impairment losses are
generally recorded in Other (charges) gains, net in the consolidated statements of operations.
When assessing the recoverability of goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets, the Company may first assess
qualitative factors in determining whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit, including goodwill, or
another indefinite-lived intangible asset is less than its carrying amount. The qualitative evaluation is an assessment of multiple
factors, including the current operating environment, financial performance and market considerations. The Company may elect
to bypass this qualitative assessment for some or all of its reporting units or other indefinite-lived intangible assets and perform
a quantitative test, based on management's judgment.
In performing a quantitative analysis of goodwill, the Company measures the recoverability of goodwill for each reporting unit
using the income approach based on a discounted cash flow model incorporating discount rates commensurate with the risks
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involved or a combination of the income approach and the market approach using the guideline public company method, which
is classified as a Level 3 fair value measurement. The key assumptions used in the discounted cash flow valuation model
include discount rates, revenue growth rates, tax rates, cash flow projections and terminal value rates. Discount rates, revenue
growth rates and cash flow projections are the most sensitive and susceptible to change as they require significant management
judgment. Discount rates used are similar to the rates estimated by the weighted average cost of capital ("WACC") considering
any differences in company-specific risk factors. Revenue growth rates and cash flow projections are based on historical trends
and expected growth drivers such as macroeconomic trends in the industries and territories in which the reporting units operate.
The Company may engage third-party valuation consultants to assist with this process.
Management tests other indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment quantitatively utilizing the relief from royalty method
under the income approach to determine the estimated fair value for each indefinite-lived intangible asset, which is classified as
a Level 3 fair value measurement. The relief from royalty method estimates the Company's theoretical royalty savings from
ownership of the intangible asset. The key assumptions used in this model include discount rates, royalty rates, revenue growth
rates, tax rates, sales projections and terminal value rates. Discount rates, royalty rates, revenue growth rates and sales
projections are the assumptions most sensitive and susceptible to change as they require significant management judgment.
Discount rates used are similar to the rates estimated by the WACC considering any differences in company-specific risk
factors. Royalty rates are established by management and are periodically substantiated by third-party valuation consultants.
Revenue growth rates and sales projections are based on historical trends and expected growth drivers such as macroeconomic
trends in the industries and territories in which the indefinite-lived intangible assets operate. Tax rates consider the operating
structure of the Company and tax rates in jurisdictions in which the indefinite-lived intangible assets operate.
Pension and Other Postretirement Obligations
The Company recognizes a balance sheet asset or liability for each of its pension and other postretirement benefit plans equal to
the plan's funded status as of a December 31 measurement date. The amounts recognized in the consolidated financial
statements related to pension and other postretirement benefits are determined on an actuarial basis. Various assumptions are
used in the calculation of the actuarial valuation of the employee benefit plans. These assumptions include the discount rate,
compensation levels, expected long-term rates of return on plan assets and trends in health care costs. In addition, actuarial
consultants use factors such as withdrawal and mortality rates to estimate the projected benefit obligation.
The Company applies the long-term expected rate of return to the fair value of plan assets and immediately recognizes in
operating results the change in fair value of plan assets and net actuarial gains and losses annually in the fourth quarter of each
fiscal year and whenever a plan is required to be remeasured. Events requiring a plan remeasurement will be recognized in the
quarter in which such remeasurement event occurs. The remaining components of pension and other postretirement plan net
periodic benefit costs are recorded on a monthly basis.
The Company allocates the service cost and amortization of prior service cost (or credit) components of its pension and
postretirement plans to its business segments. Interest cost, expected return on assets and net actuarial gains and losses are
considered financing activities managed at the corporate level and are recorded to Other Activities. The Company believes the
expense allocation appropriately matches the cost incurred for active employees to the respective business segment.
Other postretirement benefit plans provide medical and life insurance benefits to retirees who meet minimum age and service
requirements. The key determinants of the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation are the discount rate and the health
care cost trend rate.
•
Discount Rate
As of the measurement date, the Company determines the appropriate discount rate used to calculate the present value of future
cash flows currently expected to be required to settle the pension and other postretirement benefit obligations. The discount rate
is generally based on the yield on high-quality corporate fixed-income securities. The Company engages third-party consultants
to assist with this process.
In the U.S., the rate used to discount pension and other postretirement benefit plan liabilities is based on a yield curve
developed from market data of approximately 400 Aa-grade non-callable bonds (unless accompanied by a make whole
provision) at the measurement date. This yield curve has discount rates that vary based on the duration of the obligations. The
estimated future cash flows for the pension and other benefit obligations were matched to the corresponding rates on the yield
curve to derive a weighted average discount rate.
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Outside of the U.S., a similar approach of discounting pension and other postretirement benefit plan liabilities is used based on
the high quality corporate bonds available in each market. There are some exceptions to this methodology, namely in locations
where there is a sparse corporate bond market, and in such cases the discount rate takes into account yields of government
bonds at the appropriate duration.
•
Expected Long-Term Rate of Return on Assets
The Company determines the long-term expected rate of return on plan assets by considering the current target asset allocation,
as well as the historical and expected rates of return on various asset categories in which the plans are invested. A single long-
term expected rate of return on plan assets is then calculated for each plan as the weighted average of the target asset allocation
and the long-term expected rate of return assumptions for each asset category within each plan. The expected rate of return is
assessed annually.
•
Investment Policies and Strategies
The investment objectives for the Company's pension plans are to earn, over a moving 20-year period, a long-term expected
rate of return, net of investment fees and transaction costs, sufficient to satisfy the benefit obligations of the plan, while at the
same time maintaining adequate liquidity to pay benefit obligations and proper expenses, and meet any other cash needs, in the
short- to medium-term.
The equity and debt securities objectives are to provide diversified exposure across the U.S. and global equity and fixed income
markets, and to manage the risks and returns of the plans through the use of multiple managers and strategies. The fixed income
strategies are designed to reduce liability-related interest rate risk by investing in bonds that match the duration and credit
quality of the plan liabilities where possible.
The financial objectives of the qualified pension plans are established in conjunction with a comprehensive review of each
plan's liability structure. The Company's asset allocation policy is based on detailed asset/liability analysis. In developing
investment policy and financial goals, consideration is given to each plan's demographics, the returns and risks associated with
current and alternative investment strategies and the current and projected cash, expense and funding ratios of each plan.
Investment policies must also comply with local statutory requirements as determined by each country. A formal asset/liability
study of each plan is undertaken approximately every three to five years or whenever there has been a material change in plan
demographics, benefit structure or funding status and investment market. The Company has adopted a long-term investment
horizon such that the risk and duration of investment losses are weighed against the long-term potential for appreciation of
assets. Although there cannot be complete assurance that these objectives will be realized, it is believed that the likelihood for
their realization is reasonably high, based upon the asset allocation chosen and the historical and expected performance of the
asset classes utilized by the plans. The intent is for investments to be broadly diversified across asset classes, investment styles,
market sectors, investment managers, developed and emerging markets and securities in order to moderate portfolio volatility
and risk. Investments may be in separate accounts, commingled trusts, mutual funds and other pooled asset portfolios provided
they all conform to fiduciary standards.
External investment managers are hired to manage pension assets. Investment consultants assist with the screening process for
each new manager hired. Over the long-term, the investment portfolio is expected to earn returns that exceed a composite of
market indices that are weighted to match each plan's target asset allocation. The portfolio return should also (over the long-
term) meet or exceed the return used for actuarial calculations in order to meet the future needs of each plan.
Income Taxes
The provision for income taxes is determined using the asset and liability approach of accounting for income taxes. Under this
approach, deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and
liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes and net operating loss and tax credit
carryforwards. The amount of deferred taxes on these temporary differences is determined using the tax rates that are expected
to apply to the period when the asset is realized or the liability is settled, as applicable, based on tax rates and laws in the
respective tax jurisdiction enacted as of the balance sheet date.
The Company reviews its deferred tax assets for recoverability and establishes a valuation allowance based on historical taxable
income, projected future taxable income, remaining carryforward periods, applicable tax strategies and the expected timing of
the reversals of existing temporary differences. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not (likelihood of
greater than 50%) that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.
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The Company considers many factors when evaluating and estimating its tax positions and tax benefits, which may require
periodic adjustments and which may not accurately anticipate actual outcomes. Tax positions are recognized only when it is
more likely than not (likelihood of greater than 50%), based on technical merits, that the positions will be sustained upon
examination. Tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not threshold are measured using a probability weighted approach as
the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement. Whether the more-likely-
than-not recognition threshold is met for a tax position is a matter of judgment based on the individual facts and circumstances
of that position evaluated in light of all available evidence and technical authorities in the relevant jurisdiction.
The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in Income tax (provision) benefit in the
consolidated statements of operations.
Other Accounting Policies
Consolidation Principles
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP for all periods presented and include
the accounts of the Company and its majority owned subsidiaries over which the Company exercises control. All intercompany
accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Estimates and Assumptions
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates
and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the
date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of net sales, expenses and allocated charges during the
reporting period. Significant estimates pertain to impairments of goodwill, intangible assets and other long-lived assets,
purchase price allocations, restructuring costs and other (charges) gains, net, income taxes, pension and other postretirement
benefits, asset retirement obligations, environmental liabilities and loss contingencies, among others. Actual results could differ
from those estimates.
Purchase Accounting
The Company recognizes the identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their
estimated fair values as of the acquisition date. The excess of purchase price over the aggregate fair values is recorded as
goodwill. Intangible assets are valued using the relief from royalty, multi-period excess earnings and discounted cash flow
methodologies, which are considered Level 3 measurements. The relief from royalty method estimates the Company's
theoretical royalty savings from ownership of the intangible asset. Key assumptions used in this method include discount rates,
royalty rates, growth rates, sales projections and terminal value rates. Key assumptions used in the multi-period excess earnings
method include discount rates, retention rates, growth rates, sales projections, expense projections and contributory asset
charges. Key assumptions used in the discounted cash flow valuation model include discount rates, growth rates, tax rates, cash
flow projections and terminal value rates. All of these methodologies require significant management judgment and, therefore,
are susceptible to change. The Company calculates the fair value of the identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired and
liabilities assumed to allocate the purchase price at the acquisition date. The Company may use the assistance of third-party
valuation consultants.
Variable Interest Entities
The Company assesses whether it has a variable interest in legal entities in which it has a financial relationship and, if so,
whether or not those entities are variable interest entities ("VIEs"). A VIE is an entity with insufficient equity at risk for the
entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support or in which equity investors lack the
characteristics of a controlling financial interest. If an entity is determined to be a VIE, the Company evaluates whether it is the
primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary analysis is a qualitative analysis based on power and economics. The Company
concludes that it is the primary beneficiary and consolidates the VIE if the Company has both (i) the power to direct the
activities of the VIE that most significantly influence the VIE's economic performance, and (ii) the obligation to absorb losses
of, or the right to receive benefits from, the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE.
The Company has a joint venture, Fairway Methanol LLC ("Fairway"), with Mitsui & Co., Ltd., of Tokyo, Japan ("Mitsui"), in
which the Company owns 50% of Fairway, for the production of methanol at the Company's integrated chemical plant in Clear
Lake, Texas. Fairway is a VIE in which the Company is the primary beneficiary. Accordingly, the Company consolidates the
venture and records a noncontrolling interest for the share of the venture owned by Mitsui. Fairway is included in the
Company's Acetyl Chain segment. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the carrying amount of the total assets associated with
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Fairway included in the consolidated balance sheets were $574 million and $626 million, respectively, made up primarily of
$491 million and $529 million, respectively, of property, plant and equipment.
The Company holds variable interests in entities that supply certain raw materials and services to the Company. The variable
interests primarily relate to cost-plus contractual arrangements with the suppliers and recovery of capital expenditures for
certain plant assets plus a rate of return on such assets. Liabilities for such supplier recoveries of capital expenditures have been
recorded as finance lease obligations. The entities are not consolidated because the Company is not the primary beneficiary of
the entities as it does not have the power to direct the activities of the entities that most significantly impact the entities'
economic performance. The Company's maximum exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with these VIEs as of
December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $208 million, related primarily to the recovery of capital expenditures for certain property,
plant and equipment.
Fair Value Measurements
The Company determines fair value based on the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability
in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining the fair value measurements
for assets and liabilities required to be recorded at fair value, the Company considers assumptions that market participants
would use when pricing the asset or liability. Market participant assumptions are categorized by a three-tiered fair value
hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted
prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurement) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs
(Level 3 measurement). This hierarchy requires entities to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of
unobservable inputs. If a financial instrument uses inputs that fall in different levels of the hierarchy, the instrument will be
categorized based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value calculation. Valuations for fund investments,
such as pooled-type investments and registered investment companies, which do not have readily determinable fair values, are
typically estimated using a net asset value provided by a third party as a practical expedient.
The levels of inputs used to measure fair value are as follows:
Level 1 - unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets accessible by the Company
Level 2 - inputs that are observable in the marketplace other than those inputs classified as Level 1
Level 3 - inputs that are unobservable in the marketplace and significant to the valuation
Cash and Cash Equivalents
All highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less are considered cash equivalents.
Inventories
Inventories, including stores and supplies, are stated at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Cost for inventories is
determined using the first-in, first-out method. Cost includes raw materials, direct labor and manufacturing overhead. Cost for
stores and supplies is primarily determined by the average cost method.
Investments in Affiliates
Investments in equity securities where the Company can exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies of
an investee, which is generally considered when an investor owns 20% or more of the voting stock of an investee, are
accounted for under the equity method of accounting. Investments in equity securities where the Company does not exercise
significant influence are accounted for at fair value or, if such investments do not have a readily determinable fair value, an
election may be made to measure them at cost after considering observable price changes for similar instruments, minus
impairment, if any. The Company determined it cannot exercise significant influence over certain investments where the
Company owns greater than a 20% interest due to local government investment in and influence over these entities, limitations
on the Company's involvement in the day-to-day operations and the present inability of the entities to provide timely financial
information prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Further, these investments were determined not to have a readily
determinable fair value. Accordingly, these investments are accounted for using the alternative measure described above.
In certain instances, the financial information of the Company's equity investees is not available on a timely basis. Accordingly,
the Company records its proportional share of the investee's earnings or losses on a consistent lag of no more than one quarter.
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When required to assess the recoverability of its investments in affiliates, the Company estimates fair value using a discounted
cash flow model. The Company may engage third-party valuation consultants to assist with this process.
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net
Land is recorded at historical cost. Buildings, machinery and equipment, including capitalized interest, and property under
finance lease agreements, are recorded at cost less accumulated depreciation. The Company records depreciation and
amortization in its consolidated statements of operations as either Cost of sales, Selling, general and administrative expenses or
Research and development expenses consistent with the utilization of the underlying assets. Depreciation is calculated on a
straight-line basis over the following estimated useful lives of depreciable assets:
Land improvements ................................................................................................................................................
20 years
Buildings and improvements ..................................................................................................................................
30 years
Machinery and equipment .......................................................................................................................................
20 years
Leasehold improvements are amortized over 10 years or the remaining life of the respective lease, whichever is shorter.
Accelerated depreciation is recorded when the estimated useful life is shortened. Ordinary repair and maintenance costs,
including costs for planned maintenance turnarounds, that do not extend the useful life of the asset are charged to earnings as
incurred. Fully depreciated assets are retained in property and depreciation accounts until sold or otherwise disposed. In the
case of disposals, assets and related depreciation are removed from the accounts, and the net amounts, less proceeds from
disposal, are included in earnings.
The Company assesses the recoverability of the carrying amount of its property, plant and equipment whenever events or
changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset or asset group may not be recoverable. An impairment
loss would be assessed when estimated undiscounted future cash flows from the operation and disposition of the asset group are
less than the carrying amount of the asset group. Asset groups have identifiable cash flows and are largely independent of other
asset groups. Measurement of an impairment loss is based on the excess of the carrying amount of the asset group over its fair
value. The Company calculates the fair value using a discounted cash flow model incorporating discount rates commensurate
with the risks involved for the asset group, which is classified as a Level 3 fair value measurement. The key assumptions used
in the discounted cash flow valuation model include discount rates, growth rates, tax rates, cash flow projections and terminal
value rates. Discount rates, growth rates and cash flow projections involve significant judgment and are based on management's
estimate of current and forecasted market conditions and cost structure. Impairment losses are generally recorded in Other
(charges) gains, net in the consolidated statements of operations.
Definite-lived Intangible Assets
Customer-related intangible assets and other intangible assets with finite lives are amortized on a straight-line basis over their
estimated useful lives, which range from eight to 30 years.
Derivative and Hedging Instruments
The Company manages its exposures to interest rates, foreign exchange rates and commodity prices through a risk management
program that includes the use of derivative financial instruments. The Company does not use derivative financial instruments
for speculative trading purposes. The fair value of derivative instruments other than foreign currency forwards and swaps is
recorded as an asset or liability on a net basis at the balance sheet date.
•
Interest Rate Risk Management
The Company entered into a forward-starting interest rate swap to mitigate the risk of variability in the benchmark interest rate
for debt issued in 2021. The interest rate swap agreement was designated as a cash flow hedge. Accordingly, to the extent the
cash flow hedges were effective, changes in the fair value of the interest rate swap were included in gain (loss) from cash flow
hedges within Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net in the consolidated balance sheets.
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•
Foreign Exchange Risk Management
Certain subsidiaries of the Company have assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than their respective functional
currencies, which creates foreign exchange risk. The Company also is exposed to foreign currency fluctuations on transactions
with third-party entities as well as intercompany transactions. The Company minimizes its exposure to foreign currency
fluctuations by entering into foreign currency forwards and swaps. These foreign currency forwards and swaps are generally not
designated as hedges. Gains and losses on foreign currency forwards and swaps entered into to offset foreign exchange impacts
on intercompany balances are included in Other income (expense), net in the consolidated statements of operations. Gains and
losses on foreign currency forwards and swaps entered into to offset foreign exchange impacts on all other assets and liabilities
are included in Foreign exchange gain (loss), net in the consolidated statements of operations.
The Company uses non-derivative financial instruments that may give rise to foreign currency transaction gains or losses to
hedge the foreign currency exposure of net investments in foreign operations. Accordingly, the effective portion of gains and
losses from remeasurement of the non-derivative financial instrument is included in foreign currency translation within
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net in the consolidated balance sheets. Gains and losses are reclassified to
earnings in the period the hedged investment is sold or liquidated.
