Table of Contents

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

 

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the quarterly period ended  JUNESEPTEMBER 30, 2008

 

Commission file number: 1-1463

UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

New York

 

13-1421730

(State or other jurisdiction of

 

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

incorporation or organization)

 

400 West Sam Houston Parkway South,  Houston, Texas  77042

(Address of principal executive offices)              (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:  713-978-2016

 

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.     x Yes   o No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer o

Accelerated filer o

Non-accelerated filer x

Smaller reporting company o

(Do not check if smaller reporting company)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

o Yes    x No

 

At JuneSeptember 30, 2008, 1,000 shares of common stock were outstanding, all of which were held by the registrant’s parent, The Dow Chemical Company.

 

The registrant meets the conditions set forth in General Instructions H(1)(a) and (b) for Form 10-Q and is therefore filing this form with a reduced disclosure format.

 

 



Table of Contents

 

Union Carbide Corporation

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

PAGE

PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

 

 

Item 1. Financial Statements.

3

 

 

Consolidated Statements of Income

3

 

 

Consolidated Balance Sheets

4

 

 

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

6

 

 

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

6

 

 

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

7

 

 

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

15

 

 

Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Information

15

 

 

Results of Operations

15

 

 

Other Matters

16

 

 

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

20

 

 

Item 4T. Controls and Procedures.

20

 

 

PART II - OTHER INFORMATION

20

Item 1. Legal Proceedings.

20

 

 

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

20

 

 

Item 6. Exhibits.

20

 

 

SIGNATURES

21

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

22

 

2



Table of Contents

 

PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

 

Union Carbide Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Income

 

Three Months Ended

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Nine Months Ended

 

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

 

Sept. 30,

 

Sept. 30,

 

Sept. 30,

 

Sept. 30,

 

In millions (Unaudited)

 

2008

 

2007

 

2008

 

2007

 

 

2008

 

2007

 

2008

 

2007

 

Net trade sales

 

$

50

 

$

49

 

$

96

 

$

102

 

 

$

48

 

$

51

 

$

144

 

$

153

 

Net sales to related companies

 

1,905

 

1,850

 

3,894

 

3,523

 

 

1,929

 

1,812

 

5,823

 

5,335

 

Total Net Sales

 

1,955

 

1,899

 

3,990

 

3,625

 

 

1,977

 

1,863

 

5,967

 

5,488

 

Cost of sales

 

1,882

 

1,730

 

3,843

 

3,328

 

 

1,942

 

1,703

 

5,785

 

5,031

 

Research and development expenses

 

19

 

21

 

38

 

41

 

 

16

 

15

 

54

 

56

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

3

 

4

 

6

 

11

 

 

3

 

3

 

9

 

14

 

Equity in earnings of nonconsolidated affiliates

 

63

 

115

 

117

 

239

 

 

55

 

130

 

172

 

369

 

Sundry income (expense) - net

 

(14

)

(17

)

56

 

(27

)

 

(18

)

(6

)

38

 

(33

)

Interest income

 

26

 

43

 

58

 

80

 

 

24

 

49

 

82

 

129

 

Interest expense and amortization of debt discount

 

13

 

11

 

25

 

26

 

 

12

 

12

 

37

 

38

 

Income before Income Taxes

 

113

 

274

 

309

 

511

 

 

$

65

 

$

303

 

$

374

 

$

814

 

Provision for income taxes

 

68

 

79

 

109

 

130

 

Provision (credit) for income taxes

 

(16

)

167

 

93

 

297

 

Net Income Available for Common Stockholder

 

$

45

 

$

195

 

$

200

 

$

381

 

 

$

81

 

$

136

 

$

281

 

$

517

 

Depreciation

 

$

66

 

$

70

 

$

131

 

$

138

 

 

$

66

 

$

64

 

$

197

 

$

202

 

Capital Expenditures

 

$

59

 

$

54

 

$

99

 

$

100

 

 

$

74

 

$

85

 

$

173

 

$

185

 

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents

 

Union Carbide Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheets

 

June 30,

 

Dec. 31,

 

 

Sept. 30,

 

Dec. 31,

 

In millions (Unaudited)

 

2008

 

2007

 

 

2008

 

2007

 

Assets

Assets

 

Assets

 

Current Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

25

 

$

22

 

 

$

25

 

$

22

 

Accounts receivable:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trade (net of allowance for doubtful receivables - 2008: $2; 2007: $2)

 

27

 

26

 

Trade (net of allowance for doubtful receivables - 2008: $1; 2007: $2)

 

27

 

26

 

Related companies

 

398

 

487

 

 

373

 

487

 

Other

 

104

 

129

 

 

121

 

129

 

Notes receivable from related companies

 

3,788

 

3,227

 

 

3,604

 

3,227

 

Inventories

 

226

 

178

 

 

221

 

178

 

Deferred income taxes and other current assets

 

60

 

60

 

 

34

 

60

 

Total current assets

 

4,628

 

4,129

 

 

4,405

 

4,129

 

Investments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investments in related companies

 

972

 

972

 

 

972

 

972

 

Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates

 

472

 

385

 

 

521

 

385

 

Other investments

 

21

 

22

 

 

20

 

22

 

Noncurrent receivables

 

46

 

46

 

 

46

 

46

 

Noncurrent receivables from related companies

 

283

 

306

 

 

278

 

306

 

Total investments

 

1,794

 

1,731

 

 

1,837

 

1,731

 

Property

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property

 

7,590

 

7,509

 

 

7,661

 

7,509

 

Less accumulated depreciation

 

5,661

 

5,547

 

 

5,725

 

5,547

 

Net property

 

1,929

 

1,962

 

 

1,936

 

1,962

 

Other Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodwill

 

26

 

26

 

 

26

 

26

 

Other intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization - 2008: $131; 2007: $128)

 

20

 

22

 

Other intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization - 2008: $133; 2007: $128)

 

18

 

22

 

Deferred income tax assets - noncurrent

 

70

 

112

 

 

73

 

112

 

Asbestos-related insurance receivables - noncurrent

 

681

 

696

 

 

662

 

696

 

Pension assets

 

734

 

699

 

 

751

 

699

 

Deferred charges and other assets

 

67

 

88

 

 

75

 

88

 

Total other assets

 

1,598

 

1,643

 

 

1,605

 

1,643

 

Total Assets

 

$

9,949

 

$

9,465

 

 

$

9,783

 

$

9,465

 

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

4



Table of Contents

 

 

 

June 30,

 

Dec. 31,

 

In millions (Unaudited)

 

2008

 

2007

 

Liabilities and Stockholder’s Equity

 

Current Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

Notes payable - related companies

 

$

8

 

$

5

 

Long-term debt due within one year

 

249

 

 

Accounts payable:

 

 

 

 

 

Trade

 

294

 

239

 

Related companies

 

529

 

391

 

Other

 

33

 

29

 

Income taxes payable

 

176

 

185

 

Asbestos-related liabilities - current

 

123

 

141

 

Accrued and other current liabilities

 

175

 

180

 

Total current liabilities

 

1,587

 

1,170

 

Long-Term Debt

 

571

 

820

 

Other Noncurrent Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

Pension and other postretirement benefits - noncurrent

 

453

 

461

 

Asbestos-related liabilities - noncurrent

 

925

 

1,001

 

Other noncurrent obligations

 

361

 

356

 

Total other noncurrent liabilities

 

1,739

 

1,818

 

Minority Interest in Subsidiaries

 

2

 

2

 

Stockholder’s Equity

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock (authorized and issued: 1,000 shares of $0.01 par value each)

 

 

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

312

 

121

 

Retained earnings

 

5,967

 

5,767

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

(229

)

(233

)

Net stockholder���s equity

 

6,050

 

5,655

 

Total Liabilities and Stockholder’s Equity

 

$

9,949

 

$

9,465

 

Union Carbide Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheets

 

 

