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YoY shift: Lean -
Year-over-year tone shift - average net-tone change across Risk Factors and MD&A vs the prior 10-K. This filing is -0.16pp more bearish than last year's.
Why YoY instead of absolute: the LM lexicon has ~6.6× more negative words than positive (legal/risk-disclosure language is heavy on hedging), so every 10-K reads bearish on raw tone. Year-over-year change strips that bias and surfaces the actual shift in management's framing.
Tone shift by section
The two components the gauge averages: how Risk Factors and MD&A each shifted in net tone versus last year's 10-K. The headline above is their average, so a green needle over a soft section just means the other section carried it.
Risk Factors
-0.17pp
Flat
Net-tone change vs last year's 10-K.
MD&A
-0.14pp
Flat
Net-tone change vs last year's 10-K.
Per-snippet highlights
Sentence-level sentiment highlighting with category and subcategory filters is coming once the snippet-scoring pipeline lands. For now, dig into the actual section text on the Sections tab.
Language change vs prior 10-K
Risk Factors (Item 1A) - words with the biggest YoY frequency increase
Negative rising
disruptions+1
loss+1
incident+1
penalties+1
degradation+1
Positive rising
efficiency+2
strong+1
improve+1
improvement+1
greater+1
Risk Factors (Item 1A)
13,438 words
Risk Factors
Unresolved Staff Comments
Cybersecurity
Information about our Executive Officers
Properties
Legal Proceedings
Mine Safety Disclosures
PART II
Market for Registrant's Common Stock, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Reserved
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Controls and Procedures
Other Information
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
PART III
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Executive Compensation
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Language change vs prior 10-K
MD&A (Item 7) - words with the biggest YoY frequency increase
Negative rising
impairments+6
loss+5
restructuring+5
discontinued+4
incidents+3
Positive rising
efficiency+2
beautiful+2
improve+1
advantage+1
improvement+1
MD&A (Item 7)
26,563 words
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Controls and Procedures
Other Information
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
PART III
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Executive Compensation
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Eastman Chemical Company ("Eastman" or the "Company") is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. Eastman began business in 1920 for the purpose of producing chemicals for Eastman Kodak Company's photographic business and became a public company, incorporated in Delaware, on December 31, 1993. Eastman has 36 manufacturing facilities and has equity interests in four manufacturing joint ventures in 12 countries that supply products to customers throughout the world. See "Properties" in Part I, Item 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K (this "Annual Report"). The Company's headquarters and largest manufacturing facility are located in Kingsport, Tennessee. With a robust portfolio of specialty businesses, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions with a commitment to safety and sustainability. Eastman's businesses are managed and reported in four operating segments: Advanced Materials ("AM"), Additives & Functional Products ("AFP"), Chemical Intermediates ("CI"), and Fibers. See "Business Segments".
In the first years as a stand-alone company, Eastman was diversified between commodity and more specialty chemical businesses. Beginning in 2004, the Company refocused its strategy and changed its businesses and portfolio of products, first by the divestiture and discontinuance of under-performing assets and commodity businesses and initiatives (including divestiture in 2004 of resins, inks, and monomers product lines, divestiture in 2006 of the polyethylene business, and divestiture from 2007 to 2010 of the polyethylene terephthalate ("PET") assets and business). The Company then pursued growth through the development and acquisition of more specialty businesses and product lines by inorganic acquisition and integration (including acquisitions of Solutia, Inc., a global leader in performance materials and specialty chemicals in 2012, and Taminco Corporation, a global specialty chemical company in 2014) and organic development and commercialization of new and enhanced technologies and products.
Eastman uses an innovation-driven growth model which consists of leveraging world class scalable technology platforms, delivering differentiated application development capabilities, and relentlessly engaging the market. The Company's world class technology platforms, scale advantage, and sustainability macrotrends form the foundation of the Company's research and development ("R&D") and innovation initiatives. Molecular recycling technologies continue to be an area of investment focus for the Company and extend the level of differentiation afforded by its world class technology platforms. Eastman began operating the world's largest polyester molecular recycling facility in 2024 and achievedstrongimprovement in operating rates in 2025. Differentiated application development converts market complexity into opportunities for growth and accelerates innovation by enabling a deeper understanding of the value of Eastman's products and how they perform within customers' and end-users' products. Key areas of application development include thermoplastic conversion, functional films, coatings formulations, textiles, and personal and home care formulations. The Company engages the market by working directly with customers and downstream users, targeting attractive markets, and leveraging disruptive macro trends. Management believes that these elements of the Company's innovation-driven growth model, combined with disciplined portfolio management and balanced capital deployment, are transforming Eastman into a global specialty materials company that enhances the quality of life in a material way. The Company's impact is evidenced by recycling technology that allows for waste to be used as building blocks in several Eastman products, branded with "Renew". As a global specialty materials company, management continuously evaluates the Company's business and operations to improve cost structure, increase investment in growth, and strengthen execution capabilities, including specific initiatives to transform operations, work processes and systems, and business structure alignment, scale, and integration.
