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Merger with DuPont (Notes)
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
MERGER WITH DUPONT [Abstract]  
Merger with DuPont [Text Block]
MERGER WITH DUPONT
Effective August 31, 2017, Dow and DuPont completed the previously announced merger of equals transaction contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of December 11, 2015, as amended on March 31, 2017 (the "Merger Agreement"), by and among the Company, DuPont, DowDuPont, Diamond Merger Sub, Inc. and Orion Merger Sub, Inc. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, (i) Diamond Merger Sub, Inc. was merged with and into Dow, with Dow surviving the merger as a subsidiary of DowDuPont (the "Diamond Merger") and (ii) Orion Merger Sub, Inc. was merged with and into DuPont, with DuPont surviving the merger as a subsidiary of DowDuPont (the "Orion Merger" and, together with the Diamond Merger, the "Mergers"). Following the consummation of the Mergers, each of Dow and DuPont became subsidiaries of DowDuPont (collectively, the "Merger"). Following the Merger, Dow and DuPont intend to pursue, subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals and approval by the board of directors of DowDuPont ("DowDuPont Board"), the separation of the combined company's agriculture business, specialty products business and materials science business through one or more tax-efficient transactions ("Intended Business Separations"). Additional information about the Merger is included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, as well as in Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on December 11, 2015, March 31, 2017, August 4, 2017 and September 1, 2017.

Upon completion of the Diamond Merger, each share of common stock, par value $2.50 per share, of Dow ("Dow Common Stock") (excluding any shares of Dow Common Stock that were held in treasury immediately prior to the effective time of the Diamond Merger, which were automatically canceled and retired for no consideration) was converted into the right to receive one fully paid and non-assessable share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of DowDuPont ("DowDuPont Common Stock"). As provided in the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Mergers, (i) all options, deferred stock, performance deferred stock and other equity awards relating to shares of Dow Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Mergers were generally automatically converted into options and deferred stock and other equity awards relating to shares of DowDuPont Common Stock after giving effect to appropriate adjustments to reflect the Mergers and otherwise generally on the same terms and conditions as applied under the applicable plans and award agreements immediately prior to the effective time of the Mergers. See Note 17 for additional information on the conversion of the equity awards.

In the third quarter of 2017, as a result of the Diamond Merger and the Merger, the Company recorded a reduction in "Treasury stock" of $935 million, a reduction in "Common stock" of $3,107 million and an increase in "Additional paid in capital" of $2,172 million. As of September 1, 2017, the Company has 100 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, par value $0.01 per share, owned solely by its parent, DowDuPont.

On August 31, 2017, following the Diamond Merger, Dow requested that the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") withdraw the shares of Dow Common Stock from listing on the NYSE and filed a Form 25 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") to report that the shares of Dow Common Stock are no longer listed on the NYSE. The shares of Dow Common Stock were suspended from trading on the NYSE prior to the open of trading on September 1, 2017.

As a condition of the regulatory approval of the Merger, Dow and DuPont agreed to certain closing conditions, which are as follows:

Dow divested its global Ethylene Acrylic Acid ("EAA") copolymers and ionomers business to SK Global Chemical Co., Ltd., on September 1, 2017, as part of a divestiture commitment given to the European Commission ("EC") in connection with the EC's conditional approval of the Merger granted on March 27, 2017. See Note 4 for additional information on this transaction.

DuPont will divest its Cereal Broadleaf Herbicides and Chewing Insecticides portfolios as well as its Crop Protection research and development ("R&D") pipeline and organization (excluding seed treatment, nematicides, late-stage R&D programs and certain personnel needed to support marketed products and R&D programs that will remain with DuPont) (collectively, the "DuPont Divested Assets") as part of the EC's conditional approval granted on March 27, 2017. On March 31, 2017, in connection with these commitments, DuPont entered into an agreement with FMC Corporation ("FMC") whereby FMC will acquire the DuPont Divested Assets and DuPont will acquire FMC's Health and Nutrition business segment, excluding its Omega-3 products (the "H&N Business"). DuPont's transaction with FMC is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017, subject to the waiver or satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, including approval by the EC of FMC as the buyer of the DuPont Divested Assets and the receipt of other required regulatory approvals.

On May 2, 2017, Dow and DuPont announced that China's Ministry of Commerce ("MOFCOM") granted conditional regulatory approval for the companies' proposed merger of equals which includes commitments already made to the EC including DuPont's divestiture of the DuPont Divested Assets and Dow's divestiture of the EAA copolymers and ionomers business. In addition, Dow and DuPont have made commitments related to the supply and distribution in China of certain herbicide and insecticide ingredients and formulations for rice crops for five years after the closing of the Merger.

On May 17, 2017, Dow and DuPont announced that Brazil's Administrative Council for Economic Defense ("CADE") granted conditional regulatory approval of the companies' proposed merger of equals. CADE's approval is subject to Dow's divestment of a select portion of Dow AgroSciences' corn seed business in Brazil, including some seed processing plants and seed research centers, a copy of Dow AgroSciences' Brazilian corn germplasm bank, the MORGAN™ brand and a license for the use of the DOW SEMENTES™ brand for a certain period of time (collectively, the "Dow Divested Assets"), and is incremental to commitments already made to the EC, China and regulatory agencies in other jurisdictions. On July 11, 2017, Dow announced it had entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Dow Divested Assets to CITIC Agri Fund, subject to certain closing conditions. This transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017.

On June 15, 2017, Dow and DuPont announced that a proposed agreement had been reached with the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice that will permit the companies to proceed with the proposed merger of equals transaction. The proposed agreement was consistent with commitments already made to the EC.

In connection with DuPont's proposed transaction with FMC, on March 31, 2017 Dow and DuPont amended the Merger Agreement to, among other things, provide that DuPont cannot take certain specified actions to obtain regulatory approvals with respect to its acquisition of the H&N Business if those actions would reasonably be likely to result in the one-year loss of revenues to Dow, DuPont, DowDuPont, their subsidiaries or the H&N Business in excess of $350 million in the aggregate (based on fiscal year 2016 annual revenues). In addition, the amendment of the Merger Agreement also amended the form of bylaws for DowDuPont to reflect that Dow and DuPont currently intend that the first step in the Intended Business Separations process will be the spin-off of the materials science business (assuming that such sequencing would allow for the completion of all of the intended spin-offs within 18 months following closing of the Merger and would not adversely impact the value of the intended spin-off transaction to DowDuPont's shareholders).

On September 12, 2017, DowDuPont announced that the DowDuPont Board and management, with the assistance of independent advisors, completed their comprehensive review of the portfolio composition of the three intended independent companies. The DowDuPont Board unanimously concluded that, in light of knowledge gained since the announcement of the proposed merger of equals, certain targeted adjustments will be made between the materials science and specialty products businesses, which will enhance the competitive advantages of the intended resulting companies.