10/29/2008 - On track for a new record year: Süd-Chemie Group continues positive business performance during first nine months of 2008

- Revenue up 9.7% after third quarter compared with first nine months of 2007
- Even faster rise in operating profit (EBIT) of 15.6%
- Outlook for full business year of 2008 confirmed

Süd-Chemie AG, Munich has continued its value-enhancing growth based on a strong third quarter, thus matching the highly-dynamic performance recorded in 2007 in spite of pressure from exchange rates and from rising commodity and energy prices.

During the first nine months of 2008, consolidated revenue rose by €76.5 million or 9.7% on a year-on-year basis to reach €864.0 million. Negative currency effects resulting from the increased external value of the euro reduced revenue by €47.6 million. Adjusted for these effects, the increase in consolidated revenue amounted to 15.7%. Acquisitions contributed €12.1 million to revenue growth. Both the Adsorbents and Catalysts Divisions operated by the specialty chemicals enterprise reported a positive performance, registering a particularly strong rise in the demand for bleaching earth and foundry products in Europe and for industrial catalysts in the US.

During the first three quarters of 2008, consolidated profit from operations (EBIT) rose even faster than revenue, climbing by €10.9 million or 15.6% to €80.7 million. Adjusted for negative exchange rate effects of €6.0 million, the EBIT increased by €16.9 million or 24.2% compared with the same period last year. The EBIT margin rose to 9.3% during the first nine months, after 8.9% during the same period in 2007. This positive performance was largely the result of successfully expanding the Group´s global market positions. In addition, rising commodity costs could be passed on by increased prices, although after a certain time lag. Earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation (EBITDA) improved by €12.8 million or 12.7% on a year-on-year basis, reaching €113.6 million.

Both divisions contributed to this positive earnings trend, with earnings in the highly-profitable Catalysts Division increasing at a considerably faster rate than revenue. The order intake reported by the Catalysts Division has also shown a marked upturn in recent months and will lead to further increases in revenue and earnings over the next few months compared with 2007.

Positive outlook for the full year 2008

In spite of continuing uncertainty regarding the implications of the financial market crisis for the non-monetary sector, the company anticipates moderate growth in its relevant markets during 2008, although at a significantly less dynamic rate than last year. The initial downturn in the prices of oil and commodities, along with the financial measures undertaken by central banks and governments, will have a generally reassuring effect on both the global economy and business activity in the chemical industry.

Performance during the first nine months of 2008, new production facilities commissioned during the third quarter and currently encouraging forward order levels reaffirm the forecast published at the start of the year which envisaged that, compared with 2007, consolidated revenue would increase by 7 to 11% in 2008 to between €1.15 and €1.2 billion and consolidated profit from operations (EBIT) by at least 10% to between €110 and €115 million.

Süd-Chemie AG´s results for the first nine months of 2008 can be downloaded at www.sud-chemie.com.

Munich, 29 October 2008

Enquiries to:

Süd-Chemie AG
Corporate Communications and Board Affairs
Patrick Salchow, Jochen Orlowski
Ph. +49 (0) 89 5110-250/-247

Statements relating to future events

This report contains statements relating to future events 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 ISIN: DE0007292005; WKN: 729200) 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 and water treatment. Products manufactured by the Catalysts Division offer solutions for the chemical, petrochemical and refinery industries, for 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 group sales of €1.075 billion in 2007, approx. 80% of these outside Germany. Currently, the group employs more than 6,200 people at its 80 sales and production sites worldwide.