Sept. 30,

 

Dec. 31,

 

In millions (Unaudited)

 

2008

 

2007

 

Liabilities and Stockholder’s Equity

 

Current Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

Notes payable - related companies

 

$

13

 

$

5

 

Long-term debt due within one year

 

249

 

 

Accounts payable:

 

 

 

 

 

Trade

 

240

 

239

 

Related companies

 

381

 

391

 

Other

 

45

 

29

 

Income taxes payable

 

140

 

185

 

Asbestos-related liabilities - current

 

120

 

141

 

Accrued and other current liabilities

 

202

 

180

 

Total current liabilities

 

1,390

 

1,170

 

Long-Term Debt

 

571

 

820

 

Other Noncurrent Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

Pension and other postretirement benefits - noncurrent

 

455

 

461

 

Asbestos-related liabilities - noncurrent

 

904

 

1,001

 

Other noncurrent obligations

 

329

 

356

 

Total other noncurrent liabilities

 

1,688

 

1,818

 

Minority Interest in Subsidiaries

 

2

 

2

 

Stockholder’s Equity

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock (authorized and issued: 1,000 shares of $0.01 par value each)

 

 

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

312

 

121

 

Retained earnings

 

6,049

 

5,767

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

(229

)

(233

)

Net stockholder’s equity

 

6,132

 

5,655

 

Total Liabilities and Stockholder’s Equity

 

$

9,783

 

$

9,465

 

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

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Table of Contents

 

Union Carbide Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

Nine Months Ended

 

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

 

Sept. 30,

 

Sept. 30,

 

In millions (Unaudited)

In millions (Unaudited)

 

2008

 

2007

 

 

2008

 

2007

 

Operating Activities

Operating Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Income Available for Common Stockholder

Net Income Available for Common Stockholder

 

$

200

 

$

381

 

 

$

281

 

$

517

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

Depreciation and amortization

 

157

 

164

 

 

204

 

232

 

Charge (credit) for deferred income tax

 

100

 

(21

)

Provision for deferred income tax

 

113

 

54

 

Earnings of nonconsolidated affiliates in excess of dividends received

Earnings of nonconsolidated affiliates in excess of dividends received

 

(86

)

(4

)

 

(136

)

(113

)

Net gain on sales of property

Net gain on sales of property

 

(7

)

(1

)

 

(7

)

(11

)

Pension contributions

 

(1

)

 

Pension contribution

 

(2

)

(2

)

Changes in assets and liabilities:

Changes in assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts and notes receivable

Accounts and notes receivable

 

7

 

13

 

 

(6

)

8

 

Related company receivables

Related company receivables

 

(473

)

(452

)

 

(263

)

(460

)

Inventories

Inventories

 

(48

)

(5

)

 

(44

)

20

 

Accounts payable

Accounts payable

 

69

 

(25

)

 

27

 

(53

)

Related company payables

Related company payables

 

142

 

28

 

 

(1

)

5

 

Other assets and liabilities

Other assets and liabilities

 

10

 

43

 

 

(24

)

(7

)

Cash provided by operating activities

Cash provided by operating activities

 

70

 

121

 

 

142

 

190

 

Investing Activities

Investing Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital expenditures

Capital expenditures

 

(99

)

(100

)

 

(173

)

(185

)

Changes in noncurrent receivable from related company

Changes in noncurrent receivable from related company

 

23

 

(14

)

 

29

 

(13

)

Proceeds from sales of property

Proceeds from sales of property

 

6

 

3

 

 

6

 

17

 

Purchases of investments

Purchases of investments

 

(4

)

(3

)

 

(12

)

(7

)

Proceeds from sales of investments

Proceeds from sales of investments

 

7

 

2

 

 

11

 

6

 

Cash used in investing activities

Cash used in investing activities

 

(67

)

(112

)

 

(139

)

(182

)

Financing Activities

Financing Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Changes in short-term notes payable

Changes in short-term notes payable

 

 

(1

)

 

 

(1

)

Cash used in financing activities

Cash used in financing activities

 

 

(1

)

 

 

(1

)

Summary

Summary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase in cash and cash equivalents

Increase in cash and cash equivalents

 

3

 

8

 

 

3

 

7

 

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

 

22

 

71

 

 

22

 

71

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

 

$

25

 

$

79

 

 

$

25

 

$

78

 

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Union Carbide Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

June 30,

 

In millions (Unaudited)

 

2008

 

2007

 

2008

 

2007

 

Net Income Available for Common Stockholder

 

$

45

 

$

195

 

$

200

 

$

381

 

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Translation adjustments

 

(4

)

(2

)

2

 

(2

)

Adjustments to pension and other postretirement benefit plans

 

2

 

4

 

3

 

8

 

Net loss on cash flow hedging derivative instruments

 

 

 

(1

)

 

Total other comprehensive income (loss)

 

(2

)

2

 

4

 

6

 

Comprehensive Income

 

$

43

 

$

197

 

$

204

 

$

387

 

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Union Carbide Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Nine Months Ended

 

 

 

Sept. 30,

 

Sept. 30,

 

Sept. 30,

 

Sept. 30,

 

In millions (Unaudited)

 

2008

 

2007

 

2008

 

2007

 

Net Income Available for Common Stockholder

 

$

81

 

$

136

 

$

281

 

$

517

 

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Translation adjustments

 

(1

)

3

 

1

 

1

 

Adjustments to pension and other postretirement benefit plans

 

1

 

5

 

4

 

13

 

Net loss on cash flow hedging derivative instruments

 

 

 

(1

)

 

Total other comprehensive income

 

 

8

 

4

 

14

 

Comprehensive Income

 

$

81

 

$

144

 

$

285

 

$

531

 

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

6



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Union Carbide Corporation and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

 

(Unaudited)

 

NOTE A     CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of Union Carbide Corporation and its subsidiaries (the “Corporation” or “UCC”) were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and reflect all adjustments (including normal recurring accruals) which, in the opinion of management, are considered necessary for the fair presentation of the results for the periods presented.

 

The Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”). In accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 128, “Earnings Per Share,” the presentation of earnings per share is not required in financial statements of wholly owned subsidiaries.

 

The Corporation’s business activities comprise components of Dow’s global operations rather than stand-alone operations. Dow conducts its worldwide operations through global businesses. Because there are no separable reportable business segments for UCC under SFAS No. 131, “Disclosures about Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information,” and no detailed business information is provided to a chief operating decision maker regarding the Corporation’s stand-alone operations, the Corporation’s results are reported as a single operating segment.

 

Intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated in consolidation. Transactions with the Corporation’s parent company, Dow, or other Dow subsidiaries have been reflected as related company transactions in the consolidated financial statements. See Note I for further discussion.

 

These statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007.

 

NOTE B     RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

 

In September 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements,” which defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in U.S. GAAP, and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The Statement applies under other accounting pronouncements that require or permit fair value measurements and was effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. In February 2008, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position (“FSP”) FAS No. 157-2, which delayed the effective date of SFAS No. 157 for nonfinancial assets and nonfinancial liabilities, except for items that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statement on a recurring basis, to fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2008. On January 1, 2008, the Corporation adopted the portion of SFAS No. 157 that was not delayed, and since the Corporation’s existing fair value measurements are consistent with the guidance of the Statement, the partial adoption of the Statement did not have a material impact on the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements. The Corporation uses a December 31 measurement date for its pension and other postretirement plans; therefore, the Corporation is still evaluating the impact of adopting the Statement for its plan assets. The adoption of the deferred portion of the Statement on January 1, 2009 is not expected to have a material impact on the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements. See Note F for expanded disclosures about fair value measurements.

 

In October 2008, the FASB issued FSP FAS No. 157-3, “Determining the Fair Value of a Financial Asset When the Market for That Asset Is Not Active.” The FSP clarifies the application of SFAS No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements,” when the market for a financial asset is not active. The FSP was effective upon issuance, including reporting for prior periods for which financial statements have not been issued. The adoption of the FSP for reporting as of September 30, 2008 did not have a material impact on the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements. See Note F for further information on fair value measurements.