In 2025, the Company reported sales revenue of $8.8 billion, earnings before interest and taxes ("EBIT") of $776 million, and net earnings attributable to Eastman of $474 million. Diluted earnings per share were $4.10. Net cash provided by operating activities was $970 million. Excluding non-core and unusual items, adjusted EBIT was $930 million and adjusted diluted earnings per share were $5.42. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report for a reconciliation of financial measures under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") to non-GAAP financial measures, description of excluded items, and related information. For Company sales revenue by end-use market, see Exhibit 99.01 "2025 Company and Segment Sales Revenue by End-Use Market" of this Annual Report. Approximately 55 percent of 2025 sales revenue was generated from outside the United States and Canada region. For additional information regarding sales by customer location and by segment, see Note 20, "Segment and Regional Sales Information", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8, and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Summary by Operating Segment", and "Sales by Customer Location" in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report.
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BUSINESS STRATEGY
Eastman's objective is to be a global specialty materials company that enhances the quality of life in a material way with consistent, sustainable earnings growth and strong cash flow. Integral to the Company's strategy for growth is leveraging its heritage expertise and innovation within its cellulosic biopolymer and acetyl, olefins, polyester, and alkylamine chemistries. For each of these "streams", the Company has developed and acquired a combination of assets and technologies that combine scale and integration across multiple manufacturing units and sites as a competitive advantage. Management uses an innovation-driven growth model which consists of leveraging world class scalable technology platforms, delivering differentiated application development, and relentlessly engaging the market. The Company sells differentiated products into diverse markets and geographic regions and engages the market by collaborating and co-innovating with customers and downstream users in existing and new targeted markets to creatively solve problems. Management believes that this innovation-driven growth model will enable the Company to leverage its proven technology capabilities to improve product mix, increasing emphasis on specialty businesses, and sustaining and expanding market share through leadership in attractive targeted markets.
Innovation
Management is pursuing specific opportunities to leverage Eastman's innovation-driven growth model with the goal of greater than end-market growth by both sustaining the Company's leadership in existing markets and expanding into new markets. Recently developed, introduced, or commercialized innovation products, applications, and technologies include the following:
• Molecular recycling technologies, including polyester renewal technology and carbon renewal technology, which are being used for production and commercial sales of multiple products, described below under " Sustainability and Circular Economy ";
• Eastman Tritan™ Renew copolyester based on polyester renewal technology which transforms single-use polyester waste into basic building blocks that are then used to make durable, high performance materials;
• Naia™, a biodegradable and compostable cellulosic biopolymer fiber product for the apparel market developed from proprietary cellulosic materials that are approximately 60 percent biopolymer derived, and Naia™ Renew, approximately 60 percent biopolymer and 40 percent waste plastics derived;
• Aventa™, a biodegradable and compostable cellulosic biopolymer that is approximately 60 percent bio-content derived, and Aventa™ Renew, approximately 60 percent bio-content derived and 40 percent recycled plastic derived, both used in food service and food packaging applications. Aventa™ is both home and industrially compostable and does not persist in the environment as a microplastic;
• Esmeri™, a naturally derived, biodegradable cellulose ester micropowder that delivers advanced optical effects and durable performance in color cosmetics, sun care, and skin care;
• Solus™, a biodegradable paper coating additive that enhances the end of life of packaging used in food service;
• Saflex™ innovations in both the automotive and building and construction markets including: Saflex™ Horizon Vision, a next generation polyvinyl butyral ("PVB") interlayer product, for advanced Head-up Displays ("HUD") systems, enhancing virtual image and field of view; Saflex™ Evoca, a new platform for electrical vehicle glazing, offering acoustic, solar, or color options to design; and Saflex™ LiteCarbon Clear, a premium PVB interlayer that reduces the embodied carbon of laminated glass elements while maintaining the construction of safe buildings; and
• Eastman CORE™, a software platform that provides automotive dealership groups and professional installers access to shop management and automotive film patterns to improve installation quality and customer experience.
