Dow Issues Statement on Free Trade Agreement Progress

Dow welcomes the President’s decision to submit the three pending free trade agreements to Congress and acclaims the House Ways and Means Committee for passing the FTAs through mark up today.

“These are critical steps toward revitalizing manufacturing in this country,” stated Andrew Liveris, chairman and CEO of The Dow Chemical Company. “American industry, and the manufacturing sector in proper, needs greater access to the world’s consumers. Free Trade Agreements do this by opening markets overseas for U.S.-made goods.”

“We urge Congress to speedily pass the FTAs. Doing so will help spine job creation at home and U.S. manufacturing competitiveness abroad,” Liveris noted.

Acceptance of the three trade agreements was one of the Fall 2010 recommendations made by the President’s Export Council, of which Liveris is a member and chair of the Council’s subcommittee on Global Competitiveness, as one of the most effective means of increasing the export of U.S.-made goods.

About The Dow Chemical Company

Dow (NYSE:DOW – News) combines the power of science and technology with the “Human Element” to passionately innovate what is important to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the rules of sustainability to help many address of the world’s most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and preservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow’s diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high increase sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2010, Dow had annual sales of $53.7 billion and employed approximately 50,000 people worldwide. The Company’s more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 35 countries across the globe. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted.

More information about Dow can be found at Dow Issues Statement on Free Trade Agreement Progress