The Company entered into cross-currency swaps to synthetically convert certain United States dollar ("USD") borrowings to
euro ("EUR") borrowings in 2019 and 2022. The cross-currency swap agreements are designated as a net investment hedge.
Accordingly, to the extent the net investment hedges are effective, changes in the fair value of the cross-currency swap are
included in foreign currency translation within Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net in the consolidated balance
sheets. Gains and losses are reclassified to earnings in the period the hedged investment is sold or liquidated.
The Company entered into cross-currency swaps to effectively convert certain USD borrowings to Japanese yen ("JPY") and
EUR borrowings in 2023. The cross-currency swap agreements were designated as fair value hedges. Accordingly, to the extent
the fair value hedges are effective, changes in the fair value attributable to changes in the excluded components are included in
gain (loss) from fair value hedges within Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net in the consolidated balance
sheets. The value of the excluded components is recognized in earnings using a systematic and rational method by accruing the
current-period swap settlements into earnings each reporting period.
The Company entered into cross-currency swaps to synthetically convert certain USD borrowings to Chinese yuan ("CNY")
borrowings in 2024. The cross-currency swap agreements are designated as a net investment hedge. Accordingly, to the extent
the net investment hedges are effective, changes in the fair value of the cross-currency swap are included in foreign currency
translation within Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net in the consolidated balance sheets. Gains and losses are
reclassified to earnings in the period the hedged investment is sold or liquidated.
•
Commodity Risk Management
The Company has exposure to the prices of commodities in its procurement of certain raw materials. The Company manages its
exposure to commodity risk primarily through the use of long-term supply agreements, multi-year purchasing and sales
agreements and forward purchase contracts. The Company regularly assesses its practice of using forward purchase contracts
and other raw material hedging instruments in accordance with changes in economic conditions. Forward purchases and swap
contracts for raw materials are principally settled through physical delivery of the commodity. For qualifying contracts, the
Company has elected to apply the normal purchases and normal sales exception based on the probability at the inception and
throughout the term of the contract that the Company would not net settle and the transaction would result in the physical
delivery of the commodity. Accordingly, realized gains and losses on these contracts are included in the cost of the commodity
upon the settlement of the contract.
The Company also uses commodity swaps to hedge the risk of fluctuating price changes in certain raw materials and in which
physical settlement does not occur. These commodity swaps fix the variable fee component of the price of certain commodities.
All or a portion of these commodity swap agreements may be designated as cash flow hedges. Accordingly, to the extent the
cash flow hedges are effective, changes in the fair value of commodity swaps are included in gain (loss) from cash flow hedges
within Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net in the consolidated balance sheets. Gains and losses are
reclassified to earnings in the period that the hedged item affects earnings.
Asset Retirement Obligations
Periodically, the Company will conclude a site no longer has an indeterminate life based on long-lived asset impairment
triggering events and decisions made by the Company. Accordingly, the Company will record asset retirement obligations
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associated with such sites. To measure the fair value of the asset retirement obligations, the Company will use the expected
present value technique, which is classified as a Level 3 fair value measurement. The expected present value technique uses a
set of cash flows that represent the probability-weighted average of all possible cash flows based on the Company's judgment.
The Company uses the following inputs to determine the fair value of the asset retirement obligations based on the Company's
experience with fulfilling obligations of this type and the Company's knowledge of market conditions: (a) labor costs;
(b) allocation of overhead costs; (c) profit on labor and overhead costs; (d) effect of inflation on estimated costs and profits;
(e) risk premium for bearing the uncertainty inherent in cash flows, other than inflation; (f) time value of money represented by
the risk-free interest rate commensurate with the timing of the associated cash flows; and (g) nonperformance risk relating to
the liability, which includes the Company's own credit risk. The asset retirement obligations are accreted to their undiscounted
values until the time at which they are expected to be settled.
The Company has identified but not recognized asset retirement obligations related to certain of its existing operating facilities.
Examples of these types of obligations include demolition, decommissioning, disposal and restoration activities. Legal
obligations exist in connection with the retirement of these assets upon closure of the facilities or abandonment of the existing
operations. However, the Company currently plans on continuing operations at these facilities indefinitely and therefore, a
reasonable estimate of fair value cannot be determined at this time. In the event the Company considers plans to abandon or
cease operations at these sites, an asset retirement obligation will be reassessed at that time. If certain operating facilities were
to close, the related asset retirement obligations could significantly affect the Company's results of operations and cash flows.
Environmental Liabilities
The Company manufactures and sells a diverse line of chemical products throughout the world. Accordingly, the Company's
operations are subject to various hazards incidental to the production of industrial chemicals including the use, handling,
processing, storage and transportation of hazardous materials. The Company recognizes losses and accrues liabilities relating to
environmental matters if available information indicates that it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of
loss can be reasonably estimated. Depending on the nature of the site, the Company accrues through 15 years, unless the
Company has government orders or other agreements that extend beyond 15 years. The Company estimates environmental
liabilities on a case-by-case basis using the most current status of available facts, existing technology, presently enacted laws
and regulations and prior experience in remediation of contaminated sites. Recoveries of environmental costs from other parties
are recorded as assets when their receipt is deemed probable.
An environmental liability related to cleanup of a contaminated site might include, for example, a provision for one or more of
the following types of costs: site investigation and testing costs, cleanup costs, costs related to soil and water contamination
resulting from tank ruptures and post-remediation monitoring costs. These undiscounted liabilities do not take into account any
claims or recoveries from insurance. The measurement of environmental liabilities is based on the Company's periodic estimate
of what it will cost to perform each of the elements of the remediation effort. The Company utilizes third parties to assist in the
management and development of cost estimates for its sites. Changes to environmental regulations or other factors affecting
environmental liabilities are reflected in the consolidated financial statements in the period in which they occur.
Loss Contingencies
When determinable, the Company accrues a liability for loss contingencies deemed probable of occurring for which an amount
can be reasonably estimated. For certain potentially material loss contingencies, the Company is sometimes unable to estimate
and accrue a loss deemed probable of occurring. For such matters, the Company discloses an estimate of the possible loss,
range of loss or a statement that such estimate cannot be made.
Because the Company's evaluation and assessment of critical facts and circumstances surrounding a contingent loss often
occurs well in advance of the matter's final determination, there is an inherent subjectivity and unpredictability involved in
estimating, accounting for and reporting contingent losses. Generally, the less progress made in the resolution of a contingent
loss matter or the broader the range of potential outcomes, the more difficult it is for the Company to estimate, accrue and
report a loss. For example, the Company may disclose certain information about a plaintiff's legal claim against the Company
that is alleged in the plaintiff's pleadings or otherwise publicly available. While information of this type may provide more
insight into the potential magnitude of a matter, it may not necessarily be indicative of the Company's estimate of probable or
possible loss. In addition, some of the Company's contingent loss exposures may be eligible for reimbursement under the
provisions of its insurance coverage. The Company does not consider the potential availability of insurance coverage in
determining its probable or possible loss estimates. As a result of these factors among others, the Company's ultimate
contingent loss exposure may be higher or lower, and possibly materially so, than the Company's recorded probable loss
accruals and disclosures of possible losses.
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79
Revenue Recognition
Revenue is recognized when performance obligations under the terms of a contract with a customer are satisfied. The majority
of the Company's contracts have a single performance obligation to transfer products. Accordingly, the Company recognizes
revenue when title and risk of loss have been transferred to the customer, generally at the time of shipment of products.
Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for transferring products and
is generally based upon a negotiated, formula, list or fixed price. The Company sells its products both directly to customers and
through distributors generally under agreements with payment terms typically less than 90 days.
The Company has elected to account for shipping and handling as activities to fulfill the promise to transfer the good. As such,
shipping and handling fees billed to customers in a sales transaction are recorded in Net sales and shipping and handling costs
incurred are recorded in Cost of sales. The Company has elected to exclude from Net sales any value add, sales and other taxes
which it collects concurrent with revenue-producing activities.
•
Contract Estimates
The nature of certain of the Company's contracts gives rise to variable consideration, which may be constrained, including
retrospective volume-based rebates to certain customers. The Company issues retrospective volume-based rebates to customers
when they purchase a certain volume level, and the rebates are applied retroactively to prior purchases. The Company also
issues prospective volume-based rebates to customers when they purchase a certain volume level, and the rebates are applied to
future purchases. Prospective volume-based rebates represent a material right within the contract and therefore are considered to
be separate performance obligations. For both retrospective and prospective volume-based rebates, the Company estimates the
level of volumes based on anticipated purchases at the beginning of the period and records a rebate accrual for each purchase
toward the requisite rebate volume. These estimated rebates, which are reassessed each reporting period, are included in the
transaction price of the Company's contracts with customers as a reduction to Net sales and are included in Current Other
liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets (Note 10).
The majority of the Company's revenue is derived from contracts (i) with an original expected length of one year or less and (ii)
contracts for which it recognizes revenue at the amount in which it has the right to invoice as product is delivered. The
Company has elected the practical expedient not to disclose the value of remaining performance obligations associated with
these types of contracts. However, the Company has certain contracts that represent take-or-pay revenue arrangements in which
the Company's performance obligations extend over multiple years. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had $936 million
of remaining performance obligations related to take-or-pay contracts. The Company expects to recognize approximately
$451 million of its remaining performance obligations as Net sales in 2025, $249 million in 2026, $128 million in 2027 and the
balance thereafter.
The Company has certain contracts which contain performance obligations which are immaterial in the context of the contract
with the customer. The Company has elected the practical expedient not to assess whether these promised goods or services are
performance obligations.
•
Contract Balances
Contract liabilities primarily relate to advances or deposits received from the Company's customers before revenue is
recognized. These amounts are recorded as deferred revenue and are included in Current and Noncurrent Other liabilities in the
consolidated balance sheets.
The Company does not have any material contract assets as of December 31, 2024.
Research and Development
The costs of research and development are charged as an expense in the period in which they are incurred.
Leases
The Company leases certain real estate, fleet assets, warehouses and equipment. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less
("short-term leases") are not recorded on the consolidated balance sheet; the Company recognizes lease expense for these leases
on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception.
Operating lease right-of-use ("ROU") assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of lease
payments over the lease term at commencement date. Because most of the Company's leases do not provide an implicit rate of
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80
return, the Company uses its imputed collateralized rate based on the information available at commencement date in
determining the present value of lease payments. The estimated rate is based on a risk-free rate plus a risk-adjusted margin.
Operating lease ROU assets are comprised of the lease liability plus prepaid rents and are reduced by lease incentives or
deferred rents. The Company has lease agreements with non-lease components which are not bifurcated.
Most leases include one or more options to renew, with renewal terms that can extend the lease term from one to 30 years. The
exercise of a lease renewal option typically occurs at the discretion of both parties. Certain leases also include options to
purchase the leased property. For purposes of calculating operating lease liabilities, lease terms are deemed not to include
options to extend the lease termination until it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. Certain of the
Company's lease agreements include payments adjusted periodically for inflation based on the consumer price index. The
Company's lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.
Functional and Reporting Currencies
For the Company's international operations where the functional currency is other than the U.S. dollar, assets and liabilities are
translated using period-end exchange rates, while the statement of operations amounts are translated using the average exchange
rates for the respective period. Differences arising from the translation of assets and liabilities in comparison with the
translation of the previous periods or from initial recognition during the period are included as a separate component of
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net.
3. Recent Accounting Pronouncements
The following table provides a brief description of recent Accounting Standard Updates ("ASU") issued by the Financial
Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") and final rules issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"):
In November 2024,
the FASB issued
ASU 2024-03,
Disaggregation of
Income Statement
Expenses (DISE)
and on January 6,
2025, the FASB
issued ASU
2025-01, Clarifying
the Effective Date.
The new guidance requires a public
business entity ("PBE") to disclose, on an
annual and interim basis, additional
information about certain costs and
expenses in the notes to financial
statements. Specifically, in a tabular
disclosure, the amounts of (a) purchases of
inventory; (b) employee compensation; (c)
depreciation; (d) intangible asset
amortization; and (e) depreciation,
depletion, and amortization recognized as
part of oil- and gas-producing activities (or
other amounts of depletion expense)
included in each relevant expense caption.
Within the same tabular disclosure, a PBE
is required to include certain expense, gain,
or loss amounts that are already required to
be disclosed under U.S. GAAP.
Additionally, a PBE is required to disclose
a qualitative description of the amounts
remaining in relevant expense captions that
are not separately disaggregated
quantitatively. The guidance also requires a
PBE to disclose the total amount of selling
expenses and, in annual reporting periods,
an entity's definition of selling expenses.
Effective for annual
periods beginning
after December 15,
2026, and interim
periods within annual
periods beginning
after December 15,
2027. Early adoption
is permitted.
The Company is currently
evaluating the impact of the
adoption on its financial
statement disclosures.
Standard/Final Rule
Description
Effective Date
Effect on the Financial Statements
or Other Significant Matters
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81
In March 2024, the
SEC issued Release
No. 33-11275, The
Enhancement and
Standardization of
Climate-Related
Disclosures for
Investors.
The final rule will require the disclosure of
Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas
emissions, if material, which will be subject
to phased-in assurance requirements,
governance of climate-related risks, risk
management processes and climate-related
targets and goals. Within the notes to
financial statements, the final rule requires
disclosure of certain climate-related
financial statement effects and metrics.
Phased-in and
effective for fiscal
years beginning after
December 15, 2024.
Early adoption is
permitted. The SEC
stayed the
effectiveness of the
final rule in April
2024 pending judicial
review.
The Company is currently
evaluating the impact of the
adoption on its financial
statement disclosures.
In December 2023,
the FASB issued
ASU 2023-09,
Improvements to
Income Tax
Disclosures.
The new guidance requires an entity to
disclose specific categories in the rate
reconciliation and provide additional
information for reconciling items that meet
a quantitative threshold. Additionally, the
guidance requires an entity to disclose
annual income taxes paid (net of refunds
received) disaggregated by federal
(national), state and foreign taxes and
disaggregate the information by jurisdiction
based on a quantitative threshold. The
guidance also requires an entity to disclose
income (loss) from continuing operations
before income tax expense (benefit)
disaggregated between domestic and
foreign and income tax expense (benefit)
from continuing operations disaggregated
by federal (national), state and foreign.
Effective for annual
periods beginning
after December 15,
2024. Early adoption
is permitted.
The Company is currently
evaluating the impact of the
adoption on its financial
statement disclosures.
In November 2023,
the FASB issued
ASU 2023-07,
Improvements to
Reportable Segment
Disclosures.
The new guidance requires an entity to
disclose, on an annual and interim basis,
significant segment expenses that are
regularly provided to the chief operating
decision maker ("CODM") and included
within segment profit or loss, as well as an
amount of other segment items by
reportable segment and a description of its
composition. Additionally, the guidance
requires an entity to disclose the title and
position of the CODM and an explanation
of how the CODM uses the reported
measure(s) of segment profit or loss in
assessing segment performance and
deciding how to allocate resources. The
update is required to be applied
retrospectively to prior periods presented,
based on the significant segment expense
categories identified and disclosed in the
period of adoption.
Effective for annual
periods beginning
after December 15,
2023, and for interim
periods beginning
after December 15,
2024. Early adoption
is permitted.
The Company adopted the new
guidance effective for the year
ended December 31, 2024. The
adoption of the new guidance
did not have a material impact to
the Company.
Standard/Final Rule
Description
Effective Date
Effect on the Financial Statements
or Other Significant Matters
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82
4. Acquisitions, Dispositions and Plant Closures
Acquisitions
•
Mobility & Materials
In November 2022, the Company acquired 100% ownership of entities and assets consisting of a majority of the Mobility &
Materials business ("M&M") of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. ("DuPont") (the "M&M Acquisition") for a purchase price of
$11.0 billion, subject to transaction adjustments, in an all-cash transaction. The Company acquired a global production network
of 29 facilities, including compounding and polymerization, customer and supplier contracts and agreements, an intellectual
property portfolio, including approximately 850 patents with associated technical and R&D assets, and approximately 5,000
employees across the manufacturing, technical, and commercial organizations. This acquisition of M&M enhances the
engineered materials product portfolio by adding new polymers, brands, product technology, and backward integration in
critical polymers, allowing the Company to accelerate growth in high-value applications including future mobility, connectivity
and medical. The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination and the acquired operations are included in the
Engineered Materials segment.
The Company allocated the purchase price of the acquisition to identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on
their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date. The excess of the purchase price over the aggregate fair values was
recorded as goodwill. During the measurement period, there were no adjustments that materially impacted the Company's
goodwill initially recorded.
The following unaudited pro forma financial information presents the consolidated results of operations as if the M&M
Acquisition had occurred at the beginning of 2021. M&M's pre-acquisition results have been added to the Company's historical
results. The pro forma results contained in the table below include adjustments for (i) increased depreciation expense as a result
of acquisition date fair value adjustments, (ii) amortization of acquired intangibles, (iii) interest expense and amortization of
debt issuance costs of $366 million related to borrowings entered into during the year ended December 31, 2022 and the
issuance of $9.0 billion of senior unsecured notes registered under the Securities Act in July 2022 as if these had taken place at
the beginning of 2021 for the year ended December 31, 2022, and (iv) net total inventory step up of inventory amortized to Cost
of sales of $66 million for the year ended December 31, 2022.
These pro forma results have been prepared for comparative purposes only and are not necessarily indicative of the results of
operations as they would have been had the acquisition occurred on the assumed date, nor are they necessarily an indication of
future operating results.
Year Ended
December 31,
2022
(In $ millions)
Unaudited Consolidated Pro Forma Results
Proforma Net sales ...........................................................................................................................................
12,614
Proforma Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax ....................................................................
888
The amount of M&M Net sales and Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax consolidated by the Company since
the acquisition date through December 31, 2022 were $430 million and $(80) million, respectively.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, transaction related costs of $117 million were expensed as incurred to Selling,
general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.
•
Nutrinova Joint Venture
In September 2023, the Company formed a food ingredients joint venture with Mitsui under the name Nutrinova. The Company
contributed receivables, inventory, property, plant and equipment, certain other assets, liabilities, technology and employees of
its food ingredients business while retaining a 30% interest in the joint venture. Mitsui acquired the remaining 70% interest in
the food ingredients business for a purchase price of $503 million, subject to transaction adjustments. The Company is
accounting for its interest in the joint venture as an equity method investment, and its portion of the results continues to be
included in the Engineered Materials segment. A gain on the transaction of $515 million was included in Gain (loss) on
disposition of businesses and assets, net in the consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023.
