05/07/2007 - Süd-Chemie Group continues last year’s excellent performance in the first quarter of 2007

Süd-Chemie Group continues last year‘s excellent performance in the first quarter of 2007

- 9% rise in sales to €248 million compared with first quarter of 2006
- Profit from operations (EBIT) up by 77% to €25 million
- Continuing positive outlook for the full year 2007

Süd-Chemie AG, Munich has continued its dynamic performance throughout the first quarter of 2007, generating strong rises in Group sales and significantly higher increases in its consolidated profit from operations.

During the first three months of 2007, Group sales rose by €19.9 million or 8.7% compared with the first quarter of 2006 to reach €247.6 million. Both divisions of the speciality chemicals company, Adsorbents and Catalysts, contributed to the Group's performance. A particularly steep rise in demand was reported for Süd-Chemie's foundry chemicals in Europe and for its process catalysts used by the refining industry worldwide.

Reaching €24.9 million, €10.8 million or 76.6% more than in the first three months of 2006, the Group's profit from operations (EBIT) reported an extremely positive result. The highly-profitable Catalysts Division was able to record a particularly significant increase in earnings. In addition, the rise in profits resulted mainly from increased productivity following optimization of Group-wide processes, higher capacity utilization in the production plants and lower production start-up costs. Based on higher selling prices, it was possible to recoup an increasing percentage of the previous year‘s increases in the costs of raw materials and energy.

Earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation (EBITDA) improved by €11.7 million or 49.6% to €35.3 million.

Performance during the first and at the start of the second quarter substantiates the forecast issued at the beginning of 2007 that consolidated sales will increase by some 5% and the Group's profit from operations (EBIT) by at least 10% compared with 2006. These figures are linked to the ongoing stability of worldwide economic activity and favourable conditions in industries represented by Süd-Chemie customers.

Dr. Günter von Au, Managing Board Chairman at Süd-Chemie AG, said: "So far, we have again been able to match last year‘s record performance in 2007. The Süd-Chemie Group therefore remains on target to increase sales to €1.2 billion by 2010, as well as boosting profitability, based on value-oriented and above all, organic expansion of our core operations."

Munich, 7 May 2007

Enquiries to:

Süd-Chemie AG
Patrick Salchow, Jochen Orlowski
Corporate Public Relations
Tel. +49 (0) 89 5110-250, -247

Statements relating to future events

This report contains statements relating to future events which are based on current estimates made by the management with respect to prospective developments. Such statements are subject to uncertainties and risks which Süd-Chemie is neither able to control nor accurately assess, including for instance future market conditions and the economic environment, the behaviour of other market participants or governmental measures. Should any one of these or other uncertain or imponderable factors take effect, or should assumptions on which the statements are based prove to be incorrect, the actual results may differ significantly from those explicitly defined or implicitly contained in these statements. Süd-Chemie neither intends nor undertakes a specific obligation to update statements relating to future events in order to adjust these in line with events or developments occurring after the date of this report.

About Süd-Chemie

Süd-Chemie AG (www.sud-chemie.com) is a publicly quoted (Security Identification Number (WKN): 729 200), independent specialty chemicals company headquartered in Munich, Germany and operating on a worldwide scale. Key markets served by its Adsorbents Division include the consumer-goods, packaging and foundry industries, as well as the paper and plastics industries. Products manufactured by the Catalysts Division offer solutions for water treatment, petrochemicals processing, energy storage and hydrogen production, as well as off-gas purification. The common denominator of all its products and innovations is the efficient and sparing use of natural resources to enhance the quality of life for humans and the environment. Süd-Chemie generated sales of just over €1 billion in 2006, approx. 80% of these outside Germany. At the end of 2006, the group employed approximately 4,800 people at its 70 sales and production sites worldwide. Süd-Chemie is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2007.