Hong Kong - September 29, 2005

Effective October 1, 2005, or as contract terms allow, The Dow Chemical Company will increase its styrene/butadiene (S/B) latex price in China by five percent (5%).

"As a result of soaring fuel prices and the impact of the recent hurricanes in the U.S. Gulf Coast, our logistical costs have risen sharply. In addition, we continue to experience an unprecedented escalation in raw material costs," says Brett Simpson, Pacific Commercial Director for Dow Latex. "Given the current circumstances, we have to act quickly and decisively to ensure we can meet customer needs over the long term."

Simpson also added that Dow remains strongly committed to the China market, and would continue to focus on managing price and volume in a way that would allow it to continue investing in new and existing facilities and to support our customers' growth into the future.

Dow is a leader in science and technology, providing innovative chemical, plastic and agricultural products and services to many essential consumer markets. With annual sales of $40 billion, Dow serves customers in 175 countries and a wide range of markets that are vital to human progress: food, transportation, health and medicine, personal and home care, and building and construction, among others. Committed to the principles of sustainable development, Dow and its 43,000 employees seek to balance economic, environmental and social responsibilities. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted.

For Editorial Information:

Ava Luong
Dow Chemical Pacific Limited
+852 2879 7343