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83
Plant Closures
•
Uentrop, Germany
In October 2023, the Company announced the intended closure of its Polyamide 66 ("PA66") and High-Performance Nylon
("HPN") polymerization units at its facility in Uentrop, Germany to optimize production costs across its global network. These
operations are included in the Company's Engineered Materials segment. The Company fully ceased operation of the PA66
polymerization unit and partially ceased operation of the HPN polymerization units during the year ended December 31, 2024.
The exit and shutdown costs related to the closure of the PA66 and HPN polymerization units in Uentrop, Germany were as
follows:
Year Ended
December 31,
2024
(In $ millions)
Restructuring(1)
.................................................................................................................................................
16
Accelerated depreciation expense(2)
.................................................................................................................
36
Total .............................................................................................................................................................
52
______________________________
(1)
Included in Other (charges) gains, net in the consolidated statements of operations (Note 24).
(2)
Included in Cost of sales in the consolidated statements of operations.
•
Mechelen, Belgium
On February 29, 2024, the Company announced the intended closure of its facility in Mechelen, Belgium to optimize
production costs across its global network. This operation is included in the Company's Engineered Materials segment. The
Company fully ceased operations during the year ended December 31, 2024.
The exit and shutdown costs related to the closure of the facility in Mechelen, Belgium were as follows:
Year Ended
December 31,
2024
(In $ millions)
Restructuring(1)
.................................................................................................................................................
55
Accelerated depreciation expense(2)
.................................................................................................................
35
Total .............................................................................................................................................................
90
______________________________
(1)
Included in Other (charges) gains, net in the consolidated statements of operations (Note 24).
(2)
Included in Cost of sales in the consolidated statements of operations.
The Company expects to incur additional exit and shutdown costs related to the closure of the facility in Mechelen, Belgium of
approximately $20 million, inclusive of estimated employee termination costs, through 2028.
5. Receivables, Net
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates .......................................................................................
1,137
1,255
Allowance for doubtful accounts - third party and affiliates ...............................................................
(16)
(12)
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates, net ............................................................................
1,121
1,243
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84
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Non-income taxes receivable ...............................................................................................................
266
270
Income taxes receivable .......................................................................................................................
53
57
Other(1)
.................................................................................................................................................
174
214
Non-trade receivables, net ..............................................................................................................
493
541
____________________________
(1)
Includes $42 million of non-trade receivables related to the M&M Acquisition as of December 31, 2023.
6. Inventories
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Finished goods .....................................................................................................................................
1,605
1,604
Work-in-process ..................................................................................................................................
119
160
Raw materials and supplies .................................................................................................................
560
593
Total ................................................................................................................................................
2,284
2,357
7. Investments in Affiliates
Entities in which the Company has an investment accounted for under the equity method of accounting or equity investments
without readily determinable fair values are considered affiliates; any transactions or balances with such companies are
considered affiliate transactions.
Equity Method
In September 2023, the Company formed a food ingredients joint venture with Mitsui under the name Nutrinova. The Company
accounted for its interest in the joint venture as an equity method investment. See Note 4 for additional information.
As a part of the M&M Acquisition, the Company acquired certain equity method investments and ownership interests.
The Company has ownership interests in 14 equity method investments ranging from 22% to 50% at December 31, 2024.
Equity method investments by business segment are as follows:
Carrying
Value as of
December 31,
Share of
Earnings (Loss)
Year Ended
December 31,
Dividends and
Other Distributions
Year Ended
December 31,
2024
2023
2024
2023
2022
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
Engineered Materials(1)
.......................................................... 893 898 182
88 209 (149) (145) (204)
Other Activities ......................................................................
56
56
14
14
11 (11) (12) (13)
Total ................................................................................... 949 954 196 102 220 (160) (157) (217)
____________________________
(1)
Engineered Materials includes an equity method investment with losses in excess of its carrying amount due to
the Company's guarantee of various debt obligations under agreements with third parties related to an equity affiliate
(Note 19). This equity method investment was recorded in Current Other liabilities (Note 10) as of December 31, 2024 and
2023.
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85
Equity Investments Without Readily Determinable Fair Values
The Company has ownership interests in 4 equity investments without readily determinable fair values ranging from 8% to 31%
at December 31, 2024.
Equity investments without readily determinable fair values by business segment are as follows:
Carrying
Value
as of
December 31,
Dividend
Income for the
Year Ended
December 31,
2024
2023
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
Engineered Materials
Acetyl Chain ...............................................................................................................
165
165
127
125
132
Other Activities ..........................................................................................................
5
5
1
1
1
Total .......................................................................................................................
170
170
128
126
133
Transactions with Affiliates
The Company owns manufacturing facilities at the InfraServ location in Frankfurt am Main-Hoechst, Germany and has
contractual agreements with its InfraServ equity affiliates and certain other equity affiliates and investees accounted for at cost
less impairment, adjusted for observable price changes for an identical or similar investment of the same issuer. These
contractual agreements primarily relate to energy purchases, site services and purchases of product for consumption and resale.
Transactions and balances with affiliates are as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
Purchases ......................................................................................................................
452
490
590
Sales and other credits ..................................................................................................
89
212
72
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Trade receivables .................................................................................................................................
11
7
Non-trade receivables ..........................................................................................................................
30
40
Current notes receivables .....................................................................................................................
65
57
Total due from affiliates ..................................................................................................................
106
104
Short-term borrowings(1)
......................................................................................................................
37
23
Trade payables .....................................................................................................................................
25
52
Current Other liabilities .......................................................................................................................
34
34
Total due to affiliates .......................................................................................................................
96
109
______________________________
(1)
The Company has agreements with certain affiliates whereby excess affiliate cash is lent to and managed by the Company
at variable interest rates governed by those agreements.
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86
8. Property, Plant and Equipment, Net
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Land .....................................................................................................................................................
240
260
Land improvements .............................................................................................................................
91
85
Buildings and building improvements .................................................................................................
1,059
1,082
Machinery and equipment ...................................................................................................................
7,745
7,157
Construction in progress ......................................................................................................................
700
1,080
Gross asset value ...............................................................................................................................
9,835
9,664
Accumulated depreciation .................................................................................................................
(4,562)
(4,080)
Net book value ..............................................................................................................................
5,273
5,584
Assets under finance leases, net, included in the amounts above were $119 million and $154 million as of December 31, 2024
and 2023, respectively.
Capitalized interest costs and depreciation expense are as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
Capitalized interest .......................................................................................................
30
37
18
Depreciation expense ...................................................................................................
640
540
399
During 2024, 2023 and 2022, certain long-lived assets were impaired (Note 24).
9. Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Net
Goodwill
Engineered
Materials
Acetyl
Chain
Total
(In $ millions)
As of December 31, 2022 .............................................................................................
6,775
367
7,142
Acquisitions (Note 4) ...................................................................................................
(107)
—
(107)
Dispositions (Note 4) ...................................................................................................
(80)
—
(80)
Exchange rate changes .................................................................................................
14
8
22
As of December 31, 2023(1)
.......................................................................................
6,602
375
6,977
Impairment losses ......................................................................................................
(1,517)
—
(1,517)
Exchange rate changes ...............................................................................................
(60)
(13)
(73)
As of December 31, 2024(1)
..................................................................................
5,025
362
5,387
______________________________
(1)
Includes accumulated impairment losses of $1.5 billion in the Engineered Materials segment as of December 31, 2024.
There were no accumulated impairment losses as of December 31, 2023.
The Company assesses the recoverability of the carrying amount of its reporting unit goodwill either qualitatively or
quantitatively annually during the third quarter of its fiscal year using June 30 balances or whenever events or changes in
circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be fully recoverable.
During the three months ended September 30, 2024, the Company completed qualitative evaluations on its reporting units, with
the exception of the engineered materials reporting unit, and concluded that it was more likely than not that the fair value of
these reporting units exceeded their carrying value. The engineered materials reporting unit was tested quantitatively as the
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87
Company experienced decreased demand, identified near-term negative trends in the automotive and industrial end-markets and
experienced other challenging current macroeconomic conditions during the three months ended September 30, 2024.
Based on the quantitative test, the estimated fair value of the engineered materials reporting unit exceeded the carrying amount
of its underlying assets. Therefore, the Company did not record an impairment loss to goodwill during the nine months ended
September 30, 2024. Although no impairment of the engineered materials reporting unit was identified during the nine months
ended September 30, 2024, the estimated fair value exceeded its carrying value by less than 10% as of September 30, 2024.
During the three months ended December 31, 2024, the Company experienced a significant and sustained decrease in the
Company's share price. Further, due to extended weakness in the macroeconomic environment, specifically the auto and
industrial end-markets, which deepened general demand softness during the three months ended December 31, 2024, thereby
impacting pricing and volume, the Company updated its engineered materials reporting unit forecast model for the 2025 fiscal
year which showed additional deterioration in the projected financial results for the 2025 fiscal year compared to the analyses
prepared during the three months ended September 30, 2024. While the long-term projections beyond 2025 include recovery,
the lower projections in 2025 do have an impact on the forecast model beyond 2025 by applying forecasted growth rates to a
lower anticipated 2025 base revenue. The updated 2025 projections continue to reflect industry wide challenges including
demand softness across the majority of end uses resulting in lower pricing. Based on the sustained decrease in the share price
and updated projections, the Company determined that there were indicators that the engineered materials reporting unit's
goodwill may be impaired and, accordingly, performed an interim quantitative test of the engineered materials reporting unit
during the three months ended December 31, 2024. The results of the test determined that the carrying amount of the
engineered materials reporting unit exceeded its estimated fair value primarily due to the downward adjustments in the forecast
model, as well as an increase in the discount rate. As such, the Company recorded a non-cash goodwill impairment loss of
$1.5 billion in Other charges (gains), net (Note 24) within the Engineered Materials segment.
The quantitative evaluations of the engineered materials reporting unit were performed using an equal weighting of the income
approach based on the discounted estimated future cash flows of the reporting unit and market approach using the guideline
public company method. The key assumptions used in the discounted cash flow valuation model include the discount rate,
revenue growth rate, tax rate, cash flow projections and terminal value rate. The discount rates were based on market participant
data, including the Company's weighted average cost of capital adjusted for risks specific to the reporting unit. The revenue
growth rates and cash flow projections were based on historical trends and expected growth drivers such as macroeconomic
trends in the industries and territories in which the reporting unit operates. The tax rates considered the operating structure of
the reporting unit and tax rates in jurisdictions in which the reporting unit operates. A terminal value rate was applied to the
final year of the projected periods to reflect continued stable, perpetual growth. Under the market approach, the Company
utilized earnings multiples for public companies similar to the engineered materials reporting unit adjusted for a control
premium.
While the Company believes the assumptions used in the impairment tests were reasonable, changes in market conditions or
key assumptions made in future quantitative tests, including discount rates, revenue growth rates, tax rates, cash flow
projections and terminal value rates, could negatively impact the results of future impairment testing for any of the Company's
reporting units and could result in the recognition of additional impairment charges. Such charges could be material to the
statements of operations and balance sheets in the period(s) recorded.
No events or changes in circumstances occurred during the three months ended December 31, 2024 that indicated the fair
values of the Company's remaining reporting units were reduced below their carrying amounts. Accordingly, no additional
impairment analysis was performed during that period.
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88
Intangible Assets, Net
Finite-lived intangible assets are as follows:
Licenses
Customer-
Related
Intangible
Assets
Developed
Technology
Covenants
Not to
Compete
and Other
Total
(In $ millions)
Gross Asset Value
As of December 31, 2022 ....................................................
42
2,455
601
55
3,153
Disposition (Note 4) .............................................................
—
(60)
(1)
—
(61)
Exchange rate changes .........................................................
(1)
42
1
—
42
As of December 31, 2023 ..................................................
41
2,437
601
55
3,134
Exchange rate changes .......................................................
(1)
(31)
(14)
—
(46)
As of December 31, 2024 ................................................
40
2,406
587
55
3,088
Accumulated Amortization
As of December 31, 2022 .....................................................
(39)
(567)
(50)
(40)
(696)
Amortization ........................................................................
—
(120)
(43)
(1)
(164)
Disposition (Note 4) .............................................................
—
59
1
—
60
Exchange rate changes .........................................................
1
(11)
(3)
(1)
(14)
As of December 31, 2023 ..................................................
(38)
(639)
(95)
(42)
(814)
Amortization ......................................................................
—
(116)
(42)
(1)
(159)
Exchange rate changes .......................................................
1
27
3
—
31
As of December 31, 2024 ................................................
(37)
(728)
(134)
(43)
(942)
Net book value ..............................................................
3
1,678
453
12
2,146
Indefinite-lived intangible assets are as follows:
Trademarks
and Trade Names
(In $ millions)
As of December 31, 2022 ................................................................................................................................
1,648
Dispositions (Note 4) .......................................................................................................................................
(14)
Exchange rate changes .....................................................................................................................................
21
As of December 31, 2023 .............................................................................................................................
1,655
Impairment losses ..........................................................................................................................................
(117)
Exchange rate changes ..................................................................................................................................
(43)
As of December 31, 2024 .........................................................................................................................
1,495
The Company assesses the recoverability of the carrying amount of its indefinite-lived intangible assets either qualitatively or
quantitatively annually during the third quarter of its fiscal year using June 30 balances or whenever events or changes in
circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable.
During the three months ended September 30, 2024, the Company completed qualitative evaluations on its indefinite-lived
intangible assets, with the exception of those assigned to the engineered materials reporting unit, and concluded that it was more
likely than not that the fair value of these indefinite-lived intangible assets exceeded their carrying value. Indefinite-lived
intangible assets assigned to the engineered materials reporting unit were tested quantitatively.
In connection with the Company's annual indefinite-lived intangible assets impairment test, the Company recorded a non-cash
impairment loss of $34 million during the three months ended September 30, 2024, in Other charges (gains), net (Note 24) to
impair the net book value of certain trade names, primarily Zytel®, included in the Engineered Materials segment.
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89
Additionally, in conjunction with the goodwill impairment test in the three months ended December 31, 2024, the Company
performed an interim impairment test on the indefinite-lived intangible assets assigned to the engineered materials reporting
unit. The Company recorded a non-cash impairment loss of $83 million in Other charges (gains), net (Note 24) to impair the net
book value of certain trade names, primarily Zytel®, included in the Engineered Materials segment.
Indefinite-lived intangible assets assigned to the engineered materials reporting unit were tested quantitatively utilizing the
relief from royalty method under the income approach to determine the estimated fair value for each indefinite-lived intangible
asset. The key assumptions used in this model include discount rates, royalty rates, revenue growth rates, tax rates, sales
projections and terminal value rates. The discount rates were based on the Company's weighted average return on assets
adjusted for risks specific to the indefinite-lived intangible assets. Royalty rates are established by management using the most
recent third party valuations and are periodically substantiated by third-party valuation consultants. The revenue growth rates
and sales projections were based on historical trends and expected growth drivers such as macroeconomic trends in the
industries and territories in which the indefinite-lived intangible assets operate. The tax rates considered the operating structure
of the Company and tax rates in jurisdictions in which the indefinite-lived intangible assets operate. A terminal value rate was
applied to the final year of the projected period to reflect continued stable, perpetual growth.
While the Company believes the assumptions used in the impairment tests were reasonable, changes in market conditions or
key assumptions made in future quantitative tests, including discount rates, royalty rates, revenue growth rates, tax rates, sales
projections and terminal value rates, could negatively impact the results of future impairment testing and could result in the
recognition of additional impairment losses. Such charges could be material to the statements of operations and balance sheets
in the period(s) recorded.
No events or changes in circumstances occurred during the three months ended December 31, 2024 that indicated the carrying
amount of the Company's remaining indefinite-lived intangible assets may not be fully recoverable. Accordingly, no additional
impairment analysis was performed during that period.
During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company did not renew or extend any intangible assets.
Estimated amortization expense for the succeeding five fiscal years is as follows:
(In $ millions)
2025 ..................................................................................................................................................................
162
2026 ..................................................................................................................................................................
162
2027 ..................................................................................................................................................................
162
2028 ..................................................................................................................................................................
162
2029 ..................................................................................................................................................................
157
10. Current Other Liabilities
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Benefit obligations (Note 12) ..............................................................................................................
25
25
Customer rebates .................................................................................................................................
92
96
Derivatives (Note 17) ..........................................................................................................................
93
90
Interest (Note 11) .................................................................................................................................
222
246
Legal (Note 19) ....................................................................................................................................
10
34
Operating leases (Note 16) ..................................................................................................................
79
89
Restructuring (Note 24) .......................................................................................................................
63
18
Salaries and benefits ............................................................................................................................
166
175
Sales and use tax/foreign withholding tax payable ..............................................................................
150
128
Investment in affiliates (Note 7) ..........................................................................................................
98
96
Other ....................................................................................................................................................
122
157
Total ................................................................................................................................................
1,120
1,154
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90
11. Debt
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Short-Term Borrowings and Current Installments of Long-Term Debt - Third Party and
Affiliates
Current installments of long-term debt .............................................................................................
1,393
1,025
Short-term borrowings, including amounts due to affiliates(1)
..........................................................
53
146
Revolving credit facilities(2)
..............................................................................................................
55
212
Total ..............................................................................................................................................
1,501
1,383
______________________________
(1)
The weighted average interest rate was 2.1% and 2.9% as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
(2)
The weighted average interest rate was 3.1% and 3.4% as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Long-Term Debt
Senior unsecured notes due 2024, interest rate of 3.500% ...............................................................
—
473
Senior unsecured notes due 2024, interest rate of 5.900% ...............................................................
—
527
Senior unsecured notes due 2025, interest rate of 1.250% ...............................................................
311
331
Senior unsecured notes due 2025, interest rate of 6.050% ...............................................................
1,000
1,000
Senior unsecured notes due 2026, interest rate of 1.400% ...............................................................
400
400
Senior unsecured notes due 2026, interest rate of 4.777% ...............................................................
1,040
1,105
Senior unsecured notes due 2027, interest rate of 2.125% ...............................................................