Sustainability and Circular Economy
Central to Eastman's innovation-driven growth model is the Company's dedication to enhance the quality of life in a material way with an ongoing commitment to sustainability.
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The Company's long history of technical expertise in chemical processes and polymer science positions it to provide innovative solutions to some of the world's most complex problems. One example is Eastman's contribution to the development of a more "circular economy". A circular economy focuses on making the most of the world's resources - minimizing waste and maximizing value - by providing end-of-life solutions to reduce, reuse, and recycle products and materials. This keeps materials in use and decouples growth from scarce resource consumption by recycling carbon in the form of hard to recycle waste plastics, while allowing economic development and improvement in quality of life. The Company's sustainable innovation initiatives include biodegradation, molecular recycling, and strategic collaborations with end-user markets. The Company continues the use of its unique platform of solutions to address the challenges of plastic waste in the environment with advanced circular recycling, or molecular recycling, including polyester renewal and carbon renewal technologies. Together, these technologies allow the Company to use plastic waste, such as polyester carpet and waste rejected from mechanical recyclers, colored strapping, and bottles, as feedstock to lower greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions compared to traditional processes. Eastman's scale and integration provide a unique opportunity to accelerate the use of these molecular recycling technologies and make a meaningful positive impact on the environment.
Management approaches sustainability as a source of competitive strength by focusing its innovation strategy on opportunities where disruptive macro trends align with the Company's differentiated technology platforms. Applications development capabilities are used to develop innovative products, applications, and technologies that enable customers' development and sale of sustainable products. Eastman's sustainability-related growth initiatives include targeted product and process innovation that focuses on enhancing product health and safety, end-use product durability, recyclability, and reducing material usage, while lowering GHG emissions associated with climate change. Eastman has focused on communication and collaboration with stakeholders, including policymakers and other interested parties, to build support for the concepts of molecular recycling and mass balance accounting (an accepted and certified protocol by International Sustainability & Carbon Certification ("ISCC") that documents and tracks recycled content through complex manufacturing systems). Eastman has committed to reduce its absolute scope 1 (direct GHG emissions occurring from sources that are owned by Eastman) and scope 2 (indirect GHG associated with the purchase of electricity, steam, heat, or cooling as a result of Eastman's energy use) emissions by 30 percent by 2035, measured from the Company's 2017 baseline year, in order to achieve net-zero operations by 2050, and to innovate to provide products that enable energy savings and GHG emissions reductions to customers and end-users.
Eastman focuses on the triple challenge of climate change, plastic waste, and a growing population through its aligned innovation pillars of Circularity, Caring for Society, and Climate. Examples of Eastman sustainable solutions within identified disruptive macro trends include:
Innovation Pillar
Growth Platform by Segment
Mainstreaming Circularity
Mitigating Climate Change
Caring For Society
Advanced Materials
Circular Economy Solutions (Eastman Renew)
Next-Generation Copolyester Innovation
Saflex™ Evoca™ for Electric Vehicles (1)
Window and Paint Protection Films
Additives & Functional Products
Solus™ Biobased Additive for Paper Coatings (2)
Esmeri™ Micropowder for Personal Care (3)
Fibers
Naia™ Filament and Staple Fiber
Other
Aventa™ and Aventa™ Renew Compostable Materials (4)
(1) Saflex ™ Evoca ™ interlayers improves acoustic performance, provides lightweight alternatives for windshields, and helps mitigate solar heat to increase maximum driving range and reduce strain on air conditioning systems in electric vehicles.
(2) Solus ™ for paper coatings is a proprietary additive used in food service and food backing that is compatible with the recycle stream for paper.
(3) Esmeri ™ is a cellulosic biopolymer for personal care applications including color cosmetics, sunscreens, and facial lotions.
(4) Aventa ™ , a biodegradable and compostable cellulosic biopolymer, replaces single-use, traditional materials in food packaging and quick-service restaurants such as straws, cutlery, and protein trays.