SAB No. 74 Disclosures for Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted

 

In December 2007, the FASB revised SFAS No. 141, “Business Combinations,” to establish revised principles and requirements for how entities will recognize and measure assets and liabilities acquired in a business combination. The Statement is effective for business combinations completed on or after the beginning of the first annual reporting period beginning on or after December 15, 2008. The Corporation will apply the guidance of the Statement to business combinations completed on or after January 1, 2009.

 

In December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 160, “Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements, an amendment of ARB No. 51.” The Statement establishes accounting and reporting standards for the noncontrolling interest in a subsidiary and for the deconsolidation of a subsidiary. The Statement is effective on or after the beginning of the first annual reporting period beginning on or after December 15, 2008. The Corporation is currently evaluating the impact of adopting the Statement on January 1, 2009.

 

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Table of Contents

In March 2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 161, “Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, an amendment of SFAS No. 133.” The Statement requires enhanced disclosures about an entity’s derivative and hedging activities. The Statement is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2008.2008 which is January 1, 2009 for the Corporation. The Corporation is currently evaluatingwill provide the additionalrequired disclosures required byin its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the Statement.quarter ended March 31, 2009.

 

In April 2008, the FASB issued FSP FAS No. 142-3, “Determination of the Useful Life of Intangible Assets.” The FSP amends the factors an entity should consider in developing renewal or extension assumptions used in determining the useful life of recognized intangible assets under SFAS No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.” The FSP must be applied

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prospectively to intangible assets acquired after the effective date. The Corporation will apply the guidance of the FSP to intangible assets acquired after January 1, 2009.

In September 2008, the FASB issued FSP FAS No.133-1 and FIN 45-4, “Disclosures About Credit Derivatives and Certain Guarantees: An Amendment of FASB Statement No. 133 and FASB Interpretation No. 45; and Clarification of the Effective Date of FASB Statement No. 161.” The FSP amends and enhances the disclosure requirements for sellers of credit derivatives (including hybrid instruments that have embedded credit derivatives) and financial guarantees. This FSP is effective for reporting periods ending after November 15, 2008, which is December 31, 2008 for the Corporation. The Corporation currently does not hold any of these derivatives, thus this FSP is not anticipated to have an impact on the disclosures in the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements.

In September 2008, the FASB ratified the consensus reached by the EITF with respect to EITF Issue No. 08-5, “Issuer’s Accounting for Liabilities Measured at Fair Value With a Third-Party Credit Enhancement.” The Issue which is effective in the first reporting period beginning on or after December 15, 2008, instructs issuers of a liability with a third-party credit enhancement that is inseparable from the liability to treat the liability and the credit enhancement as two units of accounting, and provide related disclosures. The Corporation does not carry any liabilities with inseparable third-party credit enhancements, thus the Issue is not anticipated to have an impact on the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements.

 

NOTE C     RESTRUCTURING

 

In the fourth quarter of 2007, the Corporation recorded restructuring charges totaling $55 million resulting from decisions made by management to make organizational changes within targeted support functions in West Virginia and to shut down certain assets in Louisiana to enhance the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the Corporation’s operations. The charges included severance of $17 million for a workforce reduction of approximately 225231 people; curtailment costs of $12 million associated with the Corporation’s defined benefit plans; and a $26 million write-off of the net book value and associated exit costs of the polypropylene manufacturing facility at St. Charles Operations in Hahnville, Louisiana, which was shut down at the end of 2007. As of JuneSeptember 30, 2008, severance of $2 million had been paid to 3440 employees, and a liability of $15 million remained for approximately 190191 employees.

 

The following table summarizes 2008 activities related to the Corporation’s restructuring reserve:

 

2008 Activities Related to 2007 Restructuring

 

Costs associated
with Exit or 

 

Severance 

 

 

 

In millions

 

Costs associated
with Exit or
Disposal Activities

 

Severance
Costs

 

Total

 

 

Disposal Activities

 

Costs

 

Total

 

Reserve balance at December 31, 2007

 

$

12

 

$

17

 

$

29

 

 

$12

 

$17

 

$29

 

Cash payments

 

 

(2

)

(2

)

 

 

(2

)

(2

)

Reserve balance at June 30, 2008

 

$

12

 

$

15

 

$

27

 

Reserve balance at September 30, 2008

 

$12

 

$15

 

$27

 

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NOTE D     INVENTORIES

 

The following table provides a breakdown of inventories:

 

Inventories

In millions

 

June 30,
2008

 

Dec. 31,
2007

 

 

Sept. 30,
2008

 

Dec. 31,
2007

 

Finished goods

 

$

97

 

$

17

 

 

$

54

 

$

17

 

Work in process

 

2

 

40

 

 

6

 

40

 

Raw materials

 

51

 

47

 

 

83

 

47

 

Supplies

 

76

 

74

 

 

78

 

74

 

Total inventories

 

$

226

 

$

178

 

 

$

221

 

$

178

 

 

The reserves reducing inventories from the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) basis to the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) basis amounted to $231$223 million at JuneSeptember 30, 2008 and $183 million at December 31, 2007.

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NOTE E     OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS

 

The following table provides information regarding the Corporation’s other intangible assets:

 

Other Intangible Assets

 

At September 30, 2008

 

At December 31, 2007

 

 

At June 30, 2008

 

At December 31, 2007

 

 

Gross
Carrying

 

Accumulated

 

 

 

Gross
Carrying

 

Accumulated

 

 

 

In millions

 

Gross
Carrying
Amount

 

Accumulated
Amortization

 

Net

 

Gross
Carrying
Amount

 

Accumulated
Amortization

 

Net

 

 

Amount

 

Amortization

 

Net

 

Amount

 

Amortization

 

Net

 

Intangible assets with finite lives:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Licenses and intellectual property

 

$

33

 

$

(33

)

$

 

$

33

 

$

(32

)

$

1

 

 

$

33

 

$

(33

)

 

$

33

 

$

(32

)

$

1

 

Patents

 

2

 

(1

)

1

 

3

 

(2

)

1

 

 

2

 

(1

)

$

1

 

3

 

(2

)

1

 

Software

 

116

 

(97

)

19

 

114

 

(94

)

20

 

 

116

 

(99

)

17

 

114

 

(94

)

20

 

Total other intangible assets

 

$

151

 

$

(131

)

$

20

 

$

150

 

$

(128

)

$

22

 

 

$

151

 

$

(133

)

$

18

 

$

150

 

$

(128

)

$

22

 

 

Amortization expense for software, which is included in “Cost of sales,” was $2 million in the third quarter of 2008 and $1 million in the second quarter of 2008 and $2 million in the secondthird quarter of 2007. Amortization expense for software was $3$5 million for the sixnine months ended JuneSeptember 30, 2008 and $4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2007. Amortization expense for other intangible assets (not including software) was immaterial in the second quarterthird quarters of 2008 and the second quarter of 2007, as well as year to date for 2008 and 2007. Total estimated amortization expense for 2008 and the five succeeding fiscal years is as follows:

 

Estimated Amortization Expense
In millions

 

 

 

2008

 

$

7

 

2009

 

$

7

 

2010

 

$

5

 

2011

 

$

1

 

2012

 

 

2013

 

 

Estimated Amortization Expense 

In millions

 

 

 

2008

 

$

7

 

2009

 

$

7

 

2010

 

$

7

 

2011

 

$

1

 

2012

 

 

2013

 

 

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NOTE F     FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

 

The following table summarizes the bases used to measure certain assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis in the consolidated balance sheets:

 

Basis of Fair Value Measurements

 

At Sept. 30,

 

Significant Other 
Observable Inputs

 

In millions

 

At June 30,
2008

 

Significant Other
Observable Inputs
(Level 2)

 

 

2008

 

(Level 2)

 

Assets at fair value:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debt securities (1)

 

$

17

 

$

17

 

 

$

16

 

$

16

 

(1)          Included in “Other investments” in the consolidated balance sheets.