518
551
Senior unsecured notes due 2027, interest rate of 6.165% ...............................................................
2,000
2,000
Senior unsecured term loan due 2027(1)
............................................................................................
880
880
Senior unsecured notes due 2028, interest rate of 0.625% ...............................................................
519
552
Senior unsecured notes due 2028, interest rate of 6.350%(2)
............................................................
1,000
1,000
Senior unsecured notes due 2029, interest rate of 5.337% ...............................................................
519
552
Senior unsecured notes due 2029, interest rate of 6.330% ...............................................................
750
750
Senior unsecured notes due 2030, interest rate of 6.550%(2)
............................................................
999
999
Senior unsecured notes due 2032, interest rate of 6.379% ...............................................................
1,000
1,000
Senior unsecured notes due 2033, interest rate of 6.700%(2)
............................................................
1,000
1,000
Pollution control and industrial revenue bonds due at various dates through 2030(3)
......................
126
127
Bank loans due at various dates through 2030(4)
...............................................................................
320
5
Obligations under finance leases due at various dates through 2054 ...............................................
145
148
Subtotal .........................................................................................................................................
12,527
13,400
Unamortized deferred financing costs(5)
...........................................................................................
(56)
(74)
Current installments of long-term debt .............................................................................................
(1,393)
(1,025)
Total ..............................................................................................................................................
11,078
12,301
______________________________
(1)
The interest rate was 6.047% and 6.943% as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
(2)
On November 14, 2024, S&P Global Ratings downgraded the Company's credit rating to BB+, which had the effect of
increasing the interest rates by 25 basis points on the senior unsecured notes due 2028, senior unsecured notes due 2030
and senior unsecured notes due 2033 to 6.600%, 6.800% and 6.950%, respectively, effective November 15, 2024.
(3)
Interest rates range from 4.1% to 5.0%.
(4)
The weighted average interest rate was 2.8% and 2.6% as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
(5)
Related to the Company's long-term debt, excluding obligations under finance leases.
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91
Senior Credit Facilities
In March 2022, Celanese, Celanese U.S. and certain subsidiaries entered into a term loan credit agreement (as amended to date,
the "March 2022 U.S. Term Loan Credit Agreement"), pursuant to which lenders provided a tranche of delayed-draw term
loans due 5 years from issuance in an amount equal to $1.0 billion (the "5-year Term Loans").
Also in March 2022, Celanese, Celanese U.S. and certain subsidiaries entered into a new revolving credit agreement (as
amended to date, the "U.S. Revolving Credit Agreement" and, together with the March 2022 U.S. Term Loan Credit
Agreement, the "U.S. Credit Agreements") consisting of a $1.75 billion senior unsecured revolving credit facility (with a letter
of credit sublimit), maturing in 2027 (the "U.S. Revolving Credit Facility"). The margin for borrowings under the U.S.
Revolving Credit Facility was 1.00% to 2.00% above certain interbank rates at current Company credit ratings.
On February 21, 2023, August 9, 2023, February 16, 2024, November 1, 2024 and February 17, 2025, the Company amended
certain covenants in certain of the U.S. Credit Agreements, including financial ratio maintenance covenants.
The U.S. Credit Agreements are guaranteed by Celanese, Celanese U.S. and domestic subsidiaries together representing
substantially all of the Company's U.S. assets and business operations (the "Subsidiary Guarantors"). The Subsidiary
Guarantors are listed in Exhibit 22.1 to this Annual Report.
In January 2023, Celanese (Shanghai) International Trading Co., Ltd ("CSIT"), a fully consolidated subsidiary, entered into a
restatement of an existing credit facility agreement (the "CSIT Revolving Credit Agreement") to upsize and modify the facility
thereunder to consist of an aggregate CNY1.75 billion uncommitted senior unsecured revolving credit facility available under
two tranches (with overdraft, bank guarantee and documentary credit sublimits) (the "CSIT January 2023 Facility"). Obligations
bear interest at certain fixed and floating rates. On April 7, 2024, the CSIT January 2023 Facility was reduced to
CNY750 million, and on December 19, 2024, the CSIT January 2023 Facility was reduced to CNY550 million. The CSIT
Revolving Credit Agreement is guaranteed by Celanese U.S.
Also in January 2023, CSIT entered into a senior unsecured working capital loan contract for CNY800 million (the "China
Working Capital Term Loan Agreement"), payable 12 months from withdrawal date and bearing interest at 0.5% less than
certain interbank rates. The loan under the China Working Capital Term Loan Agreement was fully drawn in January 2023 and
was fully repaid during the three months ended March 31, 2024.
In December 2023, Celanese (Nanjing) Chemical Co., Ltd. ("CNC") entered into a senior unsecured working capital loan
agreement for CNY800 million, payable on December 25, 2026 and bearing interest at 2.8% (the "CNC Working Capital Loan
Agreement"). The loan under the CNC Working Capital Loan Agreement was fully drawn during the three months ended
March 31, 2024.
On June 28, 2024, CNC entered into a senior unsecured working capital loan agreement for CNY800 million, payable in
installments until June 28, 2027 and bearing interest at 2.75% (the "CNC Three Year Working Capital Loan Agreement"). The
CNC Three Year Working Capital Loan Agreement was partially drawn during the year ended December 31, 2024.
On November 1, 2024, Celanese U.S. entered into a senior unsecured term loan credit agreement (the "November 2024 U.S.
Term Loan Credit Agreement"), pursuant to which the lenders provided a delayed-draw term loan due 364 days from the date
of borrowing in an amount up to $1.0 billion. Amounts outstanding under the November 2024 U.S. Term Loan Credit
Agreement will accrue interest at a rate equal to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate with an interest period of one or three
months ("Term SOFR") plus a margin of 1.300% to 2.250% per annum, or the base rate plus a margin of 0.300% to 1.250%, in
each case, based on the Company's senior unsecured debt rating, subject to further changes based on such ratings. The
commitments under the November 2024 U.S. Term Loan Credit Agreement will terminate by March 15, 2025. The loan under
the November 2024 U.S. Term Loan Credit Agreement was not drawn during the year ended December 31, 2024.
On December 10, 2024, CNC entered into a credit facility agreement (the "CNC Revolving Credit Agreement," together with
the CNC Three Year Working Capital Loan Agreement, the CSIT Revolving Credit Agreement, the China Working Capital
Term Loan Agreement and the CNC Working Capital Loan Agreement, the "China Credit Agreements," and the China Credit
Agreements together with the U.S. Credit Agreements, the "Global Credit Agreements") for a CNY1.0 billion uncommitted
senior unsecured revolving credit facility (the "CNC December 2024 Facility", and together with the CSIT January 2023
Facility and any other revolving credit facilities available to the Company's subsidiaries in China, the "China Revolving Credit
Facilities"). Obligations bear interest at certain floating rates. The Company expects that the China Credit Agreements will
continue to facilitate its efficient repatriation of cash to the U.S. to repay debt and effectively redomicile a portion of its U.S.
debt to China at a lower average interest rate.
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92
The Company's debt balances and amounts available for borrowing under its senior unsecured revolving credit facilities are as
follows:
As of
December 31, 2024
(In $ millions)
Revolving Credit Facility
Borrowings outstanding .................................................................................................................................
—
Available for borrowing ................................................................................................................................
1,750
China Revolving Credit Facilities
Borrowings outstanding .................................................................................................................................
55
Available for borrowing ................................................................................................................................
171
On February 6, 2025, the Company drew $300 million from its U.S. Revolving Credit Facility. This borrowing and cash on
hand were used primarily to repay in full the Company's senior unsecured notes due 2025, with an interest rate of 1.250%, due
on February 11, 2025, and for general corporate purposes.
Senior Notes
The Company has outstanding senior unsecured notes, issued in public offerings registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "Securities Act") (collectively, the "Senior Notes"). The Senior Notes were issued by Celanese U.S. and are
guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by Celanese and the Subsidiary Guarantors. Celanese U.S. may redeem some or all of
each of the Senior Notes, prior to their respective maturity dates, at a redemption price of 100% of the principal amount, plus a
"make-whole" premium as specified in the applicable indenture, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption
date.
In August 2023, Celanese U.S. completed a public offering of senior unsecured notes registered under the Securities Act as
follows (collectively, the "2023 Offering"):
Maturity Date
Aggregate Principal
Amount Issued
Discount to Par
Interest Rate
(In $ millions)
November 15, 2028
1,000
99.986%
6.350%
November 15, 2030
999
99.950%
6.550%
November 15, 2033
1,000
99.992%
6.700%
Also in August 2023, Celanese U.S. completed a cash tender offer for $2.25 billion in aggregate principal amount (the "Tender
Offer") as follows:
Maturity Date
Aggregate Principal
Amount Tendered
Purchase price per
$1,000 principal amount
Total Tender Offer
Consideration
Accrued and Unpaid
Interest
(In $ millions)
(In $ millions)
July 5, 2024
1,473 $
999.92
1,473
12
March 15, 2025
750 $
1,002.85
752
20
May 8, 2024
27 $
983.95
27
—
The net proceeds from the 2023 Offering were used (i) to fund the Tender Offer and (ii) for the repayment of other outstanding
indebtedness.
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93
Principal payments scheduled to be made on the Company's debt, including short-term borrowings, are as follows:
(In $ millions)
2025 ..................................................................................................................................................................
1,501
2026 ..................................................................................................................................................................
1,571
2027 ..................................................................................................................................................................
3,599
2028 ..................................................................................................................................................................
1,537
2029 ..................................................................................................................................................................
1,287
Thereafter .........................................................................................................................................................
3,140
Total .............................................................................................................................................................
12,635
On February 12, 2025, Moody's Ratings downgraded the Company's credit ratings to Ba1 which, along with the credit
downgrade by S&P Global Ratings on November 14, 2024, will have the impact of increasing interest rates for certain Senior
Notes by up to 50 basis points and the U.S. Credit Agreements by 25 basis points starting in the years ended
December 31, 2025 and 2026, as applicable.
Accounts Receivable Purchasing Facility
In June 2023, the Company entered into an amendment to the amended and restated receivables purchase agreement (the
"Amended Receivables Purchase Agreement") under its U.S. accounts receivable purchasing facility among certain of the
Company's subsidiaries, its wholly-owned, "bankruptcy remote" special purpose subsidiary ("SPE") and certain global financial
institutions ("Purchasers"). The Amended Receivables Purchase Agreement extends the term of the accounts receivable
purchasing facility such that the SPE may sell certain receivables until June 18, 2025. Under the Amended Receivables
Purchase Agreement, transfers of U.S. accounts receivable from the SPE are treated as sales and are accounted for as a
reduction in accounts receivable because the agreement transfers effective control over and risk related to the U.S. accounts
receivable to the SPE. The Company and related subsidiaries have no continuing involvement in the transferred U.S. accounts
receivable, other than collection and administrative responsibilities and, once sold, the U.S. accounts receivable are no longer
available to satisfy creditors of the Company or the related subsidiaries. These sales are transacted at 100% of the face value of
the relevant U.S. accounts receivable, resulting in derecognition of the U.S. accounts receivables from the Company's
consolidated balance sheet. The Company de-recognized $1.5 billion and $1.4 billion of accounts receivable under this
agreement for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and collected $1.5 billion and $1.3 billion of
accounts receivable sold under this agreement during the same periods. Unsold U.S. accounts receivable of $139 million were
pledged by the SPE as collateral to the Purchasers as of December 31, 2024.
Factoring and Discounting Agreements
The Company has factoring agreements in Europe, Japan and Singapore with financial institutions to sell 100%, 100% and 90%
of certain accounts receivable, respectively, on a non-recourse basis. The Company also has a factoring agreement in China
with a financial institution to sell 100% of certain accounts receivable on a limited recourse basis. These transactions are treated
as sales and are accounted for as reductions in accounts receivable because the agreements transfer effective control over and
risk related to the receivables to the buyer. The Company has no material continuing involvement in the transferred receivables,
other than collection and administrative responsibilities and, once sold, the accounts receivable are no longer available to satisfy
creditors in the event of bankruptcy. The Company de-recognized $700 million and $423 million of accounts receivable under
these factoring agreements for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and collected $640 million and
$407 million of accounts receivable sold under these factoring agreements during the same periods.
The Company has master discounting agreements (the "Master Discounting Agreements") with financial institutions in China to
discount, on a non-recourse basis, banker's acceptance drafts ("BADs"), classified as accounts receivable. Under the Master
Discounting Agreements, transfers of BADs are treated as sales and are accounted for as a reduction in accounts receivable
because the Master Discounting Agreements transfer effective control over and risk related to the transferred BADs to the
financial institutions. The Company has no continuing involvement in the transferred BADs, and the BADs are no longer
available to satisfy creditors in the event of a bankruptcy. The Company received $100 million and $45 million from the
accounts receivable transferred under the Master Discounting Agreements as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
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94
Covenants
The Company's material financing arrangements contain customary covenants, such as events of default and change of control
provisions, and in the case of the existing U.S. Credit Agreements the maintenance of certain financial ratios (subject to
adjustment following certain qualifying acquisitions and dispositions, as set forth in the existing U.S. Credit Agreements, as
amended). Failure to comply with these covenants, or the occurrence of any other event of default, could result in acceleration
of the borrowings and other financial obligations.
The Company is in compliance with the covenants in its material financing arrangements as of December 31, 2024.
12. Benefit Obligations
Pension Obligations
The Company sponsors defined benefit pension plans in North America, Europe and Asia. Independent trusts or insurance
companies administer the majority of these plans. Pension obligations are established for benefits payable in the form of
retirement, disability and surviving dependent pensions. The commitments result from participation in defined contribution and
defined benefit plans, primarily in the U.S. Benefits are dependent on years of service and the employee's compensation.
Supplemental retirement benefits provided to certain employees are nonqualified for U.S. tax purposes. Separate nonqualified
trusts have been established for certain U.S. nonqualified plan obligations. Pension costs under the Company's retirement plans
are actuarially determined.
Other Postretirement Obligations
Certain retired employees receive postretirement health care and life insurance benefits under plans sponsored by the Company,
which has the right to modify or terminate these plans at any time. The cost for coverage is shared between the Company and
the retiree. The cost of providing retiree health care and life insurance benefits is actuarially determined and accrued over the
service period of the active employee group. The Company's policy is to fund benefits as claims and premiums are paid. The
U.S. postretirement health care plan was closed to new participants effective January 1, 2006.
Defined Contribution Plans
The Company sponsors various defined contribution plans in North America, Europe and Asia covering certain employees.
Employees may contribute to these plans and the Company will match these contributions in varying amounts. The Company's
matching contribution to the defined contribution plans are based on specified percentages of employee contributions.
The amount of costs recognized for the Company's defined contribution plans are as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
Defined contribution plans ...........................................................................................
79
83
62
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95
Summarized information on the Company's pension and postretirement benefit plans is as follows:
Pension Benefits
As of December 31,
Postretirement Benefits
As of December 31,
2024
2023
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Change in Projected Benefit Obligation
Projected benefit obligation as of beginning of period ......................
2,923
2,858
40
38
Service cost ........................................................................................
13
11
1
—
Interest cost ........................................................................................
125
132
1
2
Net actuarial (gain) loss(1)
..................................................................
(31)
144
(1)
2
Divestiture(2)
.......................................................................................
—
(4)
—
—
Settlements .........................................................................................
(9)
(16)
—
—
Benefits paid .......................................................................................
(227)
(226)
(4)
(3)
Curtailments .......................................................................................
(7)
—
(2)
—
Special termination benefits ...............................................................
1
—
—
—
Exchange rate changes .......................................................................
(50)
24
(1)
1
Projected benefit obligation as of end of period ............................
2,738
2,923
34
40
Change in Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets as of beginning of period ............................
2,652
2,625
—
—
Actual return on plan assets ...............................................................
66
213
—
—
Employer contributions ......................................................................
50
46
4
3
Divestiture(2)
.......................................................................................
—
(2)
—
—
Settlements .........................................................................................
(9)
(16)
—
—
Benefits paid(3)
....................................................................................
(227)
(226)
(4)
(3)
Exchange rate changes .......................................................................
(39)
12
—
—
Fair value of plan assets as of end of period ......................................
2,493
2,652
—
—
Funded status as of end of period ..................................................
(245)
(271)
(34)
(40)
Amounts Recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets Consist
of:
Noncurrent Other assets .....................................................................
135
166
—
—
Current Other liabilities ......................................................................
(22)
(22)
(3)
(3)
Benefit obligations .............................................................................
(358)
(415)
(31)
(37)
Net amount recognized ..................................................................
(245)
(271)
(34)
(40)
Amounts Recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive
Income Consist of:
Net actuarial (gain) loss(4)
..................................................................
28
24
—
—
Prior service (benefit) cost .................................................................
—
—
(1)
(1)
Net amount recognized ..................................................................
28
24
(1)
(1)
______________________________
(1)
Primarily relates to changes in discount rates.
(2)
Represents plan obligations and assets contributed to the Nutrinova joint venture (Note 4).
(3)
Includes benefit payments to nonqualified pension plans of $19 million and $20 million as of December 31, 2024 and
2023, respectively.
(4)
Relates to the pension plans of the Company's equity method investments.
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96
The percentage of U.S. and international projected benefit obligation at the end of the period is as follows:
Pension Benefits
As of December 31,
Postretirement Benefits
As of December 31,
2024
2023
2024
2023
(In percentages)
U.S. plans ..............................................................................................
71
71
38
37
International plans .................................................................................
29
29
62
63
Total ..................................................................................................
100
100
100
100
The percentage of U.S. and international fair value of plan assets at the end of the period is as follows:
Pension Benefits
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In percentages)
U.S. plans .............................................................................................................................................
74
75
International plans ...............................................................................................................................
26
25
Total ................................................................................................................................................
100
100
Pension plans with projected benefit obligations in excess of plan assets are as follows:
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Projected benefit obligation .................................................................................................................
711
788
Fair value of plan assets .......................................................................................................................
332
352
Pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets are as follows:
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Accumulated benefit obligation ...........................................................................................................
691
738
Fair value of plan assets .......................................................................................................................
332
329
Other postretirement plans with accumulated postretirement benefit obligations in excess of plan assets are as follows:
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Accumulated postretirement benefit obligation ...................................................................................