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Eastman is positioned to enhance the quality of life in a material way with its sustainable solutions. The Company's expertise and scalability within the Circular Economy platform allows true material to material recycling with an infinite loop and no compromise to quality. The Company's technologies create virgin equivalent drop-in replacements for existing products by breaking down hard-to-recycle plastic waste feedstock to a molecular level and upcycling it back to food-grade products. This platform is further differentiated as it is able to reduce GHG emissions by up to 70 percent, including avoided emissions, when comparing to materials made from fossil feedstocks. The Company's molecular recycling technology also overcomesbarriers seen in mechanical recycling such as degradation in color and performance after multiple cycles.
These strengths have enabled the Company to achieve significant milestones in 2025 within the Circular Economy platform, including:
• Operating the world's largest polyester molecular recycling facility, which generated approximately 2.5 times greater output than 2024; and
• Continued adoption of the Company's circular polyester offerings across multiple end-markets including consumer durables and packaging.
FINANCIAL STRATEGY
In its management of the Company's businesses and growth initiatives, management is committed to maintaining a strong financial position with appropriate financial flexibility and liquidity. Management believes maintaining a financial profile that supports a solid investment grade credit rating is important to its long-term strategy and financial flexibility. The Company employs a disciplined and balanced approach to capital allocation and deployment of cash. The priorities for uses of available cash include paying the quarterly dividend, funding targeted growth opportunities, and repurchasing shares, while maintaining a solid investment-grade balance sheet. Management expects that the combination of continued stable cash flow generation, a strong balance sheet, and sufficient liquidity will continue to provide flexibility to pursue growth initiatives.
BUSINESS SEGMENTS
The Company's products and operations are managed and reported in four operating segments: Advanced Materials ("AM"), Additives & Functional Products ("AFP"), Chemical Intermediates ("CI"), and Fibers. This organizational structure is based on the management of the strategies, operating models, and sales channels that the various businesses employ and supports the Company's continued transformation towards a global specialty materials company.
For segment sales revenue and earnings and segment product lines revenues, see Note 20, "Segment and Regional Sales Information", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Summary by Operating Segment" in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report. For identification of manufacturing facilities by segment, see Item 2, "Properties" of this Annual Report.
ADVANCED MATERIALS SEGMENT
Overview
In the AM segment, the Company produces and markets polymers, films, and plastics with differentiated performance properties for value-added end-uses in transportation; durables and electronics; building and construction; medical and pharma; and consumables end-markets. Key technology platforms for this segment include cellulosic biopolymers, copolyesters, and PVB and polyester films.
Eastman's technical, application development, and market development capabilities enable the AM segment to modify its polymers, films, and plastics to control and customize their final properties for the development of new applications with enhanced functionality. For example, Tritan ™ copolyesters are a leading solution for food contact applications due to their performance and processing attributes and bisphenol A free ("BPA free") properties. The Saflex ™ Q Series product line is a leading acoustic solution for architectural and automotive applications. The Company also maintains a leading solar control technology position in the window films market as well as advanced urethane film and coatings technologies in the paint protection film market. The segment principally competes on differentiated technology and application development capabilities. Management believes the AM segment's competitive advantages also include long-term customer relationships, vertical integration and scale in manufacturing, and leading market positions.
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Principal Products
Product
Description
Principal
Competitors
Key Raw
Materials
End-Use Applications
Advanced Interlayers
Saflex ™
Saflex ™ Q Series
Saflex ™ HUD interlayer products
standard PVB
sheet
premium PVB
sheet
Sekisui Chemical Co.,
Ltd.
Kuraray Co., Ltd.
Kingboard (Fo Gang)
Specialty Resins
Limited
Chang Chun
Petrochemical Co.,
Ltd.
polyvinyl alcohol
butyraldehyde
2-ethyl hexanol ethanol
triethylene glycol
vinyl acetate monomer
transportation (automotive safety glass,
automotive acoustic glass, and
HUD)
building and construction (PVB for
architectural interlayers)
Performance Films
LLumar ™
Flexvue ™
SunTek ™
V-KOOL ™
Gila ™
window films and
protective films
products for
aftermarket
applied films
XPEL, Inc.
3M Company
Saint-Gobain S.A.
polyethylene terephthalate film
aliphatic thermoplastic polyurethane film
transportation (automotive after-
market window films and paint
protection films)
building and construction (residential
and commercial window films)
Specialty Plastics
Tritan ™ copolyesters
Eastar ™ copolyesters
Spectar ™ copolyesters
Embrace ™ copolyesters
Visualize ™
Eastman Aspira ™ family of resins
Treva ™
standard copolyesters
premium copolyesters
cellulosic biopolymers
molecular-recycled copolyesters
S.K. Chemical Industries
Sichuan Push Acetati Company Limited
Daicel Chemical Industries Ltd.