 

Assets that are measured using significant other observable inputs are primarily valued by reference to quoted prices of similar assets in active markets, adjusted for any terms specific to that asset. For all other assets for which observable inputs are used, fair value is derived through the use of fair value models, such as a discounted cash flow model or other standard pricing models.

 

NOTE G     COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES

 

Environmental Matters

 

Accruals for environmental matters are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated, based on current law and existing technologies. At JuneSeptember 30, 2008, the Corporation had accrued obligations of $71 million for environmental remediation and restoration costs, including $20$18 million for the remediation of Superfund sites. This is management’s best estimate of the costs for remediation and restoration with respect to environmental matters for which the Corporation has accrued liabilities, although the ultimate cost with respect to these

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particular matters could range up to twice that amount. Inherent uncertainties exist in these estimates primarily due to unknown conditions, changing governmental regulations and legal standards regarding liability, and evolving technologies for handling site remediation and restoration. At December 31, 2007, the Corporation had accrued obligations of $75 million for environmental remediation and restoration costs, including $23 million for the remediation of Superfund sites. It is the opinion of the Corporation’s management that the possibility is remote that costs in excess of those disclosed will have a material adverse impact on the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements.

 

Litigation

 

The Corporation and its subsidiaries are involved in a number of legal proceedings and claims with both private and governmental parties. These cover a wide range of matters, including, but not limited to: product liability; trade regulation; governmental regulatory proceedings; health, safety and environmental matters; employment; patents; contracts; taxes; and commercial disputes.

 

Separately, the Corporation is and has been involved in a large number of asbestos-related suits filed primarily in state courts during the past three decades. These suits principally allege personal injury resulting from exposure to asbestos-containing products and frequently seek both actual and punitive damages. The alleged claims primarily relate to products that UCC sold in the past, alleged exposure to asbestos-containing products located on UCC’s premises, and UCC’s responsibility for asbestos suits filed against a former subsidiary, Amchem Products, Inc. (“Amchem”). In many cases, plaintiffs are unable to demonstrate that they have suffered any compensable loss as a result of such exposure, or that injuries incurred in fact resulted from exposure to the Corporation’s products. Influenced by the bankruptcy filings of numerous defendants in asbestos-related litigation and the prospects of various forms of state and national legislative reform, the rate at which plaintiffs filed asbestos-related suits against various companies, including the Corporation and Amchem, increased in 2001, 2002 and the first half of 2003. Since then, the rate of filing has significantly abated. The Corporation expects more asbestos-related suits to be filed against it and Amchem in the future, and will aggressively defend or reasonably resolve, as appropriate, both pending and future claims.

 

Based on a study completed by Analysis, Research & Planning Corporation (“ARPC”) in January 2003, the Corporation increased its December 31, 2002 asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims for the 15-year period ending in 2017 to $2.2 billion, excluding future defense and processing costs. Since then, the Corporation has compared current asbestos claim and resolution activity to the results of the most recent ARPC study at each balance sheet date to determine whether the accrual continues to be appropriate. In addition, the Corporation has requested ARPC to review the

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Corporation’s historical asbestos claim and resolution activity each November since 2004 to determine the appropriateness of updating the most recent ARPC study.

 

In November 2006, the Corporation requested ARPC to review the Corporation’s historical asbestos claim and resolution activity and determine the appropriateness of updating its most recent study from January 2005. In response to that request, ARPC reviewed and analyzed data through October 31, 2006 and concluded that the experience from 2004 through 2006 was sufficient for the purpose of forecasting future filings and values of asbestos claims filed against UCC and Amchem, and could be used in place of previous assumptions to update its January 2005 study. The resulting study, completed by ARPC in December 2006, stated that the undiscounted cost of resolving pending and future asbestos-related claims against UCC and Amchem, excluding future defense and processing costs, through 2021 was estimated to be between approximately $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion. As in its January 2003 and January 2005 studies, ARPC provided estimates for a longer period of time in its December 2006 study, but also reaffirmed its prior advice that forecasts for shorter periods of time are more accurate than those for longer periods of time.

 

Based on ARPC’s December 2006 study and the Corporation’s own review of the asbestos claim and resolution activity, the Corporation decreased its asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims to $1.2 billion at December 31, 2006 which covered the 15-year period ending in 2021 (excluding future defense and processing costs). The reduction was $177 million and was shown as “Asbestos-related credit” in the consolidated statements of income.

 

In November 2007, the Corporation requested ARPC to review the Corporation’s 2007 asbestos claim and resolution activity and determine the appropriateness of updating its December 2006 study. In response to that request, ARPC reviewed and analyzed data through October 31, 2007. In December 2007, ARPC stated that an update of its study would not provide a more likely estimate of future events than the estimate reflected in its study of the previous year and, therefore, the estimate in that study remained applicable. Based on the Corporation’s own review of the asbestos claim and resolution activity and ARPC’s response, the Corporation determined that no change to the accrual was required. At December 31, 2007, the Corporation’s asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims was $1.1 billion. At December 31, 2007, approximately 31 percent of the recorded liability related to pending claims and approximately 69 percent related to future claims.

 

Based on the Corporation’s review of 2008 activity, the Corporation determined that no adjustment to the accrual was required at JuneSeptember 30, 2008. The Corporation’s asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims was $1.0 billion at

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June September 30, 2008. Approximately 3127 percent of the recorded liability related to pending claims and approximately 6973 percent related to future claims.

 

At December 31, 2002, the Corporation increased the receivable for insurance recoveries related to its asbestos liability to $1.35 billion, substantially exhausting its asbestos product liability coverage. The insurance receivable related to the asbestos liability was determined by the Corporation after a thorough review of applicable insurance policies and the 1985 Wellington Agreement, to which the Corporation and many of its liability insurers are signatory parties, as well as other insurance settlements, with due consideration given to applicable deductibles, retentions and policy limits, and taking into account the solvency and historical payment experience of various insurance carriers. The Wellington Agreement and other agreements with insurers are designed to facilitate an orderly resolution and collection of Union Carbide’s insurance policies and to resolve issues that the insurance carriers may raise.

 

In September 2003, the Corporation filed a comprehensive insurance coverage case, now proceeding in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, seeking to confirm its rights to insurance for various asbestos claims and to facilitate an orderly and timely collection of insurance proceeds. This lawsuit was filed against insurers that are not signatories to the Wellington Agreement and/or do not otherwise have agreements in place with the Corporation regarding their asbestos-related insurance coverage, in order to facilitate an orderly resolution and collection of such insurance policies and to resolve issues that the insurance carriers may raise. Although the lawsuit is continuing, through the end of the secondthird quarter of 2008, the Corporation has reached settlements with several of the carriers involved in this litigation.

 

The Corporation’s receivable for insurance recoveries related to its asbestos liability was $465$415 million at JuneSeptember 30, 2008 and $467 million at December 31, 2007. At JuneSeptember 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007, all of the receivable for insurance recoveries was related to insurers that are not signatories to the Wellington Agreement and/or do not otherwise have agreements in place regarding their asbestos-related insurance coverage.

 

In addition to the receivable for insurance recoveries related to its asbestos liability, the Corporation had receivables for defense and resolution costs submitted to insurance carriers for reimbursement as follows:

 

Receivables for Costs Submitted to Insurance Carriers

In millions

 

June 30,
2008

 

Dec. 31,
2007

 

 

Sept. 30,
2008

 

Dec. 31,
2007

 

Receivables for defense costs

 

$

16

 

$

18

 

 

$

35

 

$

18

 

Receivables for resolution costs

 

222

 

253

 

 

245

 

253

 

Total

 

$

238

 

$

271

 

 

$

280

 

$

271

 

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The Corporation expenses defense costs as incurred. The pretax impact for defense and resolution costs, net of insurance, was $2$14 million in the secondthird quarter of 2008 ($2516 million in the secondthird quarter of 2007) and $16$30 million in the first sixnine months of 2008 ($4258 million in the first sixnine months of 2007), and was reflected in “Cost of sales.”