34
40
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97
The accumulated benefit obligation for all defined benefit pension plans is as follows:
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Accumulated benefit obligation ...........................................................................................................
2,706
2,882
The components of net periodic benefit cost are as follows:
Pension Benefits
Year Ended December 31,
Postretirement Benefits
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
Service cost .......................................................
13
11
12
1
—
1
Interest cost .......................................................
125
132
67
1
2
1
Expected return on plan assets ..........................
(135)
(132)
(166)
—
—
—
Recognized actuarial (gain) loss .......................
38
63
91
(1)
3
(10)
Curtailment (gain) loss ......................................
(7)
—
—
(2)
—
—
Settlement (gain) loss ........................................
—
1
—
—
—
—
Special termination benefit ...............................
1
—
—
—
—
—
Total ..............................................................
35
75
4
(1)
5
(8)
The Company maintains nonqualified pension plans funded with nonqualified trusts for certain U.S. employees as follows:
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Nonqualified Trust Assets
Marketable securities ........................................................................................................................
6
5
Noncurrent Other assets, consisting of insurance contracts ..............................................................
18
21
Nonqualified Pension Obligations
Current Other liabilities ....................................................................................................................
18
18
Benefit obligations ............................................................................................................................
136
149
(Income) expense relating to the nonqualified pension plans included in net periodic benefit cost, excluding returns on the
assets held by the nonqualified trusts, is as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
Total .............................................................................................................................
6
16
(34)
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98
Valuation
The principal weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligation are as follows:
Pension Benefits
As of December 31,
Postretirement Benefits
As of December 31,
2024
2023
2024
2023
(In percentages)
Discount Rate Obligations
U.S. plans ...........................................................................................
5.6
5.1
5.5
5.1
International plans ..............................................................................
3.1
3.1
4.4
4.1
Combined .......................................................................................
4.8
4.5
4.8
4.5
Rate of Compensation Increase
U.S. plans ...........................................................................................
N/A
N/A
International plans ..............................................................................
3.1
2.8
Combined .......................................................................................
3.1
2.8
The principal weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost are as follows:
Pension Benefits
Year Ended December 31,
Postretirement Benefits
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
2024
2023
2022
(In percentages)
Discount Rate Obligations
U.S. plans .......................................................
5.1
5.5
2.8
5.1
5.4
2.7
International plans ..........................................
3.1
3.4
1.4
4.1
4.7
2.4
Combined ...................................................
4.5
4.9
2.5
4.5
5.1
2.5
Discount Rate Service Cost
U.S. plans .......................................................
N/A
N/A
N/A
5.7
5.9
3.5
International plans ..........................................
2.9
3.5
1.5
3.7
4.4
2.1
Combined ...................................................
2.9
3.5
1.5
3.7
4.5
2.1
Discount Rate Interest Cost
U.S. plans .......................................................
5.1
5.4
2.2
5.1
5.3
2.0
International plans ..........................................
3.0
3.4
1.2
4.1
4.7
2.1
Combined ...................................................
4.5
4.8
2.0
4.4
5.0
2.1
Expected Return on Plan Assets
U.S. plans .......................................................
5.5
5.5
5.5
International plans ..........................................
4.8
4.4
4.9
Combined ...................................................
5.3
5.2
5.4
Rate of Compensation Increase
U.S. plans .......................................................
N/A
N/A
N/A
International plans ..........................................
2.8
2.8
2.5
Combined ...................................................
2.8
2.8
2.5
Interest Crediting Rate
U.S. plans .......................................................
4.1
4.3
1.9
International plans ..........................................
1.4
1.0
1.0
Combined ...................................................
4.0
4.3
1.9
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99
The Company's health care cost trend assumptions for U.S. postretirement medical plan's net periodic benefit cost are as
follows:
As of December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In percentages, except year)
Health care cost trend rate assumed for next year ........................................................
7.0
7.3
7.5
Health care cost trend ultimate rate ..............................................................................
5.0
5.0
5.0
Health care cost trend ultimate rate year ......................................................................
2032
2032
2032
Plan Assets
The weighted average target asset allocations for the Company's pension plans in 2024 are as follows:
U.S.
Plans
International
Plans
(In percentages)
Bonds - domestic to plans ................................................................................................................
84
38
Equities - domestic to plans .............................................................................................................
8
19
Equities - international to plans .......................................................................................................
8
8
Other ................................................................................................................................................
—
35
Total ............................................................................................................................................
100
100
On average, the actual return on the U.S. qualified defined pension plans' assets over the long-term (20 years) has exceeded the
expected long-term rate of asset return assumption. The U.S. qualified defined benefit plans' actual return on assets for the year
ended December 31, 2024 was 1.3% versus an expected long-term rate of asset return assumption of 5.5%. The expected long-
term rate of asset return assumption used to determine 2025 net periodic benefit cost is 5.5% for the U.S. qualified defined
benefit plans.
The Company's defined benefit plan assets are measured at fair value on a recurring basis (Note 2) as follows:
Cash and Cash Equivalents: Foreign and domestic currencies as well as short-term securities are valued at cost plus accrued
interest, which approximates fair value.
Equity securities, treasuries and corporate debt: Valued at the closing price reported on the active market in which the
individual securities are traded. Automated quotes are provided by multiple pricing services and validated by the plan
custodian. These securities are traded on exchanges as well as in the over the counter market.
Derivatives: Derivative financial instruments are valued in the market using discounted cash flow techniques. These techniques
incorporate Level 1 and Level 2 fair value measurement inputs such as interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates. These
market inputs are utilized in the discounted cash flow calculation considering the instrument's term, notional amount, discount
rate and credit risk. Significant inputs to the derivative valuation for interest rate swaps, foreign currency forwards and swaps,
and options are observable in the active markets and are classified as Level 2 in the fair value measurement hierarchy.
Mortgage backed securities: Fair value is estimated based on valuations obtained from third-party pricing services for identical
or comparable assets. Mortgage backed securities are traded in the over the counter broker/dealer market.
Insurance contracts: Valued at contributions made, plus earnings, less participant withdrawals and administrative expenses,
which approximates fair value.
Short-term investment funds: Composed of various funds whose portfolio is comprised of foreign and domestic currencies as
well as short-term securities. Investments are valued at the net asset value of units held by the plan at year-end.
Registered Investment Companies: Composed of various mutual funds and other investment companies whose diversified
portfolio is comprised of foreign and domestic equities, fixed income securities and short-term investments. Investments are
valued at the net asset value of units held by the plan at year-end.
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100
Pooled-type investments: Composed of various funds whose diversified portfolio is comprised of foreign and domestic equities,
fixed income securities, and short-term investments. Investments are valued at the net asset value of units held by the plan at
year-end.
Other: Composed of real estate investment trust common stock valued at closing price as reported on the active market in
which the individual securities are traded.
Fair Value Measurement
Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
Total
As of December 31,
2024
2023
2024
2023
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents .......................................................................
12
7
—
—
12
7
Derivatives
Swaps .....................................................................................................
—
—
13
60
13
60
Equity securities
U.S. companies ......................................................................................
26
21
—
—
26
21
International companies .........................................................................
126
148
—
—
126
148
Fixed income
Corporate debt ........................................................................................
—
—
624
686
624
686
Treasuries, other debt .............................................................................
47
87 1,008 1,013 1,055 1,100
Mortgage backed securities ...................................................................
—
—
14
13
14
13
Insurance contracts ..................................................................................
—
—
109
104
109
104
Other ........................................................................................................
3
3
21
19
24
22
Total investments, at fair value(1)
........................................................
214
266 1,789 1,895 2,003 2,161
Liabilities
Derivatives
Swaps .....................................................................................................
—
—
13
60
13
60
Total liabilities ....................................................................................
—
—
13
60
13
60
Total net assets(2)
.............................................................................
214
266 1,776 1,835 1,990 2,101
______________________________
(1)
Certain investments that are measured at fair value using the NAV per share practical expedient have not been classified in
the fair value hierarchy. Total investments, at fair value, for the year ended December 31, 2024 excludes investments in
pooled-type investments, registered investment companies and short-term investment funds with fair values of
$431 million, $34 million and $35 million, respectively. Total investments, at fair value, for the year ended
December 31, 2023 excludes investments in pooled-type investments, registered investment companies and short-term
investment funds with fair values of $460 million, $43 million and $31 million, respectively.
(2)
Total net assets excludes non-financial plan receivables and payables of $20 million and $17 million, respectively, as of
December 31, 2024 and $22 million and $5 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2023. Non-financial items include
due to/from broker, interest receivables and accrued expenses.
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101
Benefit obligation funding is as follows:
Total
Expected
2025
(In $ millions)
Cash contributions to defined benefit pension plans ...................................................................................................
30
Benefit payments to nonqualified pension plans ........................................................................................................
18
Benefit payments to other postretirement benefit plans ..............................................................................................
3
The Company's estimates of its U.S. defined benefit pension plan contributions reflect the provisions of the Pension Protection
Act of 2006.
Pension and postretirement benefits expected to be paid are as follows:
Pension
Benefit
Payments(1)
Company Portion
of Postretirement
Benefit Cost(2)
(In $ millions)
2025 ....................................................................................................................................
235
3
2026 ....................................................................................................................................
233
3
2027 ....................................................................................................................................
227
3
2028 ....................................................................................................................................
225
2
2029 ....................................................................................................................................
225
2
2030-2034 ...........................................................................................................................
1,017
10
______________________________
(1)
Payments are expected to be made primarily from plan assets.
(2)
Payments are expected to be made primarily from Company assets.
13. Environmental
The Company is subject to environmental laws and regulations worldwide that impose limitations on the discharge of pollutants
into the air and water, establish standards for the treatment, storage and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes, and impose
record keeping and notification requirements. Failure to timely comply with these laws and regulations may expose the
Company to penalties. The Company believes that it is in substantial compliance with all applicable environmental laws and
regulations and engages in an ongoing process of updating its controls to mitigate compliance risks. The Company is also
subject to retained environmental obligations specified in various contractual agreements arising from the divestiture of certain
businesses by the Company or one of its predecessor companies.
The components of environmental remediation liabilities, contained in Current and Noncurrent Other Liabilities, are as follows:
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Demerger obligations (Note 19) ..........................................................................................................
14
14
Divestiture obligations (Note 19) ........................................................................................................
14
13
Active sites ...........................................................................................................................................
23
25
U.S. Superfund sites ............................................................................................................................
10
8
Other environmental remediation liabilities ........................................................................................
2
2
Total ................................................................................................................................................
63
62
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102
Remediation
Due to its industrial history and through retained contractual and legal obligations, the Company has the obligation to remediate
specific areas on its own sites as well as on divested, demerger, orphan or U.S. Superfund sites (defined below). In addition, as
part of the demerger agreement between the Company and Hoechst AG ("Hoechst"), a specified portion of the responsibility for
environmental liabilities from a number of Hoechst divestitures was transferred to the Company (Note 19). Certain of these
sites, at which the Company maintains continuing involvement, were and continue to be designated as discontinued operations
when closed. The Company provides for such obligations when the event of loss is probable and reasonably estimable. The
Company believes that environmental remediation costs will not have a material adverse effect on the financial position of the
Company, but may have a material adverse effect on the results of operations or cash flows in any given period.
The Company did not record any insurance recoveries during 2024 or have any receivables for insurance recoveries related to
these matters as of December 31, 2024.
German InfraServ Entities
The Company's InfraServ equity affiliates (Note 7) are liable for any residual contamination and other pollution because they
own the real estate on which the individual facilities operate. In addition, Hoechst, and its legal successors, as the responsible
party under German public law, is liable to third parties for all environmental damage that occurred while it was still the owner
of the plants and real estate (Note 19). The contribution agreements entered into in 1997 between Hoechst and the respective
operating companies, as part of the divestiture of these companies, provide that the operating companies will indemnify
Hoechst, and its legal successors, against environmental liabilities resulting from the transferred businesses. Additionally, the
InfraServ equity affiliates have agreed to indemnify Hoechst, and its legal successors, against any environmental liability
arising out of or in connection with environmental pollution of any site.
The InfraServ partnership agreements provide that, as between the partners, each partner is responsible for any contamination
caused predominantly by such partner. Any liability, which cannot be attributed to an InfraServ partner and for which no third
party is responsible, is required to be borne by the InfraServ partnership. Also, under lease agreements entered into by an
InfraServ partner as landlord, the tenants agreed to pay certain remediation costs on a pro rata basis.
If an InfraServ partner defaults on its respective indemnification obligations to eliminate residual contamination, the owners of
the remaining participation in the InfraServ companies have agreed to fund such liabilities, subject to a number of limitations.
To the extent that any liabilities are not satisfied by either the InfraServ equity affiliates or their owners, these liabilities are to
be borne by the Company in accordance with the demerger agreement. However, Hoechst, and its legal successors, will
reimburse the Company for two-thirds of any such costs. Likewise, in certain circumstances the Company could be responsible
for the elimination of residual contamination on several sites that were not transferred to InfraServ companies, in which case
Hoechst, and its legal successors, must also reimburse the Company for two-thirds of any costs so incurred.
The Company's ownership interest and environmental liability participation percentages for such liabilities, which cannot be
attributed to an InfraServ partner are as follows:
As of December 31, 2024
Ownership
Liability
Reserves(1)
(In percentages)
(In $ millions)
InfraServ GmbH & Co. Gendorf KG ...........................................................................
30
10
8
InfraServ GmbH & Co. Hoechst KG ...........................................................................
31
42
61
Yncoris GmbH & Co. KG ............................................................................................
22
23
1
______________________________
(1)
Gross reserves maintained by the respective entity.
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103
U.S. Superfund Sites
In the U.S., the Company may be subject to substantial claims brought by U.S. federal or state regulatory agencies or private
individuals pursuant to statutory authority or common law. In particular, the Company has a potential liability under the U.S.
Federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, and related state laws
(collectively referred to as "Superfund") for investigation and cleanup costs at certain sites. At most of these sites, numerous
companies, including the Company, or one of its predecessor companies, have been notified that the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency ("EPA"), state governing bodies or private individuals consider such companies to be potentially responsible
parties ("PRP") under Superfund or related laws. The proceedings relating to these sites are in various stages. The cleanup
process has not been completed at most sites, and the status of the insurance coverage for some of these proceedings is
uncertain. Consequently, the Company cannot accurately determine its ultimate liability for investigation or cleanup costs at
these sites.
As events progress at each site for which it has been named a PRP, the Company accrues any probable and reasonably
estimable liabilities. In establishing these liabilities, the Company considers the contaminants of concern, the potential impact
thereof, the relationship of the contaminants of concern to its current and historic operations, its shipment of waste to a site, its
percentage of total waste shipped to the site, the types of wastes involved, the conclusions of any studies, the magnitude of any
remedial actions that may be necessary and the number and viability of other PRPs. Often the Company joins with other PRPs
to sign joint defense agreements that settle, among PRPs, each party's percentage allocation of costs at the site. Although the
ultimate liability may differ from the estimate, the Company routinely reviews the liabilities and revises the estimate, as
appropriate, based on the most current information available.
One such site is the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site, which is comprised of a number of sub-sites, including the Lower Passaic
River Study Area ("LPRSA"), which is the lower 17-mile stretch of the Passaic River ("Lower Passaic River Site"), and the
Newark Bay Study Area. The Company and 70 other companies are parties to a May 2007 Administrative Order on Consent
with the EPA to perform a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study ("RI/FS") at the Lower Passaic River Site in order to
identify the levels of contaminants and potential cleanup actions, including the potential migration of contaminants between the
LPRSA and the Newark Bay Study Area.
In March 2016, the EPA issued its final Record of Decision concerning the remediation of the lower 8.3 miles of the Lower
Passaic River Site ("Lower 8.3 Miles"). Pursuant to the EPA's Record of Decision, the Lower 8.3 Miles must be dredged bank
to bank and an engineered cap must be installed at an EPA estimated cost of approximately $1.4 billion. In September 2021, the
EPA issued a Record of Decision selecting an interim remedial plan for the upper 9 miles of the Lower Passaic River ("Upper 9
Miles"). Pursuant to the EPA's Record of Decision, targeted dredging will be conducted in the Upper 9 Miles to address surface
sediments with elevated contamination followed by the installation of an engineered cap at an EPA estimated cost of
$441 million.
The Company owned and/or operated facilities in the vicinity of the Lower 8.3 Miles, but has found no evidence that it
contributed any of the contaminants of concern to the Passaic River. In June 2018, Occidental Chemical Corporation ("OCC"),
the successor to the Diamond Alkali Company, sued a subsidiary of the Company and 119 other parties alleging claims for joint
and several damages, contribution and declaratory relief under Section 107 and 113 of Superfund for costs to clean up the
LPRSA portion of the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site, Occidental Chemical Corporation v. 21st Century Fox America, Inc., et
al, No. 2:18-CV-11273 (MCA) (LDW) (U.S. District Court New Jersey) (the "2018 OCC Lawsuit"), alleging that each of the
defendants owned or operated a facility that contributed contamination to the LPRSA. With respect to the Company, the 2018
OCC lawsuit is limited to the former Celanese facility that Essex County, New Jersey has agreed to indemnify the Company for
and does not change the Company's estimated liability for LPRSA cleanup costs.
Separately, the United States lodged a Consent Decree in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in
December 2022 that resolves the Company's liability (and that of more than 80 other settling defendants) to the EPA for costs to
clean up both the Lower 8.3 Miles and Upper 9 Miles of the Lower Passaic River Site in exchange for a collective payment of
$150 million, United States v. Alden Leeds, Inc., No. 2:22-7326 (MCA) (LDW) (U.S. District Court New Jersey) ("Consent
Decree Action"). The Consent Decree also provides the Company protection from contribution claims by others for costs
incurred to clean up both the Lower 8.3 Miles and Upper 9 Miles of the Lower Passaic River Site. The Company's proposed
payment toward the $150 million collective settlement payment is not material to the Company's results of operations, cash
flows or financial position.