Covestro AG
Trinseo S.A.
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation
paraxylene
ethylene glycol
cellulose
purified terephthalic acid
waste plastics and textiles
consumables (consumer packaging,
cosmetics packaging, in-store
fixtures and displays)
durable goods (consumer housewares
and appliances)
health and wellness (medical)
electronics (displays)
See Exhibit 99.01 for AM segment revenue by end-use market.
Strategy
Management applies Eastman's innovation-driven growth model in the AM segment by leveraging innovation and technology platforms to develop new and multi-generational products and applications to help facilitate AM segment growth and leverage its manufacturing capacity. The AM segment is positioned to benefit from Eastman polyesters and acetyl streams sustainability innovations by leveraging molecular recycling technologies to enable various waste plastics to be recycled into specialty plastics products marketed and sold under the "Renew" product designations. See "Corporate Overview - Business Strategy - Sustainability and Circular Economy". The segment continues to expand its portfolio of higher margin products in attractive end-markets. Through Eastman's advantaged asset position and expertise in applications development, management believes that the AM segment is well positioned for future growth. The advanced interlayers product lines, including acoustic and HUD sheet interlayer products, leverage Eastman's global presence to supply industry leadinginnovations to automotive and architectural end-markets by collaborating with global and large regional customers. In the performance films product lines, management believes it has one of the largest distribution and dealer networks which, when combined with its industry leading technologies and recognized brands, positions Eastman for further growth, particularly in leading automotive markets such as North America and Asia. The segment's product portfolio is aligned with underlying energy efficiency trends in both automotive and architectural markets.
The AM segment expects to continue to benefit from sales of premium products, including Tritan ™ copolyester, Tritan ™ Renew, Visualize ™ material, Saflex ™ Q acoustic series, Saflex ™ HUD interlayer products, LLumar ™ , V-KOOL ™ , and SunTek ™ window and protective films.
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ADDITIVES & FUNCTIONAL PRODUCTS SEGMENT
Overview
In the AFP segment, the Company manufactures materials for products in the food, feed, and agriculture; transportation; water treatment and energy; personal care and wellness; building and construction; consumables; and durables and electronics end-markets. Key technology platforms are cellulosic biopolymers, polyester polymers, alkylamine derivatives, and propylene derivatives.
The AFP segment is focused on producing high-value additives that provide critical functionality but which comprise a small percentage of total customer product cost. The segment principally competes on the differentiated performance characteristics of its products and through leveraging its strong customer base and long-standing customer relationships to promote substantial recurring business and product development. A critical element of the AFP segment's success is its close formulation collaboration with customers through advantaged application development capability.
Principal Products
Product
Description
Principal
Competitors
Key Raw
Materials
End-Use Applications
Care Additives
Alkylamine derivatives
Organic acids and derivatives
Cellulosic biopolymers
amine derivative-based building blocks for production of flocculants
intermediates for surfactants
metam-based soil fumigants
organic acid-based solutions
BASF SE
Huntsman Corporation
Argo-Kanesho Co., Ltd.
Adisseo
DSM-Firmenich
alkylamines
acrylonitrile
alcohols
methanol
ethylene oxide
carbon disulfide ("CS2")
caustic soda
water treatment
personal and home care
pharmaceuticals
agriculture and crop protection
gut health solutions
preservation and hygiene
Coatings Additives
Polymers
cellulosics
polyesters
polyolefins
Additives and Solvents
Texanol ™
Optifilm ™
ketones
esters
EastaPure ™ electronic chemicals
specialty coalescents
specialty solvents
paint additives
specialty polymers
BASF SE
Dow Inc.
OXEA
Celanese Corporation
Alternative Technologies
Elementis Global
Clariant Specialty Chemicals
wood pulp
propane
propylene
building and construction (architectural coatings)
transportation (OEM) and refinish coatings
durable goods (wood, industrial coatings and applications)
consumables (graphic arts, inks, and packaging)
electronics
Functional Amines
Alkylamines
methylamines and salts
higher amines and solvents
BASF SE
Arclin Inc.