 

After a review of its insurance policies, with due consideration given to applicable deductibles, retentions and policy limits, after taking into account the solvency and historical payment experience of various insurance carriers; existing insurance settlements; and the advice of outside counsel with respect to the applicable insurance coverage law relating to the terms and conditions of its insurance policies, the Corporation continues to believe that its recorded receivable for insurance recoveries from all insurance carriers is probable of collection.

 

The amounts recorded for the asbestos-related liability and related insurance receivable described above were based upon current, known facts. However, future events, such as the number of new claims to be filed and/or received each year, the average cost of disposing of each such claim, coverage issues among insurers, and the continuing solvency of various insurance companies, as well as the numerous uncertainties surrounding asbestos litigation in the United States, could cause the actual costs and insurance recoveries to be higher or lower than those projected or those recorded.

 

Because of the uncertainties described above, management cannot estimate the full range of the cost of resolving pending and future asbestos-related claims facing the Corporation and Amchem. Management believes that it is reasonably possible that the cost of disposing of the Corporation’s asbestos-related claims, including future defense costs, could have a material adverse impact on the results of operations and cash flows for a particular period and on the consolidated financial position of the Corporation.

 

While it is not possible at this time to determine with certainty the ultimate outcome of any of the legal proceedings and claims referred to in this filing, management believes that adequate provisions have been made for probable losses with respect to pending claims and proceedings, and that, except for the asbestos-related matters described above, the ultimate outcome of all known and future claims, after provisions for insurance, will not have a material adverse impact on the results of operations, cash flows and consolidated financial position of the Corporation. Should any losses be sustained in connection with any of such legal proceedings and claims in excess of provisions provided and available insurance, they will be charged to income when determinable.

 

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Purchase Commitments

 

At December 31, 2007, the Corporation had various outstanding commitments for take-or-pay agreements, with terms extending from one to fifteen years. Such commitments were not in excess of current market prices. The fixed and determinable portion of obligations under purchase commitments at December 31, 2007 is presented in the following table:

Fixed and Determinable Portion of Take-or-Pay Obligations
at December 31, 2007

 

In millions

 

 

 

2008

 

$

7

 

2009

 

7

 

2010

 

8

 

2011

 

2

 

2012

 

2

 

2013 and beyond

 

11

 

Total

 

$

37

 

Fixed and Determinable Portion of Take-or-Pay Obligations

at December 31, 2007

In millions

 

 

 

2008

 

$

7

 

2009

 

7

 

2010

 

8

 

2011

 

2

 

2012

 

2

 

2013 and beyond

 

11

 

Total

 

$

37

 

 

Guarantees

 

The Corporation has undertaken obligations to guarantee the performance of certain nonconsolidated affiliates. Non-performance under a contract for commercial and/or financial obligations by the guaranteed party would trigger the obligation of the Corporation to make payments to the beneficiary of the guarantees. Financial obligations include debt and lease arrangements.

 

The following table provides a summary of the final expiration, maximum future payments, and recorded liability reflected in the consolidated balance sheets for these guarantees.

 

Guarantees
In millions

 

Final
Expiration

 

Maximum Future
Payments

 

Recorded
Liability

 

 

Final
Expiration

 

Maximum Future
Payments

 

Recorded
Liability

 

Guarantees at June 30, 2008

 

2014

 

$

78

 

$

1

 

Guarantees at September 30, 2008

 

2014

 

$

69

 

$

1

 

Guarantees at December 31, 2007

 

2014

 

$

77

 

$

1

 

 

2014

 

$

77

 

$

1

 

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Conditional Asset Retirement Obligations

 

In accordance with FIN No. 47, the Corporation has recognized conditional asset retirement obligations related to asbestos encapsulation as a result of planned demolition and remediation activities at manufacturing and administrative sites in the United States. The aggregate carrying amount of conditional asset retirement obligations was $9 million at JuneSeptember 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007. The discount rate used to calculate the Corporation’s asset retirement obligations was 5.08 percent, unchanged from December 31, 2007. These obligations are included in the consolidated balance sheets as “Accrued and other current liabilities.”

 

The Corporation has not recognized conditional asset retirement obligations for which a fair value cannot be reasonably estimated in its consolidated financial statements. It is the opinion of management that the possibility is remote that such conditional asset retirement obligations, when estimable, will have a material adverse impact on the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements based on current costs.

 

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NOTE H     PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS

 

Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit) for All Significant Plans

 

Three Months Ended

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Nine Months Ended

 

In millions

 

June 30,
2008

 

June 30,
2007

 

June 30,
2008

 

June 30,
2007

 

 

Sept. 30,
2008

 

Sept. 30,
2007

 

Sept. 30,
2008

 

Sept. 30,
2007

 

Defined Benefit Pension Plans:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Service cost

 

$

5

 

$

5

 

$

10

 

$

10

 

 

$

5

 

$

6

 

$

15

 

$

16

 

Interest cost

 

56

 

53

 

112

 

106

 

 

56

 

53

 

168

 

159

 

Expected return on plan assets

 

(78

)

(79

)

(156

)

(158

)

 

(78

)

(79

)

(234

)

(237

)

Amortization of prior service cost

 

2

 

 

4

 

1

 

 

2

 

 

6

 

1

 

Amortization of net loss

 

 

7

 

1

 

14

 

 

1

 

7

 

2

 

21

 

Net periodic benefit credit

 

$

(15

)

$

(14

)

$

(29

)

$

(27

)

 

$

(14

)

$

(13

)

$

(43

)

$

(40

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Postretirement Benefits:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Service cost

 

$

1

 

$

1

 

$

2

 

$

2

 

 

$

1

 

$

1

 

$

3

 

$

3

 

Interest cost

 

7

 

7

 

14

 

14

 

 

7

 

7

 

21

 

21

 

Amortization of prior service credit

 

 

(1

)

(1

)

(2

)

 

(1

)

 

(2

)

(2

)

Amortization of net loss

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

Net periodic benefit cost

 

$

8

 

$

7

 

$

15

 

$

15

 

 

$

7

 

$

8

 

$

22

 

$

23

 

 

NOTE I     RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

The Corporation sells products to Dow to simplify the customer interface process. Products are sold to and purchased from Dow at market-based prices in accordance with the terms of Dow’s long-standing intercompany pricing policies. The Corporation also procures certain commodities and raw materials through a Dow subsidiary and pays a commission to that Dow subsidiary based on the volume and type of commodities and raw materials purchased. The commission expense is included in “Sundry income (expense) – net” in the consolidated statements of income. Purchases from that Dow subsidiary were approximately $1.1 billion in the secondthird quarter of 2008 ($825803 million in the secondthird quarter of 2007) and $2.1$3.2 billion in the first halfnine months of 2008 ($1.52.3 billion in the first halfnine months of 2007).

 

The Corporation has a master services agreement with Dow whereby Dow provides services including but not limited to, accounting, legal, treasury (investments, cash management, risk management, insurance), procurement, human resources, environmental, health and safety, and business management for UCC. Under the master services agreement with Dow, for general administrative and overhead type services that Dow routinely allocates to various businesses, UCC is charged the cost of those services based on the Corporation’s and Dow’s relative manufacturing conversion costs. This arrangement results in a quarterly charge of approximately $6 million (included in “Sundry income (expense) – net”).