In March 2023, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey entered an order staying and administratively terminating
the 2018 OCC Lawsuit, pending resolution of the request for judicial approval of the Consent Decree in the Consent Decree
Action. Also, in March 2023, OCC filed a new lawsuit against 40 parties, including a subsidiary of the Company, seeking to
Table of Contents
104
recover costs for remedial design work the EPA has ordered OCC to undertake for a portion of the LPRSA at an estimated cost
of $71 million, Occidental Chemical Corporation v. Givaudan Fragrances Corporation, No. 2:23-cv-1699 (U.S. District Court
New Jersey) (the "2023 OCC Lawsuit"). Like the earlier lawsuit, the 2023 OCC Lawsuit concerns the facility Essex County,
New Jersey purchased and for which Essex County, New Jersey has agreed to defend and indemnify the Company. This new
lawsuit does not change the Company's estimated liability for LPRSA cleanup costs.
Like the earlier lawsuit, the 2023 OCC lawsuit also was stayed pending resolution of the request for judicial approval of the
Consent Decree in the Consent Decree Action. On December 18, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
granted the United States' motion to enter the Consent Decree in the Consent Decree Action. The Company anticipates that
OCC will seek review of that decision. Nokia of America Corporation, which opposed the entry of the Consent Decree, filed a
notice of appeal on January 9, 2025. The Company anticipates that OCC also will appeal the District Court's decision entering
the Consent Decree.
In the interim, the Company continues to vigorously defend these matters and continues to believe that its ultimate allocable
share of the cleanup costs with respect to the Lower Passaic River Site, previously estimated at less than 1%, will not be
material.
Other Environmental Matters
In April 2022, a methanol leak on a pipeline to the Company's Bishop, Texas facility was discovered. The release has been
contained, the leak has been repaired and the pipeline has resumed operation. The Company promptly disclosed the incident to
state and federal authorities, including the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the EPA, and remediation
activities are now completed. While the Company has not received a notice of violation nor been assessed any fines or penalties
to date, the Company recorded a reserve in Other current liabilities based on anticipated clean-up costs and possible penalties to
state or federal authorities. The Company does not believe that resolution of this matter will have a material impact on its
financial condition or results of operations.
14. Shareholders' Equity
Common Stock
The Company's Board of Directors follows a policy of declaring, subject to legally available funds, a quarterly cash dividend on
each share of the Company's Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share ("Common Stock"), unless the Company's Board of
Directors, in its sole discretion, determines otherwise. The amount available to the Company to pay cash dividends is not
currently restricted by its existing Global Credit Agreements and its indentures governing its senior unsecured notes. Any
decision to declare and pay dividends in the future will be made at the discretion of the Company's Board of Directors and will
depend on, among other things, the results of operations, cash requirements, financial condition, contractual restrictions and
other factors that the Company's Board of Directors may deem relevant.
The Company declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.03 per share on its Common Stock on February 12, 2025, amounting to
approximately $3 million. The cash dividend will be paid on March 11, 2025 to holders of record as of February 25, 2025.
On November 4, 2024, the Company announced its intent to reduce its quarterly dividend by approximately 95% beginning in
the first quarter of 2025.
Treasury Stock
The Company's Board of Directors authorizes repurchases of Common Stock from time to time. These authorizations give
management discretion in determining the timing and conditions under which shares may be repurchased. This repurchase
program does not have an expiration date.
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105
Total From
February 2008
Through
December 31, 2024
Shares repurchased ...........................................................................................................................................
69,324,429
Average purchase price per share ..................................................................................................................... $
83.71
Amount spent on repurchased shares (in $ millions) ....................................................................................... $
5,803
Aggregate Board of Directors repurchase authorizations during the period (in $ millions) ............................ $
6,866
The purchase of treasury stock reduces the number of shares outstanding. The repurchased shares may be used by the Company
for compensation programs utilizing the Company's stock and other corporate purposes. The Company accounts for treasury
stock using the cost method and includes treasury stock as a component of shareholders' equity.
The Company did not repurchase any Common Stock during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
Gross
Amount
Income
Tax
(Provision)
Benefit
Net
Amount
Gross
Amount
Income
Tax
(Provision)
Benefit
Net
Amount
Gross
Amount
Income
Tax
(Provision)
Benefit
Net
Amount
(In $ millions)
Foreign currency
translation ......................
(39)
(60)
(99)
(275)
62
(213)
(240)
23
(217)
Gain (loss) on derivative
hedges ...........................
2
(2)
—
(12)
6
(6)
26
(5)
21
Pension and
postretirement benefits
gain (loss) ......................
(5)
—
(5)
(8)
1
(7)
7
—
7
Total ...........................
(42)
(62)
(104)
(295)
69
(226)
(207)
18
(189)
Table of Contents
106
Adjustments to Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net, are as follows:
Foreign
Currency
Translation
Gain (Loss)
Gain (Loss)
on Derivative
Hedges
(Note 17)
Pension and
Postretirement
Benefits Gain
(Loss)
(Note 12)
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income
(Loss), Net
(In $ millions)
As of December 31, 2021 ......................................................
(271)
(43)
(15)
(329)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before
reclassifications ...................................................................
(240)
43
7
(190)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other
comprehensive income (loss) ..............................................
—
(17)
—
(17)
Income tax (provision) benefit ..............................................
23
(5)
—
18
As of December 31, 2022 ...................................................
(488)
(22)
(8)
(518)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before
reclassifications .................................................................
(275)
(3)
(8)
(286)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other
comprehensive income (loss) ............................................
—
(9)
—
(9)
Income tax (provision) benefit ............................................
62
6
1
69
As of December 31, 2023 .................................................
(701)
(28)
(15)
(744)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before
reclassifications ..............................................................
(39)
139
(5)
95
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other
comprehensive income (loss) .........................................
—
(137)
—
(137)
Income tax (provision) benefit .........................................
(60)
(2)
—
(62)
As of December 31, 2024 ............................................
(800)
(28)
(20)
(848)
15. Income Taxes
In December 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "TCJA") was enacted and was effective January 1, 2018. The U.S. Treasury
has issued various notices and final and proposed regulatory packages supplementing the TCJA provisions since 2018. There
have been no material proposed or final regulatory packages during the year ended December 31, 2024.
In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (the "IRA") was enacted and included a 1% excise tax on share repurchases in
excess of $1 million, and a corporate minimum tax of 15% on adjusted book earnings. The corporate minimum tax paid is
creditable in future years to the extent regular tax liability exceeds the minimum tax in any given year. The Company does not
expect these provisions or any newly issued administrative guidance to have a material impact to future income tax expense.
The IRA also provides various beneficial credits for energy efficient related manufacturing, transportation and fuels, hydrogen/
carbon recapture and renewable energy, which the Company is evaluating in regard to planned projects.
The Company will continue to monitor the expected impacts of any new guidance on the Company's filing positions and will
record the impacts as discrete income tax expense adjustments in the period the guidance is finalized or becomes effective.
In December 2021, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ("OECD") issued final Model Rules for
Pillars One and Two of its Base Erosion and Profit Shifting ("BEPS") project. In general, Pillar One addresses nexus concerns
and the allocation of profits among companies in which a multinational enterprise ("MNE") conducts its business. Pillar Two
aims to ensure that all MNEs pay an effective tax rate of no less than 15% on their adjusted net income in each of the
jurisdictions in which they have operations. Pillar Two is more impactful to the Company as it allows for assessment even if the
individual countries do not enact its minimum tax provisions. In effect, Pillar Two allows any country within which an MNE
operates to levy tax upon that MNE to the extent it determines that the MNE is paying less than a 15% effective tax rate on its
adjusted net income. The taxes levied may then be allocated among the jurisdictions that conform to the OECD rules.
In December 2022, the member states of the European Union ("EU") unanimously voted to adopt the OECD's minimum tax
which was agreed to by consensus of the BEPS 2.0 (Pillars One and Two) signatory jurisdictions. Under the EU's minimum tax
directive, member states are to adopt domestic legislation implementing the minimum tax rules effective for periods beginning
on or after December 31, 2023, with Pillar Two's "under-taxed profit rule" to take effect for periods beginning on or after
December 31, 2024. The EU effective dates are January 1, 2024, and January 1, 2025, for different aspects of the directive.
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107
Legislatures in multiple countries outside of the EU have also enacted or drafted legislation to implement the OECD's minimum
tax proposals.
In July 2023, the OECD published Administrative Guidance proposing certain safe harbor provisions, including an effective
rate test and a routine profits test, which if satisfied effectively delay effective dates of Pillar Two to January 1, 2027. The EU
and a significant number of other countries have or are expected to implement the safe harbor in local legislation. Based on
these safe harbor provisions, the Company currently expects that several material jurisdictions, including the U.S., Netherlands,
Switzerland, Germany, China, Singapore and Canada, will qualify for the safe harbor effectively extending the application of
the global minimum tax until January 1, 2027.
The Company will continue to monitor the developments and implementation of the OECD BEPS projects. Currently the
Company does not meet the requirements for the application of Pillar One. After an initial assessment of the application of the
safe harbor provisions on a global basis, the Company determined that there was not a material impact from the local adoption
of the OECD Pillar Two proposals in 2024, but is continuing to model the effect of these provisions on its future effective tax
rate and cash taxes.
Income Tax Provision
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax by jurisdiction are as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
U.S. ...............................................................................................................................
(2,269)
(163)
(292)
International .................................................................................................................
1,273
1,346
1,713
Total .........................................................................................................................
(996)
1,183
1,421
The income tax provision (benefit) consists of the following:
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
Current
U.S. ............................................................................................................................
79
8
54
International ...............................................................................................................
239
162
306
Total .........................................................................................................................
318
170
360
Deferred
U.S. ............................................................................................................................
(87)
(178)
(261)
International ...............................................................................................................
279
(782)
(588)
Total .........................................................................................................................
192
(960)
(849)
Total ....................................................................................................................
510
(790)
(489)
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108
A reconciliation of the significant differences between the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 21% and the effective income tax
rate on income from continuing operations is as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions, except percentages)
Income tax provision computed at U.S. federal statutory tax rate ...............................
(209)
248
298
Change in valuation allowance .....................................................................................
370
(150)
(15)
Equity income and dividends .......................................................................................
(41)
(27)
(47)
(Income) expense not resulting in tax impact, net ........................................................
327
(9)
2
U.S. tax effect of foreign earnings and dividends ........................................................
184
384
162
Foreign tax credits ........................................................................................................
(137)
(73)
(120)
Other foreign tax rate differentials ...............................................................................
(66)
(108)
(43)
Legislative changes ......................................................................................................
(6)
(44)
—
State income taxes, net of federal benefit .....................................................................
12
(8)
(2)
Recognition of basis differences in investments in affiliates .......................................
—
—
6
Asset transfers between wholly owned foreign affiliates .............................................
87
(839)
(816)
Other, net ......................................................................................................................
(11)
(164)
86
Income tax provision (benefit) .................................................................................
510
(790)
(489)
Effective income tax rate ..............................................................................................
(51) %
(67) %
(34) %
In December 2022, as part of its integration efforts for the M&M Acquisition (see Note 4) and to simplify future cash flows for
purposes of acquisition debt repayment, the Company reorganized its foreign legal entity holding structure and relocated certain
of its intangible assets to align with the acquired M&M foreign operations. The transfer of these assets between wholly owned
foreign affiliates, generated a net deferred tax benefit of approximately $800 million. The contractual provisions for these asset
transfers provided for adjustments to the purchase price for business events occurring within the succeeding twelve months, and
as a result, the Company recorded an additional deferred tax benefit of approximately $190 million in 2023.
In 2023, in furtherance of its integration strategy for the M&M Acquisition, the Company continued to relocate certain
intangible assets to better align with the acquired M&M foreign operations. In addition, in late 2023, as part of its overall
integration approach, the Company initiated a strategy to realign its European headquarters and principal operations to
Switzerland to achieve operational efficiencies by leveraging an acquired site for future growth and improved alignment of
ownership of intangible assets with future technology and innovation efforts to be conducted locally. These operational
efficiencies are expected to include, (i) centralized regional manufacturing, sales and operational planning, procurement and
business leadership and (ii) cost and facility savings.
The headquarters and principal operations realignment strategy, and the relocation of intangible assets to wholly owned foreign
affiliates, generated a net deferred tax benefit of approximately $725 million. In addition, the relocation of these intangible
assets resulted in the utilization of approximately $230 million of the Company's existing U.S. foreign tax credit carryforwards.
These carryforwards had previously been offset by a full valuation allowance.
In the second quarter of 2024, the Company completed an internal integration-related restructuring of its acquired China
operations in order to align with existing operations and to optimize the Company's internal treasury operations. This
restructuring of the Chinese operations consisted of a sale within the Company that resulted in a China capital gains tax of
approximately $87 million.
During the three months ended December 31, 2024, the Company recorded a non-cash goodwill impairment loss of $1.5 billion
in the Engineered Materials segment. As of December 31, 2024, the Engineered Materials segment had goodwill of $5.0 billion
(see Note 9). The impairment of goodwill is not deductible for tax purposes and the tax effect of this non-deductible expense in
the amount of $319 million is included in the (Income) expense not resulting in tax impact, net line above. In addition, due to
the changes in forecasted profits for the engineered materials reporting unit included in the impairment analysis, the Company
also recorded a valuation allowance against certain local country, non-U.S. tax credit carryforwards in the amount of
$338 million.
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109
Included in the Other, net line in the effective income tax rate reconciliation above are the U.S. GAAP gain in excess of the tax
gain related to the formation of the Nutrinova joint venture (see Note 4) of $102 million for the year ended December 31, 2023
and charges of approximately $20 million related to transaction costs for the M&M Acquisition for the year ended
December 31, 2022. In addition, included in the Other, net line in the effective income tax rate reconciliation above are U.S.
benefits of foreign derived intangible income of $0 million, $72 million, and $0 million; and changes in uncertain tax positions
of $(2) million, $5 million and $63 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Deferred Income Taxes
Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities
for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. Significant components of the consolidated
deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows:
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Deferred Tax Assets
Pension and postretirement obligations ............................................................................................
58
61
Accrued expenses ..............................................................................................................................
59
56
Inventory ...........................................................................................................................................
18
(13)
Net operating loss carryforwards ......................................................................................................
752
783
Tax credit carryforwards ...................................................................................................................
222
135
Intangibles and other .........................................................................................................................
757
737
Subtotal ...........................................................................................................................................
1,866
1,759
Valuation allowance(1)
.................................................................................................................
(1,106)
(656)
Total .........................................................................................................................................
760
1,103
Deferred Tax Liabilities
Depreciation and amortization ..........................................................................................................
152
152
Investments in affiliates ....................................................................................................................
163
188
Other .................................................................................................................................................
127
85
Total .........................................................................................................................................
442
425
Net deferred tax assets (liabilities) .....................................................................................
318
678
______________________________
(1)
Includes deferred tax asset valuation allowances for the Company's deferred tax assets in Switzerland, Luxembourg, the
U.S., Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Malta, Mexico, Germany, China, Singapore and France. These
valuation allowances relate primarily to net operating loss carryforward benefits, foreign tax credit carryforwards and other
net deferred tax assets, all of which may not be realizable.
As a result of the TCJA, U.S. federal and state income taxes have been recorded on undistributed foreign earnings accumulated
from 1986 through 2017. The Company's previously taxed income for its foreign subsidiaries significantly exceeds its offshore
cash balances. The Company has not recorded a deferred tax liability for foreign withholding or other foreign local tax that
would be due when cash is actually repatriated to the U.S. because those foreign earnings are considered permanently
reinvested in the business or may be remitted substantially free of any additional local taxes. The determination of the amount
of the unrecognized deferred tax liability related to the undistributed earnings is not practicable.
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110
Tax Carryforwards
•
Net Operating Loss and Capital Loss Carryforwards
As of December 31, 2024, the Company had available U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards of $15 million that are
subject to limitation. These net operating loss carryforwards begin to expire in 2036. As of December 31, 2024, the Company
also had available state net operating loss carryforwards, net of federal tax impact, of $35 million, $24 million of which are
offset by a valuation allowance due to uncertain recoverability. The Company also has foreign net operating loss carryforwards
available as of December 31, 2024 of $3.5 billion primarily for Switzerland, Luxembourg, Spain, the United Kingdom,
Singapore, China and Hong Kong with various expiration dates. Net operating loss carryforwards of $69 million in China are
scheduled to continue to expire through 2029. Net operating loss carryforwards of $1.7 billion in Switzerland are partially offset
by a valuation allowance of $230 million due to uncertain recoverability and are scheduled to continue to expire through 2030.
Net operating losses in most other foreign jurisdictions do not have an expiration date. The Company acquired capital loss
carryforwards of $173 million as part of the M&M Acquisition (Note 4) that are subject to annual limitation due to the
ownership change. The Company fully offset these capital loss carryforwards with a valuation allowance due to uncertain
recoverability.
•
Tax Credit Carryforwards
The Company had available $200 million of U.S. foreign tax credit carryforwards, which are offset by a valuation allowance of
$165 million due to uncertain recoverability and $18 million of alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards in the U.S. The
foreign tax credit carryforwards are subject to a ten-year carryforward period and begin to expire in 2027. The alternative
minimum tax credits are subject to annual limitation due to prior ownership changes but have an unlimited carryforward period
and can be used to offset federal tax liability in future years.
The Company evaluates its deferred tax assets on a quarterly basis to determine whether a valuation allowance is necessary.
Realization of deferred tax assets ultimately depends on the existence of sufficient taxable income of the appropriate character
in the applicable carryback or carryforward periods. Changes in the Company's estimates of future taxable income and prudent
and feasible tax planning strategies will affect the estimate of the realization of the tax benefits of these foreign tax credit
carryforwards. As such, the Company is currently evaluating tax planning strategies to enable use of the foreign tax credit
carryforwards that may decrease the Company's effective tax rate in future periods as the valuation allowance is reversed.
Uncertain Tax Positions
Activity related to uncertain tax positions is as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
As of the beginning of the year ....................................................................................
224
275
218
Increases (decreases) in tax positions for the current year ...........................................
(3)
10
8
Increases in tax positions for prior years ......................................................................
6
9
102
Decreases in tax positions for prior years ....................................................................
(6)
(35)
(45)
Increases (decreases) due to settlements ......................................................................
(8)
(35)
(8)
As of the end of the year ..........................................................................................
213
224
275
Total uncertain tax positions that if recognized would impact the effective tax rate ...
236
244
274
Total amount of interest expense (benefit) and penalties recognized in the
consolidated statements of operations(1)
...................................................................
7
22
10
Total amount of interest expense and penalties recognized in the consolidated
balance sheets ...........................................................................................................