Advansix
OXEA
methanol
ammonia
acetone
ethanol
butanol
agrochemicals
energy
pharmaceuticals
water treatment
industrial intermediates
Specialty Fluids & Energy
Therminol ™
Turbo oils
Skydrol ™
SkyKleen ™
Marlotherm ™
heat transfer and
aviation fluids
Dow Inc.
Exxon Mobil
Corporation
benzene
phosphorous
neo-polyol esters
industrial chemicals and processing (heat transfer fluids for chemical processes)
renewable energy
commercial aviation
See Exhibit 99.01 for AFP segment revenue by end-use market.
Strategy
Management applies Eastman's innovation-driven growth model in the AFP segment by leveraging proprietary technologies for
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the continued development of innovative product offerings and focusing growth efforts in end-markets such as food, feed, and agriculture; transportation; water treatment and energy; personal care and wellness; building and construction; consumables; and durables and electronics. Management believes that the ability to leverage the AFP segment's research, differentiated application development, and production capabilities across multiple markets uniquely positions it to meet evolving needs to improve the quality and performance of its customers' products. For example, Eastman EastaPure TM electronic chemicals is a portfolio of ultrapure solvents designed to meet the rigorous purity needs required in the electronics industry with our comprehensive material testing, multiple purification steps, shipping measures, and on-site, state-of-the-art, clean room that provides continuous monitoring and purity certification. The Company is also developing solutions to address the environmental challenges caused by non-biodegradable materials in personal care products by leveraging its world-class biodegradable cellulosic biopolymer technology platform in biodegradable cellulose-ester micropowders for personal care applications.
CHEMICAL INTERMEDIATES SEGMENT
Overview
Eastman leverages large scale and vertical integration from the cellulosic biopolymers and acetyl and olefins streams to support the Company's specialty operating segments with advantaged cost positions. The CI segment sells excess intermediates beyond the Company's internal specialty needs into end-markets such as industrial chemicals and processing, building and construction, health and wellness, and food and feed. Key technology platforms include acetyls, oxos, and plasticizers.
The CI segment product lines benefit from competitive cost positions primarily resulting from the use of and access to lower cost raw materials, and the Company's scale, technology, and operational excellence. Examples include produced acetic anhydride used in the manufacturing of cellulosic biopolymers and acetyl stream product lines, propylene and ethylene used in the production of olefin derivative product lines such as oxo alcohols and plasticizers. The CI segment also provides superior reliability to customers through its backward integration into readily available raw materials, such as propane, ethane, and propylene. See "Eastman Chemical Company General Information - Manufacturing Streams".
Several CI segment product lines are affected by cyclicality, most notably olefin and acetyl-based products. This cyclicality is caused by periods of supply and demand imbalance, when either incremental capacity additions are not offset by corresponding increases in demand, or when demand exceeds existing supply. Although future results are expected to fluctuate due to both general economic conditions and industry supply and demand, management has taken steps to reduce the impact of the trough of these cycles, including the use of refinery-grade propylene ("RGP") in the feedstock mix, resulting in reduced participation in the merchant ethylene market and the divestiture of its Texas City Operations in 2023. The Company is now investing in the conversion of existing assets and utilizing licensed metathesis technology to convert ethylene to propylene ("E2P"). This E2P conversion will align the Company's strategy with business needs by balancing ethylene and propylene across the site structurally, improving feedstock mix, and improving downstream propylene usage.
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Principal Products
Product
Description
Principal
Competitors
Key Raw
Materials
End-Use Applications
Intermediates
Oxo alcohols
and derivatives
Acetic acid and
derivatives
Acetic anhydride
Ethylene
Glycol ethers
Esters
Organic acids and derivatives
olefin derivatives
acetyl derivatives
ethylene
commodity solvents
Lyondell Bassell
BASF SE
Dow Inc.
OXEA
Celanese Corporation
Lonza
Ineos Group Holdings
propane
ethane
propylene
coal
natural gas
paraxylene
industrial chemicals and processing
building and construction (paint and coating applications, construction chemicals, building materials)
pharmaceuticals and agriculture
health and wellness
packaging
Plasticizers
Eastman 168 ™
Dioctyl
phthalate
("DOP")
Benzoflex ™
TXIB ™
Effusion ™
primary non-
phthalate and
phthalate
plasticizers
and a range of
targeted non-
phthalate
plasticizers
BASF SE
Exxon Mobil Corporation
LG Chem, Ltd.