 

For services that Dow routinely charges based on effort, UCC is charged the cost of such services on a fully absorbed basis, which includes direct and indirect costs. Additionally, certain Dow employees are contracted to UCC and Dow is reimbursed for all direct employment costs of such employees. Management believes the method used for determining expenses charged by Dow is reasonable. Dow provides these services by leveraging its centralized functional service centers to provide services at a cost that management believes provides an advantage to the Corporation.

 

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The monitoring and execution of risk management policies related to interest rate and foreign currency risks, which are based on Dow’s risk management philosophy, are provided as a service to UCC.

 

As part of Dow’s cash management process, UCC is a party to revolving loans with Dow that have LIBOR-based interest rates with varying maturities. At JuneSeptember 30, 2008, the Corporation had a note receivable of $3.7$3.6 billion ($3.2 billion at December 31, 2007) from Dow under a revolving loan agreement. The Corporation may draw from this note receivable in support of its daily working capital requirements and, as such, the net effect of cash inflows and outflows under this revolving loan agreement is presented in the consolidated statements of cash flows as an operating activity.

 

The Corporation also has a separate revolving credit agreement with Dow that allows the Corporation to borrow or obtain credit enhancements up to an aggregate of $1 billion that maturesbillion; the credit agreement expires December 30, 2008,2009, pursuant to an amendment effective as of September 30, 2007.2008. Dow may demand repayment with a 30-day written notice to the Corporation, subject to certain restrictions. A related collateral agreement provides for the replacement of certain existing pledged assets, primarily equity interests in various subsidiaries and joint ventures, with cash collateral. At JuneSeptember 30, 2008, $810$821 million ($813 million at December 31, 2007) was available under the revolving credit agreement. The cash collateral is reported as “Noncurrent receivables from related companies” in the consolidated balance sheets.

 

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The losses and additional costs incurred by the Corporation in 2005 due to hurricane Katrina were covered by the Corporation’s insurance program. The Corporation has an insurance receivable for losses incurred related to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in the third quarter of $852008 totaling $92 million at JuneSeptember 30, 2008 from its insurer (an affiliate of Dow).

 

In December 2007, under the terms of a contribution agreement among UCC, Dow and Dow International Holdings LLC (“DIHC”), the Corporation contributed its 42.5 percent ownership interest in EQUATE Petrochemical Company K.S.C. (“EQUATE”) to UC Investment B.V. (“UCIBV”), a newly formed Dutch limited liability company in which the Corporation was the sole shareholder. The Corporation then contributed its ownership interest in UCIBV to DIHC in exchange for an increased ownership interest in DIHC. The Corporation has the right to sell its shares in DIHC to Dow (anytime during the period January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2011) for an amount calculated using a formula in the agreement, which intends to approximate fair value. In accordance with the terms of the contribution agreement, Dow made a capital contribution to UCC in the amount of $191 million in the first quarter of 2008. At JuneSeptember 30, 2008, the Corporation had a 19.13 percent ownership interest in DIHC which the Corporation accounts for using the cost method.

 

The Corporation received cash dividends from its related company investments of $5 million in the second quarter of 2008, and $82 million in the first halfnine months of 2008, including $75 million from DIHC. These dividends were included in “Sundry income (expense) – net.”

 

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Union Carbide Corporation and Subsidiaries

 

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

 

Pursuant to General Instruction H of Form 10-Q “Omission of Information by Certain Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries,” this section includes only management’s narrative analysis of the results of operations for the threethree- and six-monthnine-month periods ended JuneSeptember 30, 2008, the most recent period, compared with the threethree- and six-monthnine-month periods ended JuneSeptember 30, 2007, the corresponding periods in the preceding fiscal year.

 

References below to “Dow” refer to The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, except as the context otherwise indicates.

 

Union Carbide Corporation’s (the “Corporation” or “UCC”) business activities comprise components of Dow’s global operations rather than stand-alone operations. Dow conducts its worldwide operations through global businesses. Because there are no separable reportable business segments for UCC under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 131, “Disclosures about Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information,” and no detailed business information is provided to a chief operating decision maker regarding the Corporation’s stand-alone operations, the Corporation’s results are reported as a single operating segment.

 

DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

 

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a “safe harbor” for forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the Corporation. This section covers the current performance and outlook of the Corporation. The forward-looking statements contained in this section and in other parts of this document involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the Corporation’s operations, markets, products, services, prices and other factors as more fully discussed elsewhere and in filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, economic, competitive, legal, governmental and technological factors. Accordingly, there is no assurance that the Corporation’s expectations will be realized. The Corporation assumes no obligation to provide revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws.

 

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

Total net sales for the secondthird quarter of 2008 were $1,955$1,977 million compared with $1,899$1,863 million for the secondthird quarter of 2007, an increase of 36 percent. Total net sales were $3,990$5,967 million for the first halfnine months of 2008 compared with $3,625$5,488 million for the first halfnine months of 2007, an increase of 109 percent. Selling prices to Dow are based on market prices for the related products. Average selling prices for most products were higher in the secondthird quarter of 2008 and on a year-to-date basis compared with the same periods of last year, driven by escalating feedstock and energy costs. Price increases were led by ethylene glycol (“EG”),solvents and intermediates, polyglycols, surfactants, polyethylene and polypropylene. SalesOverall volume was mixed with overall volume down in the secondthird quarter of 2008 and on a year-to-date basis compared with the same periods last year. Volume was impacted by a declinedisruptions in ethyleneamines volume due to unplanned outages at St. Charles Operations in Hahnville, Louisianaproduction and distribution caused by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, which hit the U.S. Gulf Coast in the secondthird quarter of 2008 and a decline in polypropylene volume related to the shutdown of the polypropylene plant at St. Charles Operations in the fourth quarter of 2007. This decline more than offset growth in a few of the Corporation’s other products, principally polyethylene.2008.

 

Cost of sales increased 914 percent to $1,882$1,942 million in the secondthird quarter of 2008 from $1,730$1,703 million in the secondthird quarter of 2007 due to higher feedstock and energy costs. On a year-to-date basis, cost of sales increased 15 percent from $3,328$5,031 million to $3,843$5,785 million, again reflecting higher feedstock and energy costs.

 

Equity in earnings of nonconsolidated affiliates decreased $52$75 million in the secondthird quarter of 2008 compared with the same quarter last year, principally due to the absence of equity earnings from EQUATE Petrochemical Company K.S.C. (see Note I to the Consolidated Financial Statements). This decline was partially offset by higher reported earnings from the OPTIMAL Group of Companies. Year-to-date equity in earnings of nonconsolidated affiliates were $117was $172 million compared with $239$369 million last year.

 

Sundry income (expense) - net includes a variety of income and expense items such as the gain or loss on foreign currency exchange, dividends from investments, commissions, charges for management services provided by Dow, and gains and losses on sales of investments and assets. Sundry income (expense) - net for the secondthird quarter of 2008 was expense of $14$18 million compared with expense of $17$6 million for the secondthird quarter of last year. Year to date, sundry income (expense) - net was income of $56$38 million compared with expense of $27$33 million for the first sixnine months of last year. Sundry income (expense) - net for the first sixnine months of 2008 was favorably impacted by a dividend of $75 million from DIHC in the first quarter of 2008 (see Note I to the Consolidated Financial Statements).

 

Interest income was $26$24 million in the secondthird quarter of 2008 compared with $43$49 million in the secondthird quarter of 2007. Year to date, interest income was $58$82 million, down from $80$129 million in the first sixnine months of 2007. Interest income wasDespite an increase

 

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in the Corporation’s note receivable from Dow, interest income was lower for the secondthird quarter of 2008 and on a year to dateyear-to-date basis compared with the same periods ofperiod last year due to lower interest rates partially offset by a higher level of interest-bearing assets.rates. See Note I for further discussion.

 

Interest expense and amortization of debt discount increased $2 million in the secondthird quarter of 2008 was flat compared with the secondthird quarter of 2007. Year to date, interest expense and amortization of debt discount was $25$37 million, a decline of $1 million from the first sixnine months of 2007.