77
71
59
______________________________
(1)
This amount reflects interest on uncertain tax positions and release of tax positions due to changes in assessment, statute
lapses or audit closures that were reflected in the consolidated statements of operations.
The increase in uncertain tax positions for the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily due to increases in foreign tax
positions related to ongoing tax examinations, partially offset by releases due to completed examinations and statute closures.
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111
The Company's tax returns have been under audit for the years 2013 through 2015 by the United States, Netherlands and
Germany (the "Authorities"). In September 2021, the Company received a draft joint audit report proposing adjustments to
transfer pricing and the reallocation of income between the related jurisdictions. The Authorities also proposed to apply these
adjustments to open tax years through 2019. The Company and the Authorities were unable to reach an agreement jointly and
therefore the audits continued on a separate jurisdictional basis. In the fourth quarter of 2022, the Company concluded
settlement discussions with the Dutch tax authority. In the third quarter of 2024, the Company concluded settlement discussions
with the German tax authority related to the German transfer pricing audit. The Company is engaged in continuing discussions
with the U.S. tax authority on joint audit matters, as well as other separate matters, and is currently evaluating all additional
potential remedies regarding the ongoing examinations.
As of December 31, 2024, the Company believes that an adequate provision for income taxes has been made for all open tax
years related to the examinations by the Authorities. However, the outcome of tax audits cannot be predicted with certainty. If
any issues raised by the Authorities are resolved in a manner inconsistent with the Company's expectations or the Company is
unsuccessful in defending its position, the Company could be required to adjust its provision for income taxes in the period
such resolution occurs. If required, any such adjustments could be material to the statements of operations and cash flows in the
period(s) recorded.
In addition, the Company's income tax returns in Mexico are under audit for the years 2018 and 2019, in Canada for the years
2016 through 2022, and in the U.S. for the years 2016 through 2020. In August 2023, the Company negotiated a partial
settlement with the Mexico tax authorities for its audit for the year 2018. The partial settlement did not have a material impact
on income tax expense in the consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company is in
discussions with the Mexican tax authorities regarding the preliminary findings in the 2019 audit. In September 2023, the
Canadian tax authorities opened tax audits for the years 2019 through 2022, and the audits are in the preliminary stages. The
Company is in ongoing discussions regarding the audit findings with the Canadian tax authority for the years 2016 through
2018 and does not expect a material impact to income tax expense resulting from the audit. The audit in the U.S. for the years
2016 through 2020 is in the data gathering phase. The Company's tax returns in Germany are also under audit for certain
entities for years after 2007.
16. Leases
The components of lease expense are as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
Statement of Operations Classification
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
Lease Cost
Operating lease cost .................................
99
99
66
Cost of sales / Selling, general and
administrative expenses
Short-term lease cost ................................
18
19
19
Cost of sales / Selling, general and
administrative expenses
Variable lease cost ....................................
17
13
15
Cost of sales / Selling, general and
administrative expenses
Finance lease cost
Amortization of leased assets .................
20
21
19
Cost of sales
Interest on lease liabilities ......................
8
10
11
Interest expense
Sublease income .....................................
—
—
2
Other income (expense), net
Total net lease cost ...............................
162
162
132
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112
Supplemental consolidated balance sheet information related to leases is as follows:
As of December 31,
Balance Sheet Classification
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Leases
Assets
Operating lease assets ....................................................
388
422
Operating lease ROU assets
Finance lease assets .......................................................
119
154
Property, plant and equipment, net
Total leased assets .......................................................
507
576
Liabilities
Current
Operating .....................................................................
79
89
Current Other liabilities
Finance ........................................................................
23
24
Short-term borrowings and current
installments of long-term debt
Noncurrent
Operating .....................................................................
294
325
Operating lease liabilities
Finance ........................................................................
122
124
Long-term debt
Total lease liabilities .................................................
518
562
As of December 31,
2024
2023
Weighted-Average Remaining Lease Term (years)
Operating leases ................................................................................................................................
8.4
8.6
Finance leases ....................................................................................................................................
7.7
7.8
Weighted-Average Discount Rate
Operating leases ................................................................................................................................
3.3 %
3.5 %
Finance leases ....................................................................................................................................
5.6 %
6.2 %
Supplemental consolidated cash flow information related to leases is as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities
Operating cash flows from operating leases ..............................................................
90
92
52
Operating cash flows from finance leases .................................................................
8
10
11
Financing cash flows from finance leases .................................................................
24
24
25
ROU assets obtained in exchange for finance lease liabilities (Note 20) ....................
27
2
28
ROU assets obtained in exchange for operating lease liabilities ..................................
70
58
93
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113
Maturities of lease liabilities are as follows:
As of December 31, 2024
Operating Leases
Finance Leases
(In $ millions)
2025 .............................................................................................................................
90
30
2026 .............................................................................................................................
74
27
2027 .............................................................................................................................
49
23
2028 .............................................................................................................................
41
20
2029 .............................................................................................................................
39
19
Later years ...................................................................................................................
131
71
Total lease payments ....................................................................................................
424
190
Less amounts representing interest ..............................................................................
(51)
(45)
Total lease obligations .............................................................................................
373
145
17. Derivative Financial Instruments
Information regarding changes in the fair value of the Company's derivative and non-derivative instruments is as follows:
Gain (Loss)
Recognized in Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
Gain (Loss) Recognized
in Earnings (Loss)
Statement of Operations
Classification
Year Ended December 31,
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
Designated as Cash Flow
Hedges
Commodity swaps .......................
—
(5)
39
(2)
2
23 Cost of sales
Interest rate swaps .......................
—
—
—
(7)
(7)
(7) Interest expense
Foreign currency forwards ..........
—
5
2
—
5
1 Cost of sales
Total ..........................................
—
—
41
(9)
—
17
Designated as Fair Value
Hedges
Cross-currency swaps(1)
..............
142
(1)
—
146
9
— Foreign exchange gain (loss), net
Designated as Net Investment
Hedges(2)
Foreign currency denominated
debt (Note 11) ..........................
153 (106)
(22)
—
—
— N/A
Cross-currency swaps (Note 11) ..
147 (174)
(92)
—
—
— N/A
Total ..........................................
300 (280) (114)
—
—
—
Not Designated as Hedges
Foreign currency forwards and
swaps ........................................
—
—
—
(26)
(19)
(2)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net;
Other income (expense), net
______________________________
(1)
In conjunction with the 2023 Offering (Note 11) in August 2023, the Company entered into a cross-currency swap to
effectively convert $500 million of the issued notes into a Japanese yen-denominated borrowing at prevailing yen interest
rates, maturing on July 15, 2029. The swap qualifies and has been designated as a fair value hedge of the Company's
foreign currency exchange rate exposure on the long-term debt of its Japanese yen-denominated subsidiary.
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114
Additionally, in conjunction with the 2023 Offering (Note 11) in August 2023, the Company entered into cross-currency
swaps to effectively convert $1.0 billion of the issued notes into 5-year and 7-year euro-denominated borrowings at
prevailing euro interest rates, maturing on November 15, 2028 and November 15, 2030, respectively. The swaps qualify
and have been designated as fair value hedges of the Company's foreign currency exchange rate exposure on the long-term
debt of its euro-denominated subsidiary.
(2)
Concurrently with the offering of certain unsecured notes in July 2022 (Note 11), the Company entered into cross-currency
swaps to effectively convert $2.0 billion and $500 million of the issued notes into a euro-denominated borrowing at
prevailing euro interest rates, maturing on July 15, 2027 and July 15, 2032, respectively. The swaps and €1.5 billion of
certain unsecured euro notes offered in July 2022 qualify and have been designated as net investment hedges of the
Company's foreign currency exchange rate exposure on the net investments of certain of its euro-denominated subsidiaries.
Additionally, on April 11, 2024, the Company entered into cross-currency swaps to effectively convert its $1.0 billion
senior unsecured notes due 2033 (Note 11) into Chinese yuan-denominated borrowings at prevailing yuan interest rates,
maturing on November 15, 2033. The swaps qualify and have been designated as net investment hedges of the Company's
foreign currency exchange rate exposure on the net investment of certain of its Chinese yuan-denominated subsidiaries.
See Note 18 for additional information regarding the fair value of the Company's derivative instruments.
Certain of the Company's commodity swaps, interest rate swaps, cross-currency swaps and foreign currency forwards and
swaps permit the Company to net settle all contracts with the counterparty through a single payment in an agreed upon currency
in the event of default or early termination of the contract, similar to a master netting arrangement.
Derivatives Not Designated As Hedges
Foreign Currency Forwards and Swaps
Each of the contracts included in the table below will have approximately offsetting effects from actual underlying payables,
receivables, intercompany loans or other assets or liabilities subject to foreign exchange remeasurement. The total U.S. dollar
equivalents of net foreign exchange exposure related to (short) long foreign exchange forward contracts outstanding by
currency are as follows:
2025 Maturity
(In $ millions)
Currency
Brazilian real ........................................................................................................................................................
(36)
British pound sterling ...........................................................................................................................................
86
Canadian dollar ....................................................................................................................................................
13
Chinese yuan ........................................................................................................................................................
438
Euro ......................................................................................................................................................................
229
Hungarian forint ...................................................................................................................................................
14
Indian rupee ..........................................................................................................................................................
(25)
Indonesian rupiah .................................................................................................................................................
(11)
Japanese yen .........................................................................................................................................................
22
Korean won ..........................................................................................................................................................
216
Mexican peso .......................................................................................................................................................
107
Singapore dollar ...................................................................................................................................................
34
Swedish krona ......................................................................................................................................................
(9)
Swiss franc ...........................................................................................................................................................
(313)
Thai baht ...............................................................................................................................................................
(8)
Other .....................................................................................................................................................................
(6)
Total .................................................................................................................................................................
751
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115
Information regarding the gross amounts of the Company's derivative instruments and the amounts offset in the consolidated
balance sheets is as follows:
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Derivative Assets
Gross amount recognized ..................................................................................................................
250
183
Gross amount offset in the consolidated balance sheets ...................................................................
—
—
Net amount presented in the consolidated balance sheets ............................................................
250
183
Gross amount not offset in the consolidated balance sheets .............................................................
38
40
Net amount .................................................................................................................................
212
143
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Derivative Liabilities
Gross amount recognized ..................................................................................................................
273
440
Gross amount offset in the consolidated balance sheets ...................................................................
—
—
Net amount presented in the consolidated balance sheets ............................................................
273
440
Gross amount not offset in the consolidated balance sheets .............................................................
38
40
Net amount .................................................................................................................................
235
400
18. Fair Value Measurements
The Company's financial assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a recurring basis (Note 2) as follows:
Derivative financial instruments include interest rate swaps, commodity swaps, cross-currency swaps and foreign currency
forwards and swaps and are valued in the market using discounted cash flow techniques. These techniques incorporate Level 1
and Level 2 fair value measurement inputs such as interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates. These market inputs are
utilized in the discounted cash flow calculation considering the instrument's term, notional amount, discount rate and credit risk.
Significant inputs to the derivative valuation for interest rate swaps, commodity swaps, cross-currency swaps and foreign
currency forwards and swaps are observable in the active markets and are classified as Level 2 in the fair value measurement
hierarchy.
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116
Fair Value Measurement
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Other assets
Other liabilities
Notional
Amount
Current
Noncurrent
Current
Noncurrent
(In millions)
(In $ millions)
As of December 31, 2024
Derivatives Designated as Cash Flow Hedges
Commodity swaps ....................................................... $
48
4
37
—
—
Derivatives Designated as Fair Value Hedges
Cross-currency swaps ................................................. $
1,500
46
43
11
—
Derivatives Designated as Net Investment Hedges
Cross-currency swaps .................................................. €
4,564
88
—
56
134
Cross-currency swaps .................................................. ¥
7,268
21
—
7
26
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedges
Foreign currency forwards and swaps ......................... $
2,777
11
—
19
20
Total ..........................................................................
170
80
93
180
As of December 31, 2023
Derivatives Designated as Cash Flow Hedges
Commodity swaps ....................................................... $
67
5
36
2
—
Derivatives Designated as Fair Value Hedges
Cross-currency swaps ................................................. $
1,500
40
—
11
61
Derivatives Designated as Net Investment Hedges
Cross-currency swaps .................................................. €
5,712
93
—
61
281
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedges
Foreign currency forwards and swaps ......................... $
1,954
9
—
16
8
Total ..........................................................................
147
36
90
350
Carrying values and fair values of financial instruments that are not carried at fair value are as follows:
Fair Value Measurement
Carrying
Amount
Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
Total
As of December 31,
2024
2023
2024
2023
2024
2023
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Equity investments without readily determinable
fair values .........................................................
170
170
—
—
—
—
—
—
Insurance contracts in nonqualified trusts ............
18
21
18
21
—
—
18
21
Long-term debt, including current installments
of long-term debt .............................................. 12,527 13,400 12,470 13,514
145
148 12,615 13,662
In general, the equity investments included in the table above are not publicly traded and their fair values are not readily
determinable. The Company believes the carrying values approximate fair value. Insurance contracts in nonqualified trusts
consist of long-term fixed income securities, which are valued using independent vendor pricing models with observable inputs
in the active market and therefore represent a Level 2 fair value measurement. The fair value of long-term debt is based on
valuations from third-party banks and market quotations and is classified as Level 2 in the fair value measurement hierarchy.
The fair value of obligations under finance leases, which are included in long-term debt in the consolidated balance sheets, is
based on lease payments and discount rates, which are not observable in the market and therefore represents a Level 3 fair value
measurement.
Table of Contents
117
As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the fair values of cash and cash equivalents, receivables, trade payables, short-term
borrowings and the current installments of long-term debt approximate carrying values due to the short-term nature of these
instruments. These items have been excluded from the table with the exception of the current installments of long-term debt.
19. Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments
Guarantees
Equity Affiliates
The Company has directly guaranteed various debt obligations under agreements with third parties related to certain equity
affiliates. At December 31, 2024, the Company had directly guaranteed $145 million and €31 million of such obligations. These
amounts represent the maximum potential amount of future (undiscounted) payments that the Company could be required to
make under the guarantees. The Company would be required to perform on these guarantees in the event of default by the
guaranteed party.
Maximum future payments under these obligations are $145 million and €31 million for bank borrowings and the guarantee
will remain in force until all guaranteed obligations are paid and the underlying debt agreements entered into by certain equity
affiliates are terminated.
Environmental and Other Liabilities
The Company has agreed to guarantee or indemnify third parties for environmental and other liabilities pursuant to a variety of
agreements, including asset and business divestiture agreements, leases, settlement agreements and various agreements with
affiliated companies. Although many of these obligations contain monetary and/or time limitations, others do not provide such
limitations.
The Company has accrued for all probable and reasonably estimable losses associated with all known matters or claims. These
known obligations include the following:
•
Demerger Obligations
In connection with the Hoechst demerger, the Company agreed to indemnify Hoechst, and its legal successors, for various
liabilities under the demerger agreement, including for environmental liabilities associated with contamination arising either
from environmental damage in general ("Category A") or under 19 divestiture agreements entered into by Hoechst prior to the
demerger ("Category B") (Note 13).
The Company's obligation to indemnify Hoechst, and its legal successors, is capped under Category B at €250 million. If and to
the extent the environmental damage should exceed €750 million in aggregate, the Company's obligation to indemnify Hoechst
and its legal successors applies, but is then limited to 33.33% of the remediation cost without further limitations. Cumulative
payments under the divestiture agreements as of December 31, 2024 are $117 million. Though the Company is significantly
under its obligation cap under Category B, most of the divestiture agreements have become time barred and/or any notified
environmental damage claims have been partially settled.
The Company has also undertaken in the demerger agreement to indemnify Hoechst and its legal successors for (i) 33.33% of
any and all Category A liabilities that result from Hoechst being held as the responsible party pursuant to public law or current
or future environmental law or by third parties pursuant to private or public law related to contamination and (ii) liabilities that
Hoechst is required to discharge, including tax liabilities, which are associated with businesses that were included in the
demerger but were not demerged due to legal restrictions on the transfers of such items. These indemnities do not provide for
any monetary or time limitations. The Company has not been requested by Hoechst to make any payments in connection with
this indemnification. Accordingly, the Company has not made any payments to Hoechst and its legal successors.
Based on the Company's evaluation of currently available information, including the lack of requests for indemnification, the
Company cannot estimate the remaining demerger obligations, if any, in excess of amounts accrued.
Table of Contents
118
•
Divestiture Obligations
The Company and its predecessor companies agreed to indemnify third-party purchasers of former businesses and assets for
various pre-closing conditions, as well as for breaches of representations, warranties and covenants. Such liabilities also include
environmental liability, product liability, antitrust and other liabilities. These indemnifications and guarantees represent
standard contractual terms associated with typical divestiture agreements and, other than environmental liabilities, the Company
does not believe that they expose the Company to significant risk (Note 13).
The Company has divested numerous businesses, investments and facilities through agreements containing indemnifications or
guarantees to the purchasers. Many of the obligations contain monetary and/or time limitations, which extend through 2037.
The aggregate amount of outstanding indemnifications and guarantees provided for under these agreements is $102 million as
of December 31, 2024. Other agreements do not provide for any monetary or time limitations.
Based on the Company's evaluation of currently available information, including the number of requests for indemnification or
other payment received by the Company, the Company cannot estimate the remaining divestiture obligations, if any, in excess
of amounts accrued.
Purchase Obligations
In the normal course of business, the Company enters into various purchase commitments for goods and services. The
Company maintains a number of "take-or-pay" contracts for purchases of raw materials, utilities and other services. Certain of
the contracts contain a contract termination buy-out provision that allows for the Company to exit the contracts for amounts less
than the remaining take-or-pay obligations. Additionally, the Company has other outstanding commitments representing
maintenance and service agreements, energy and utility agreements, consulting contracts and software agreements. As of
December 31, 2024, the Company had unconditional purchase obligations of $3.7 billion, of which $611 million will be paid in
2025, $484 million in 2026, $427 million in 2027, $291 million in 2028, $231 million in 2029 and the balance thereafter
through 2042.