Lanxess AG
propane
propylene
paraxylene
building and construction (non-phthalate
plasticizers used in interior surfaces)
consumables (food packaging, packaging
adhesives, and glove applications)
health and wellness (medical devices)
See Exhibit 99.01 for CI segment revenue by end-use market.
Strategy
To maintain and enhance its status as a low-cost producer and optimize earnings, the CI segment continuously focuses on cost control, operational efficiency, and capacity utilization. This includes focusing on products used internally by other operating segments, thereby supporting growth in specialty product lines throughout the Company. Through the CI segment, the Company has leveraged the advantage of its highly integrated manufacturing facilities. Scale at the Kingsport, Tennessee manufacturing facility allows for competitive advantage in the production of acetic anhydride and other acetyl derivatives. At the Longview, Texas manufacturing site, Eastman uses its proprietary oxo technology in one of the world's largest single-site oxo butyraldehyde manufacturing facilities to produce a wide range of alcohols and other derivative products utilizing local propane and ethane supplies and purchased propylene. These integrated facilities, combined with large scale production processes and a continuous focus on additional process improvements, allow the CI segment product lines to remain cost competitive and, for some products, cost-advantaged as compared to competitors. Use of RGP in the feedstock mix of the olefin cracking units at the Longview, Texas manufacturing site reduces the amount of other purchased feedstocks. This results in a decrease in ethylene production and excess ethylene sales while maintaining historical levels of propylene production, providing flexibility to reduce participation in the merchant ethylene market, and retaining a cost-advantaged integrated propylene position to support specialty derivatives throughout the Company.
FIBERS SEGMENT
Overview
In the Fibers segment, Eastman manufactures and sells acetate tow and triacetin plasticizers for use in filtration media, primarily cigarette filters; cellulosic filament yarn and staple fibers for use in apparel under the brand Naia ™ , home furnishings, and industrial fabrics; nonwoven media for use in filtration and friction applications, used primarily in transportation, industrial, and agricultural end-markets; and cellulose acetate flake and acetyl raw materials for other acetate fiber producers.
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The Fibers segment's competitive strengths include a reputation for high-quality products, technical expertise, large scale vertically-integrated processes, reliability of supply, internally produced acetate flake supply for Fibers segment's products, a reputation for customer service excellence, and a customer base characterized by strategic long-term customers and end-user relationships. The Company continues to capitalize and build on these strengths to further improve the strategic position of its Fibers segment. To strengthen and stabilize segment earnings, the Company has taken actions such as the establishment of long-term variable pricing in acetate tow customer arrangements and agreements, development of innovative textile and nonwoven applications, and repurposing manufacturing capacity from acetate tow to new products.
The 10 largest Fibers segment customers accounted for approximately 65 percent of the segment's 2025 sales revenue, and include multinational as well as regional cigarette producers, fabric manufacturers, textile distributors, and other acetate fiber producers.
The Company's long history and experience in fibers markets are reflected in the Fibers segment's operating expertise, both within the Company and in support of its customers' processes. The Fibers segment's knowledge of the industry and of customers' processes allows it to assist its customers in maximizing their processing efficiencies, promoting repeat sales, and developing mutually beneficial, long-term customer relationships.
The Company's fully integrated fibers manufacturing process employs unique technology that allows it to use a broad range of high-purity wood pulps for which the Company has dependable sources of supply.
Principal Products
Product
Description
Principal
Competitors
Key Raw
Materials
End-Use Applications
Acetate Tow
Estron ™
cellulose acetate tow
Celanese Corporation
Cerdia International
Daicel Corporation
Jinan Acetate Chemical
wood pulp
methanol
high sulfur coal
filtration media (primarily cigarette filters)
Acetate Yarn and Fiber
Naia ™
Estron ™
natural (undyed) acetate yarn
solution dyed acetate yarn
staple fiber
UAB Dirbtinis Pluostas
Lenzing AG
Aditya Birla Group
wood pulp
methanol
high sulfur coal
waste plastics and textiles
consumables (apparel, home furnishings, and industrial fabrics)
health and wellness (medical tape)
Acetyl Chemical Products
Estrobond ™
triacetin
cellulose acetate flake
acetic acid
acetic anhydride
Daicel Corporation
Celanese Corporation
Cerdia International
Jinan Acetate Chemical
wood pulp
methanol
high sulfur coal
filtration media (primarily cigarette filters)
Nonwovens
Nonwovens
wetlaid nonwoven media
specialty and engineered papers
cellulose acetate fiber
Hollingsworth and Vose Company
Lydall, Inc.