The2007.The effective tax rate fluctuates based on, among other factors, where income is earned, the level of after-tax income from joint ventures, and the level of income relative to tax credits available.

The effective tax rate for the secondthird quarter of 2008 was 60.2a credit of 24.6 percent compared with 28.8a provision of 55.1 percent for the same quarter last year. During the secondthird quarter of 2008, state income tax matters were favorably resolved and changes in the Corporation recorded adjustments to the tax accounts whichaudit reserve impacted the effective tax rate for the quarter. Year to date, the effective tax rate was 35.324.9 percent versus 25.436.5 percent last year.

 

The Corporation reported net income of $45$81 million for the secondthird quarter of 2008 compared with $195$136 million for the secondthird quarter of 2007, and net income for the first halfnine months of 2008 of $200$281 million compared with $381$517 million for the first halfnine months of last year. While results for the first halfnine months of 2008 were favorably impacted by higher dividends from investments, this improvement was more than offset by lower equity earnings and lower margins due to increased feedstock and energy costs.costs, as well as Hurricanes Gustav and Ike which hit the U.S. Gulf Coast in the third quarter resulting in temporary outages for several of the Corporation’s Gulf Coast production facilities and $33 million of additional manufacturing expenses including the repair of property damage, clean-up costs, unabsorbed fixed costs and inventory write-offs.

 

On December 13, 2007, Dow and Petrochemical Industries Company (“PIC”) of the State of Kuwait, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, announced plans to form a 50:50 joint venture that will be a market-leading, global petrochemicals company. The proposed joint venture, K-Dow Petrochemicals (“KDP”K-Dow”) will manufacture and market polyethylene, ethyleneamines, ethanolamines, polypropylene, and polycarbonate. KDPK-Dow will be headquartered in southeast Michigan in the United States. The joint venture is expected to have revenues of more than $11 billion and employ more than 5,000 people worldwide. It is anticipated that a significant part (but not substantially all) of UCC’s U.S.-based manufacturing assets will be included in the new joint venture. While the transaction is subject to the completion of definitive agreements, customary conditions and regulatory approvals, it is anticipated that the joint venture between Dow and PIC will close in late 2008. Management is currently evaluating the accounting treatment and the impact on the Corporation’s financial statements.

 

OTHER MATTERS

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

See Note B to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a summary of recent accounting pronouncements. In addition, see Note F to the Consolidated Financial Statements for the Corporation’s disclosures about fair value measurements. The sensitivity of fair value estimates is immaterial relative to the assets and liabilities measured at fair value, as well as to the total equity of the Corporation.

 

Critical Accounting Policies

 

The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make judgments, assumptions and estimates that affect the amounts reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes. Note A to the Consolidated Financial Statements in the Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 (“2007 10-K”) describes the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements. The Corporation’s critical accounting policies that are impacted by judgments, assumptions and estimates are described in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in the Corporation’s 2007 10-K. Since December 31, 2007, there have been no material changes in the Corporation’s critical accounting policies.

 

Asbestos-Related Matters

 

Introduction

 

The Corporation is and has been involved in a large number of asbestos-related suits filed primarily in state courts during the past three decades. These suits principally allege personal injury resulting from exposure to asbestos-containing products and frequently seek both actual and punitive damages. The alleged claims primarily relate to products that UCC sold in the past, alleged exposure to asbestos-containing products located on UCC’s premises, and UCC’s responsibility for asbestos suits filed against a former subsidiary, Amchem Products, Inc. (“Amchem”). In many cases, plaintiffs are unable to demonstrate

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that they have suffered any compensable loss as a result of such exposure, or that injuries incurred in fact resulted from exposure to the Corporation’s products.

 

Influenced by the bankruptcy filings of numerous defendants in asbestos-related litigation and the prospects of various forms of state and national legislative reform, the rate at which plaintiffs filed asbestos-related suits against various companies, including the Corporation and Amchem, increased in 2001, 2002 and the first half of 2003. Since then, the rate of filing has significantly abated. The Corporation expects more asbestos-related suits to be filed against it and Amchem in the future, and will aggressively defend or reasonably resolve, as appropriate, both pending and future claims.

 

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The table below provides information regarding asbestos-related claims filed against the Corporation and Amchem:

 

 

2008

 

2007

 

 

2008

 

2007

 

Claims unresolved at January 1

 

90,322

 

111,887

 

 

90,322

 

111,887

 

Claims filed

 

6,035

 

5,839

 

 

8,357

 

7,696

 

Claims settled, dismissed or otherwise resolved

 

(7,663

)

(13,486

)

 

(15,856

)

(15,681

)

Claims unresolved at June 30

 

88,694

 

104,240

 

Claims unresolved at September 30

 

82,823

 

103,902

 

Claimants with claims against both UCC and Amchem

 

28,154

 

35,025

 

 

26,184

 

35,114

 

Individual claimants at June 30

 

60,540

 

69,215

 

Individual claimants at September 30

 

56,639

 

68,788

 

 

Plaintiffs’ lawyers often sue dozens or even hundreds of defendants in individual lawsuits on behalf of hundreds or even thousands of claimants. As a result, the damages alleged are not expressly identified as to UCC, Amchem or any other particular defendant, even when specific damages are alleged with respect to a specific disease or injury. In fact, there are no personal injury cases in which only the Corporation and/or Amchem are the sole named defendants. For these reasons and based upon the Corporation’s litigation and settlement experience, the Corporation does not consider the damages alleged against it and Amchem to be a meaningful factor in its determination of any potential asbestos liability.

 

Estimating the Liability

 

Based on a study completed by Analysis, Research & Planning Corporation (“ARPC”) in January 2003, the Corporation increased its December 31, 2002 asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims for the 15-year period ending in 2017 to $2.2 billion, excluding future defense and processing costs. Since then, the Corporation has compared current asbestos claim and resolution activity to the results of the most recent ARPC study at each balance sheet date to determine whether the accrual continues to be appropriate. In addition, the Corporation has requested ARPC to review Union Carbide’s historical asbestos claim and resolution activity each November since 2004 to determine the appropriateness of updating the most recent ARPC study.

 

In November 2006, the Corporation requested ARPC to review the Corporation’s historical asbestos claim and resolution activity and determine the appropriateness of updating its most recent study from January 2005. In response to that request, ARPC reviewed and analyzed data through October 31, 2006 and concluded that the experience from 2004 through 2006 was sufficient for the purpose of forecasting future filings and values of asbestos claims filed against UCC and Amchem, and could be used in place of previous assumptions to update its January 2005 study. The resulting study, completed by ARPC in December 2006, stated that the undiscounted cost of resolving pending and future asbestos-related claims against UCC and Amchem, excluding future defense and processing costs, through 2021 was estimated to be between approximately $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion. As in its January 2003 and January 2005 studies, ARPC provided estimates for a longer period of time in its December 2006 study, but also reaffirmed its prior advice that forecasts for shorter periods of time are more accurate than those for longer periods of time.

 

Based on ARPC’s December 2006 study and the Corporation’s own review of the asbestos claim and resolution activity, the Corporation decreased its asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims to $1.2 billion at December 31, 2006 which covered the 15-year period ending in 2021 (excluding future defense and processing costs). The reduction was $177 million and was shown as “Asbestos-related credit” in the consolidated statements of income.

 

In November 2007, the Corporation requested ARPC to review the Corporation’s 2007 asbestos claim and resolution activity and determine the appropriateness of updating its December 2006 study. In response to that request, ARPC reviewed and analyzed data through October 31, 2007. In December 2007, ARPC stated that an update of its study would not provide a more likely estimate of future events than the estimate reflected in its study of the previous year and, therefore, the estimate in that study remained applicable. Based on the Corporation’s own review of the asbestos claim and resolution activity and ARPC’s response, the Corporation determined that no change to the accrual was required. At December 31, 2007, the Corporation’s asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims was $1.1 billion. At December 31, 2007, approximately 31 percent of the recorded liability related to pending claims and approximately 69 percent related to future claims.

