WACKER’s operations are highly international. In 2013, 85.5 percent of the Group’s € 4.48 billion in sales were generated by international business (2012: € 4.63 billion). Germany accounted for 14.5 percent.

Asia Slightly Down from Prior Year

Regionally, Asia offers us the greatest opportunities for business and growth. The main impetus is the rising standard of living in Asia’s emerging economies. Accounting for 40.8 percent of Group sales (2012: 40.2 percent), Asia remains our principal market. Sales there reached € 1.83 billion (2012: € 1.86 billion). That is a slight decrease of 1.9 percent. In Greater China (including Taiwan), though, sales rose. In this region, the Group posted sales of € 1.07 billion, up 8.5 percent (2012: € 986 million). WACKER also made strong advances in India, where our sales climbed 11.1 percent. In Asia, we grew sales at WACKER SILICONES, WACKER POLYMERS and WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS, our three chemical divisions. Sales at WACKER POLYSILICON remained at the prior-year level, but declined at Siltronic.

External Sales by Customer Location

Europe Still Marked by Debt Crisis

In Europe excluding Germany, where WACKER has always had a very strong market position, sales came in lower because of the sovereign-debt crisis and the weakness of many EU economies. European sales were down 1.5 percent to € 1.07 billion (2012: € 1.09 billion). Europe accounted for a 24.0 percent share in Group sales (2012: 23.5 percent). In Germany, sales fell more steeply, decreasing 5.7 percent to € 647.0 million (2012: € 686.0 million).

Business in the Americas Below Prior Year

In the Americas, business was below the year-earlier level. Its sales decreased 8.8 percent to € 761.0 million (2012: € 834.2 million). All of WACKER’s divisions were affected by the sales decline. The Americas accounted for 17.0 percent of Group sales (2012: 18.0 percent).

Other Regions Continue to Grow

Sales in the “Other” regions continued to grow, rising by 5.6 percent to € 171.0 million (2012: € 162.0 million). WACKER generates more than 35 percent of these sales in Middle Eastern countries.

External Sales by Group Company Location