Contingencies
The Company is involved in legal and regulatory proceedings, lawsuits, claims and investigations incidental to the normal
conduct of business, relating to such matters as product liability, land disputes, insurance coverage disputes, contracts,
employment, antitrust or competition, intellectual property, personal injury, toxic tort, public nuisance and other actions in tort,
workers' compensation, chemical exposure, asbestos exposure, taxes, trade compliance, acquisitions and divestitures, claims of
current and legacy shareholders, past waste disposal practices and release of chemicals into the environment. The Company is
actively defending those matters where the Company is named as a defendant and, based on the current facts, does not believe
the outcomes from these matters would be material to the Company's results of operations, cash flows or financial position.
As previously reported, in July 2020, the Company settled a European Commission competition law investigation involving
certain of its subsidiaries and three other companies related to certain past ethylene purchases. Shell Chemicals Europe, another
group of corporate claimants, and, most recently, TotalEnergies Petrochemicals & Refining SA have filed claims for damages
with the District Court of Amsterdam against four companies, including Celanese, arising from those activities. BASF SE has
filed a similar claim in the Court of Munich, Germany. The Company intends to vigorously defend itself against these claims.
While it is possible that additional parties could assert demands or claims related to this matter, based on information available
at this time, the Company does not expect ultimate resolution of this matter to have a material impact on its financial condition
or results of operations.
Table of Contents
119
20. Supplemental Cash Flow Information
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
Interest paid, net of amounts capitalized ......................................................................
701
780
122
Taxes paid, net of refunds ............................................................................................
349
237
273
Noncash Investing and Financing Activities
Accrued treasury stock repurchases ...........................................................................
—
—
(17)
Finance lease obligations (Note 16) ...........................................................................
27
2
28
Accrued capital expenditures .....................................................................................
(21)
(26)
40
Asset retirement obligations ......................................................................................
2
11
3
21. Segment Information
Business Segments
The Company operates through business segments according to the nature and economic characteristics of its products and
customer relationships, as well as the manner in which the information is used internally by the Company's chief operating
decision maker ("CODM"), who is the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer.
The Company's CODM regularly reviews the Operating profit of each reportable segment to assess financial results and
allocate resources. Operating profit is assessed against forecast and prior periods to evaluate and assess segment results.
Operating profit is also reported on the consolidated statement of operations. The Company has disclosed for each reportable
segment the significant expense categories that are reviewed by the CODM in the tables below.
The Company's business segments are as follows:
•
Engineered Materials
The Company's Engineered Materials segment includes the engineered materials business and certain strategic affiliates. The
engineered materials business develops, produces and supplies a broad portfolio of high performance specialty polymers for
automotive and medical applications, as well as industrial products and consumer electronics. Together with its strategic
affiliates, the Company's engineered materials business participates in the global specialty polymers industry. The primary
products of Engineered Materials are used in a broad range of end-use products including fuel system components, automotive
safety systems, medical applications, consumer electronics, appliances, industrial products, battery separators, filtration
equipment, coatings, and electrical applications and products.
•
Acetyl Chain
The Company's Acetyl Chain segment includes the integrated chain of acetic acid, vinyl acetate monomer ("VAM"), acetic
anhydride, acetate esters, emulsion polymers, ethylene vinyl acetate ("EVA") polymers, redispersible powders ("RDP"), and
acetate tow businesses. The Company's acetyl chain business produces and supplies acetyl products, including acetic acid,
VAM, acetic anhydride and acetate esters. These products are generally used as starting materials for colorants, paints,
adhesives, coatings and pharmaceuticals. It also produces organic solvents and intermediates for pharmaceutical, agricultural
and chemical products. The Company's emulsion polymers business is a leading global producer of vinyl acetate-based
emulsions and develops products and application technologies to improve performance, create value and drive innovation in
applications such as paints and coatings, adhesives, construction, glass fiber, textiles and paper. The Company's EVA polymers
business is a leading North American manufacturer of a full range of specialty EVA resins and compounds, as well as select
grades of low-density polyethylene. The Company's EVA polymers products are used in many applications, including flexible
packaging films, lamination film products, hot melt adhesives, automotive parts and carpeting. The Company's RDP business is
a leading global producer of redispersible polymer powders. The Company's RDP products are used in a variety of applications
in the mortar industry, including decorative mortar, exterior insulation and finish systems, gypsum-based materials, plaster and
render, self-leveling floor systems, skim coat and tile adhesives. The Company's acetate tow business is a leading global
producer and supplier of acetate tow and acetate flake, primarily used in filter products applications.
Table of Contents
120
•
Other Activities
Other Activities primarily consists of corporate center costs, including administrative activities such as finance, taxes,
information technology and human resource functions, interest income and expense associated with financing activities and
results of the Company's captive insurance companies. Other Activities also includes the components of net periodic benefit
cost (interest cost, expected return on assets and net actuarial gains and losses) for the Company's defined benefit pension plans
and other postretirement plans not allocated to the Company's business segments.
The business segment management reporting and controlling systems are based on the same accounting policies as those
described in the summary of significant accounting policies (Note 2).
Sales transactions between business segments are generally recorded at cost plus a mark-up.
Year Ended December 31, 2024
Net sales ......................................................................
5,607
4,763 (1)
—
(90)
10,280
Cost of sales .................................................................
(4,371)
(3,647)
4
90
(7,924)
Gross profit ...............................................................
1,236
1,116
4
—
2,356
Selling, general and administrative expenses ..............
(434)
(119)
(477)
—
(1,030)
Amortization of intangible assets ................................
(157)
(2)
—
—
(159)
Research and development expenses ...........................
(90)
(40)
—
—
(130)
Other (charges) gains, net (Note 24) ...........................
(1,724)
—
(20)
—
(1,744)
Gain (loss) on disposition of business and assets, net .
(10)
(4)
—
—
(14)
Other segment items(2)
.................................................
—
—
24
—
24
Operating profit (loss) ...............................................
(1,179)
951
(469)
—
(697)
Depreciation and amortization ....................................
510
244
47
—
801
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates .....................
172
10
14
—
196
Capital expenditures ....................................................
211
151
52
—
414 (3)
As of December 31, 2024
Goodwill and intangible assets, net .............................
8,617
411
—
—
9,028
Total assets ..................................................................
15,496
5,265
2,096
—
22,857
Engineered
Materials
Acetyl Chain
Other
Activities
Eliminations
Consolidated
(In $ millions)
Table of Contents
121
Year Ended December 31, 2023
Net sales ......................................................................
6,149
4,884 (1)
—
(93)
10,940
Cost of sales .................................................................
(4,825)
(3,607)
2
93
(8,337)
Gross profit ...............................................................
1,324
1,277
2
—
2,603
Selling, general and administrative expenses ..............
(435)
(118)
(522)
—
(1,075)
Amortization of intangible assets ................................
(162)
(2)
—
—
(164)
Research and development expenses ...........................
(97)
(40)
(9)
—
(146)
Other (charges) gains, net (Note 24) ...........................
(56)
(4)
(8)
—
(68)
Gain (loss) on disposition of business and assets, net .
509 (4)
(4)
—
—
505
Other segment items(2)
.................................................
—
—
32
—
32
Operating profit (loss) ...............................................
1,083
1,109
(505)
—
1,687
Depreciation and amortization ....................................
462
217
27
—
706
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates .....................
83
6
13
—
102
Capital expenditures ....................................................
237
207
98
—
542 (3)
As of December 31, 2023
Goodwill and intangible assets, net .............................
10,525
427
—
—
10,952
Total assets ..................................................................
17,930
5,538
3,129
—
26,597
Year Ended December 31, 2022
Net sales ......................................................................
4,024
5,743 (1)
—
(94)
9,673
Cost of sales .................................................................
(3,249)
(4,130)
(8)
94
(7,293)
Gross profit ...............................................................
775
1,613
(8)
—
2,380
Selling, general and administrative expenses ..............
(213)
(125)
(486)
—
(824)
Amortization of intangible assets
(57)
(3)
(2)
—
(62)
Research and development expenses ...........................
(71)
(40)
(1)
—
(112)
Other (charges) gains, net (Note 24) ...........................
(7)
—
(1)
—
(8)
Gain (loss) on disposition of business and assets, net .
2
2
1
—
5
Other segment items(2)
.................................................
—
—
(1)
—
(1)
Operating profit (loss) ...............................................
429
1,447
(498)
—
1,378
Depreciation and amortization ....................................
226
213
23
—
462
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates .....................
202
7
11
—
220
Capital expenditures ....................................................
178
352
53
—
583 (3)
Engineered
Materials
Acetyl Chain
Other
Activities
Eliminations
Consolidated
(In $ millions)
______________________________
(1)
Includes intersegment sales of $90 million, $93 million and $94 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and
2022, respectively.
(2)
Includes Foreign exchange gain (loss), net.
(3)
Includes a decrease in accrued capital expenditures of $21 million, a decrease in accrued capital expenditures of
$26 million and an increase in accrued capital expenditures of $40 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023
and 2022, respectively.
(4)
Includes a $515 million gain related to the formation of the Nutrinova joint venture included in Gain (loss) on disposition
of businesses and assets, net in the consolidated statements of operations (Note 4).
Table of Contents
122
Geographical Area Information
The Net sales to external customers based on geographic location are as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
Belgium ........................................................................................................................
400
499
251
Brazil ............................................................................................................................
140
140
122
Canada ..........................................................................................................................
127
146
120
Greater China ...............................................................................................................
1,984
1,952
1,525
France ...........................................................................................................................
68
84
31
Germany .......................................................................................................................
2,201
2,468
2,934
India ..............................................................................................................................
155
150
55
Italy ...............................................................................................................................
63
77
7
Japan .............................................................................................................................
278
312
87
Mexico ..........................................................................................................................
344
361
359
Singapore ......................................................................................................................
1,001
1,146
1,209
South Korea ..................................................................................................................
140
154
68
Spain .............................................................................................................................
50
58
11
Switzerland ...................................................................................................................
294
223
165
United Kingdom ...........................................................................................................
78
86
13
U.S. ...............................................................................................................................
2,748
2,821
2,562
Other .............................................................................................................................
209
263
154
Total .........................................................................................................................
10,280
10,940
9,673
Property, plant and equipment, net based on the geographic location of the Company's facilities is as follows:
As of December 31,
2024
2023
(In $ millions)
Belgium ................................................................................................................................................
60
112
Canada .................................................................................................................................................
121
121
Greater China .......................................................................................................................................
659
568
Germany ..............................................................................................................................................
795
843
Italy ......................................................................................................................................................
76
74
Japan ....................................................................................................................................................
37
43
Mexico .................................................................................................................................................
42
44
Netherlands ..........................................................................................................................................
49
48
Singapore .............................................................................................................................................
81
82
South Korea .........................................................................................................................................
70
64
Switzerland ..........................................................................................................................................
57
58
United Kingdom ..................................................................................................................................
107
118
U.S. ......................................................................................................................................................
3,001
3,286
Other ....................................................................................................................................................
118
123
Total ................................................................................................................................................
5,273
5,584
Table of Contents
123
22. Revenue Recognition
Disaggregated Revenue
In general, the Company's business segmentation is aligned according to the nature and economic characteristics of its products
and customer relationships and provides meaningful disaggregation of each business segment's results of operations.
The Company manages its Engineered Materials business segment through its project management pipeline, which is
comprised of a broad range of projects that are solutions-based and are tailored to each customer's unique needs. Projects are
identified and selected based on success rate and may involve a number of different polymers per project for use in multiple
end-use applications. Therefore, the Company is agnostic toward products and end-use markets for the Engineered Materials
business segment.
The Company manages its Acetyl Chain business segment by leveraging its ability to sell chemicals externally to end-use
markets or downstream to its acetate tow, intermediate chemistry, emulsion polymers, redispersible powders and ethylene vinyl
acetate polymers businesses. Decisions to sell externally and geographically or downstream and along the Acetyl Chain are
based on market demand, trade flows and maximizing the value of its chemicals. Therefore, the Company's strategic focus is on
executing within this integrated chain model and less on driving product-specific revenue.
Further disaggregation of Net sales by business segment and geographic destination is as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
Engineered Materials
North America ..........................................................................................................
1,553
1,780
1,197
Europe and Africa .....................................................................................................
1,641
1,941
1,538
Asia-Pacific ...............................................................................................................
2,272
2,274
1,180
South America ..........................................................................................................
141
154
109
Total ....................................................................................................................
5,607
6,149
4,024
Acetyl Chain
North America ..........................................................................................................
1,526
1,448
1,713
Europe and Africa .....................................................................................................
1,613
1,680
1,961
Asia-Pacific ...............................................................................................................
1,415
1,543
1,811
South America ..........................................................................................................
119
120
164
Total(1)
.................................................................................................................
4,673
4,791
5,649
______________________________
(1)
Excludes intersegment sales of $90 million, $93 million and $94 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and
2022, respectively.
Table of Contents
124
23. Earnings (Loss) Per Share
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions, except share data)
Amounts attributable to Celanese Corporation
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations ........................................................
(1,514)
1,969
1,902
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations .....................................................
(8)
(9)
(8)
Net earnings (loss) .............................................................................................
(1,522)
1,960
1,894
Weighted average shares - basic ............................................................................ 109,273,779 108,848,962 108,380,082
Incremental shares attributable to equity awards(1)
................................................
—
530,702
855,294
Weighted average shares - diluted ..................................................................... 109,273,779 109,379,664 109,235,376
______________________________
(1)
Excludes options to purchase 265,922, 202,876 and 0 shares of Common Stock for the years ended December 31, 2024,
2023 and 2022, respectively, as their effect would have been antidilutive. Excludes 61, 39,465 and 154,172 equity award
shares for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively, as their effect would have been antidilutive.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company incurred a net loss from continuing operations, resulting in 239,886
incremental shares attributable to equity awards being excluded from the number of weighted average shares - diluted as
their effect would have been antidilutive.
24. Other (Charges) Gains, Net
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
2022
(In $ millions)
Restructuring(1)
..........................................................................................................
(107)
(52)
(6)
Asset impairments .....................................................................................................
(1,639) (2)
(15)
(14)
Plant/office closures ..................................................................................................
2
(1)
12
Total ......................................................................................................................
(1,744)
(68)
(8)
______________________________
(1)
Includes employee termination benefits related to the previously announced closure of the Company's facility in Mechelen,
Belgium (Note 4) and the previously announced closure of its polymerization units in Uentrop, Germany (Note 4) for the
year ended December 31, 2024, and employee termination benefits primarily related to Company-wide business
optimization projects during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
(2)
Primarily related to non-cash impairment losses on goodwill and certain trade names, primarily Zytel®, arising from the
Company's goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets impairment tests (Note 9).
The changes in the restructuring liabilities by business segment are as follows:
Engineered
Materials
Acetyl
Chain
Other
Total
(In $ millions)
Employee Termination Benefits
As of December 31, 2023 .................................................................
13
2
3
18
Additions ..........................................................................................
89
1
16
106
Cash payments ..................................................................................
(40)
(2)
(13)
(55)
Other changes ...................................................................................
(2)
(1)
—
(3)
Exchange rate changes .....................................................................
(3)
—
—
(3)
As of December 31, 2024 ..............................................................
57
—
6
63
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125
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Corporate Information
Board of Directors
Edward G. Galante 1
Former Senior Vice President,
Exxon Mobil Corporation
Bruce E. Chinn 2,6
Former President and Chief Executive
Officer, Chevron Phillips Chemical
Company LLC
Timothy Go 4,6
President and Chief Executive Officer, HF
Sinclair Corporation
Kathryn M. Hill 3,6
Former Senior Vice President, Development
Strategy, Cisco Systems Inc.
David F. Hoffmeister 2,4,5
Former Senior Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer, Life Technologies
Corporation
Dr. Jay V. Ihlenfeld 2,6
Former Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific,
3M Company
Deborah J. Kissire 2,5
Former Vice Chair, Ernst & Young LLP
Michael Koenig 3,6
Chief Executive Officer and Director,
Nobian Industrial Chemicals B.V.
Christopher J. Kuehn 2,4
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer, Trane Technologies plc
Ganesh Moorthy 3,5
Former President and Chief Executive Officer,
Microchip Technology Incorporated
Scott A. Ricardson 4
President and Chief Executive Officer,
Celanese Corporation
Kim K.W. Rucker 3,5
Former Executive Vice President, General
Counsel and Secretary, Andeavor Corp.
Scott M. Sutton 4
Former President and Chief Executive Officer,
Olin Corporation
Current Committee Memberships
1 Independent Board Chair
2 Audit Committee
3 Compensation and Management Development
Committee
4 Finance and Business Review Committee
5 Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
6 Stewardship Committee
Executive Officers†
Scott A. Richardson
Chief Executive Officer and President
Chuck B. Kyrish
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer
Todd L. Elliott
Senior Vice President, Engineered Materials
Mark C. Murray
Senior Vice President, Acetyls
Ashley B. Duffie
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and
Corporate Secretary
Investor Relations
Celanese Corporation
222 W. Las Colinas Blvd., Suite 900N
Irving, TX 75039
1-972-443-4730
investor.relations@celanese.com
www.celanese.com
Transfer Agent
Computershare Investor Services
P.O. Box 43006
Providence, RI 02940-3006
or
150 Royall St., Suite 101
Canton, MA 02021
1-781-575-3400, or
1-877-373-6374 (US holders)
www.computershare.com
Corporate Governance
Strong corporate governance is an integral
part of Celanese’s core values. Our
company’s corporate governance policies
and procedures are available on the
company’s website at
https://investors.celanese.com under
Corporate Governance. This site includes
the Company’s Corporate Governance
Guidelines, Board Committee Charters,
Business Conduct Policy and Financial Code
of Ethics.
Investor Information
Shareholders, security analysts and
investors can access Celanese’s news and
events, periodic reports filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission and
other related company information by
visiting our web site at
https://celanese.com and
https://investors.celanese.com.
Annual Meeting
The 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of
Celanese Corporation will be held virtually at
1:30 p.m. (CDT), Wednesday, May 14, 2025,
accessible at the following site:
www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CE2025
Independent Registered Public
Accounting Firm
KPMG LLP
2323 Ross Ave., Suite 1400
Dallas, TX 75201
Corporate Address
Celanese Corporation
222 W. Las Colinas Blvd., Suite 900N
Irving, TX 75039
1-972-443-4000
www.celanese.com
Stock Exchange
Celanese Common Stock is listed on the
New York Stock Exchange
Common Stock Symbol: CE
† Positions as of March 1, 2025.