 

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Based on the Corporation’s review of 2008 activity, the Corporation determined that no adjustment to the accrual was required at JuneSeptember 30, 2008. The Corporation’s asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims was $1.0 billion at JuneSeptember 30, 2008. Approximately 3127 percent of the recorded liability related to pending claims and approximately 6973 percent related to future claims.

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Defense and Resolution Costs

 

The following table provides information regarding defense and resolution costs related to asbestos-related claims filed against the Corporation and Amchem:

 

Defense and Resolution Costs

 

Six Months Ended

 

Aggregate Costs

 

 

Nine Months Ended

 

Aggregate Costs

 

In millions

 

June 30, 
2008

 

June 30,
2007

 

to Date as of
June 30, 2008

 

 

Sept. 30, 
2008

 

Sept. 30, 
2007

 

to Date as of 
Sept. 30, 2008

 

Defense costs

 

$

23

 

$

42

 

$

588

 

 

$

37

 

$

58

 

$

602

 

Resolution costs

 

$

68

 

$

28

 

$

1,338

 

 

$

90

 

$

48

 

$

1,360

 

 

The average resolution payment per asbestos claimant and the rate of new claim filings has fluctuated both up and down since the beginning of 2001. The Corporation’s management expects such fluctuations to continue in the future based upon a number of factors, including the number and type of claims settled in a particular period, the jurisdictions in which such claims arose, and the extent to which any proposed legislative reform related to asbestos litigation is being considered.

 

The Corporation expenses defense costs as incurred. The pretax impact for defense and resolution costs, net of insurance, was $2$14 million in the secondthird quarter of 2008 ($2516 million in the secondthird quarter of 2007) and $16$30 million in the first sixnine months of 2008 ($4258 million in the first sixnine months of 2007), and was reflected in “Cost of sales.”

 

Insurance Receivables

 

At December 31, 2002, the Corporation increased the receivable for insurance recoveries related to its asbestos liability to $1.35 billion, substantially exhausting its asbestos product liability coverage. The insurance receivable related to the asbestos liability was determined after a thorough review of applicable insurance policies and the 1985 Wellington Agreement, to which the Corporation and many of its liability insurers are signatory parties, as well as other insurance settlements, with due consideration given to applicable deductibles, retentions and policy limits, and taking into account the solvency and historical payment experience of various insurance carriers. The Wellington Agreement and other agreements with insurers are designed to facilitate an orderly resolution and collection of the Corporation’s insurance policies and to resolve issues that the insurance carriers may raise.

 

In September 2003, the Corporation filed a comprehensive insurance coverage case, now proceeding in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, seeking to confirm its rights to insurance for various asbestos claims and to facilitate an orderly and timely collection of insurance proceeds. This lawsuit was filed against insurers that are not signatories to the Wellington Agreement and/or do not otherwise have agreements in place with the Corporation regarding their asbestos-related insurance coverage, in order to facilitate an orderly resolution and collection of such insurance policies and to resolve issues that the insurance carriers may raise. Although the lawsuit is continuing, through the end of the secondthird quarter of 2008, the Corporation had reached settlements with several of the carriers involved in this litigation.

 

The Corporation’s receivable for insurance recoveries related to its asbestos liability was $465$415 million at JuneSeptember 30, 2008 and $467 million at December 31, 2007. At JuneSeptember 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007, all of the receivable for insurance recoveries was related to insurers that are not signatories to the Wellington Agreement and/or do not otherwise have agreements in place regarding their asbestos-related insurance coverage.

 

In addition to the receivable for insurance recoveries related to its asbestos liability, the Corporation had receivables for defense and resolution costs submitted to insurance carriers for reimbursement as follows:

 

Receivables for Costs Submitted to Insurance Carriers

 

June 30,

 

Dec. 31,

 

In millions

 

2008

 

2007

 

 

Sept. 30, 
2008

 

Dec. 31, 
2007

 

Receivables for defense costs

 

$

16

 

$

18

 

 

$

35

 

$

18

 

Receivables for resolution costs

 

222

 

253

 

 

245

 

253

 

Total

 

$

238

 

$

271

 

 

$

280

 

$

271

 

 

After a review of its insurance policies, with due consideration given to applicable deductibles, retentions and policy limits, after taking into account the solvency and historical payment experience of various insurance carriers; existing

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insurance settlements; and the advice of outside counsel with respect to the applicable insurance coverage law relating to the terms and conditions of its insurance policies, the Corporation continues to believe that its recorded receivable for insurance recoveries from all insurance carriers is probable of collection.

 

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Summary

 

The amounts recorded for the asbestos-related liability and related insurance receivable described above were based upon current, known facts. However, future events, such as the number of new claims to be filed and/or received each year, the average cost of disposing of each such claim, coverage issues among insurers, and the continuing solvency of various insurance companies, as well as the numerous uncertainties surrounding asbestos litigation in the United States, could cause the actual costs and insurance recoveries to be higher or lower than those projected or those recorded.

 

Because of the uncertainties described above, management cannot estimate the full range of the cost of resolving pending and future asbestos-related claims facing the Corporation and Amchem. Management believes that it is reasonably possible that the cost of disposing of the Corporation’s asbestos-related claims, including future defense costs, could have a material adverse impact on the results of operations and cash flows for a particular period and on the consolidated financial position of the Corporation.

 

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ITEM 3.  QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.

 

Omitted pursuant to General Instruction H of Form 10-Q.

 

ITEM 4T.  CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

 

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

As of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the Corporation carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of the Corporation’s Disclosure Committee and the Corporation’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Corporation’s disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to paragraph (b) of Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 or 15d-15. Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Corporation’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

 

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

There were no changes in the Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by paragraph (d) of Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 or 15d-15 that was conducted during the last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

PART II – OTHER INFORMATION

 

ITEM 1.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

 

No material developments in asbestos-related matters occurred during the secondthird quarter of 2008. For a summary of the history and current status of asbestos-related matters, see Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, Asbestos-Related Matters; and Note G to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS.

 

There were no material changesThe following new risk factor should be considered in addition to those discussed in the Corporation’s risk factors inAnnual Report of Form 10-K for the second quarteryear ended December 31, 2007.

The value of 2008.investments are influenced by economic and market conditions.

The current economic environment could negatively impact the fair value of pension assets, which could increase future funding requirements of the pension trusts.

 

ITEM 6.  EXHIBITS.

 

See the Exhibit Index on page 22 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for exhibits filed with this report.

 

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Union Carbide Corporation and Subsidiaries

Signatures

 

Pursuant to the requirements 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.

 

 

 

 

UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION

 

 

Registrant

Date:  July 29,October 28, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ WILLIAM H. WEIDEMAN

 

 

William H. Weideman

 

 

Vice President and Controller

 

 

The Dow Chemical Company

 

 

Authorized Representative of

 

 

Union Carbide Corporation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ EUDIO GIL

 

 

Eudio Gil

 

 

Vice President, Treasurer and

 

 

Chief Financial Officer

 

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Union Carbide Corporation and Subsidiaries

Exhibit Index

 

EXHIBIT NO.

DESCRIPTION

 

 

 

3.1.4

10.5.6

 

Sixth Amendment to the Amended and Restated CertificateRevolving Credit Agreement, effective as of Incorporation of Union CarbideSeptember 30, 2008, among the Corporation, under Section 807 of the Business Corporation Law, as filed on May 13, 2008.The Dow Chemical Company and certain Subsidiary Guarantors.

 

 

 

23

 

Analysis, Research & Planning Corporation’s Consent.

 

 

 

31.1

 

Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

 

31.2

 

Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

 

32.1

 

Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

 

32.2

 

Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

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