BorgWarner Inc.
natural and synthetic fibers
inorganic and metallic additives
resins
filtration and friction media for transportation
industrial
agriculture and mining
aerospace markets
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Strategy
Management applies the innovation-driven growth model to the Fibers segment by leveraging its strong customer relationships and industry knowledge to maintain a leading industry position in the global market. The segment benefits from a state-of-the-art, world class, acetate flake production facility at the Kingsport, Tennessee site, which is supplied from Eastman's vertically integrated gasification facility and is the largest and most integrated acetate tow site in the world. The Fibers segment also expects to benefit from Eastman's carbon renewal technology, which enables the substitution of fossil feedstock with recycled waste content. Products using this technology are marketed and sold under the "Renew" product designation. See "Corporate Overview - Business Strategy - Sustainability and Circular Economy ". The Company contractually supplies acetate flake raw material to the manufacturing facility of its acetate tow joint venture in China from the Company's manufacturing facility in Kingsport, Tennessee, which the Company recognizes in sales revenue. The Company recognizes earnings in the joint venture through its equity investment, reported in "Other (income) charges, net" in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings, Comprehensive Income and Retained Earnings in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report. The Company's focus on innovation has resulted in repurposing some of its acetate tow manufacturing capacity to fibers products for textiles, resulting in increased capacity utilization and lower acetate tow costs.
To meet customers' evolving needs and further improve the Fibers segment's manufacturing process efficiencies, the Company leverages proprietary cellulosic biopolymers and spinning technology, optimizing asset productivity through process improvement, selecting product innovation in response to acetate tow customer needs, and working with suppliers to reduce costs. For textiles, the Fibers segment seeks to offset declines in acetate tow through investments in differentiated application development capabilities and new product innovations, including circular solutions, to drive growth in textiles and apparel of Naia ™ yarns and fibers.
EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANY GENERAL INFORMATION
Seasonality
Eastman's earnings are typically lowest in fourth quarter, and cash flows from operations are typically highest in the second half of the year due to seasonal demand based on general economic activity in the Company's key markets as described in "Business Segments". Results in all segments except the Fibers segment are typically weaker in the fourth quarter due to seasonal downturns in key markets.
Eastman is exposed to consumer discretionary end-markets and changes in global consumer spending, particularly in the AM and AFP segments. The coatings additives product line of the AFP segment and the intermediates product line of the CI segment are impacted by the cyclicality of key end products and markets, while other operating segments and product lines are more sensitive to global economic conditions. Supply and demand dynamics determine profitability at different stages of business cycles, and global economic conditions affect the length of each cycle.
Sales, Marketing, and Distribution
Eastman markets and sells products primarily through a global marketing and sales organization that has a presence in the United States and approximately 30 other countries, selling into more than 100 countries around the world. The Company focuses its market engagement on attractive targeted markets, leveraging disruptive macro trends, and market activation throughout the value chain with both customers and downstream users. Eastman's strategy is to target industries and markets where the Company can leverage its application development expertise to develop product offerings to provide differentiated value that addresses current and future customer and market needs. The Company's strategic marketing approach and capabilities leverage the Company's insights about trends, markets, and customers to drive development of specialty products. Through a highly skilled and specialized sales force that is capable of providing differentiated product solutions, Eastman strives to be the preferred supplier in the Company's targeted markets.
The Company's products are also marketed through indirect channels, which include dealers and contract representatives. Sales outside the United States tend to be made more frequently through dealers and contract representatives than sales in the United States. The combination of direct and indirect sales channels allows Eastman to reliably serve customers throughout the world.
The Company's products are shipped to customers and downstream users directly from Eastman manufacturing plants and distribution centers worldwide.
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Research and Development
Management applies its innovation-driven growth model by leveraging the Company's world class scalable technology platforms, such as cellulosic biopolymers and polyesters, that provide a competitive advantage and the foundation for sustainable earnings growth. The Company's R&D strategy for sustainable growth through innovation includes multi-generational product development for specialty products, faster and more differentiated product development by leveraging global application development capabilities, and the creation of value through integration of multiple technology platforms. The Company's innovation strategy is guided by the need to provide timely and practical solutions to sustainability macro-drivers that will improve the quality of life globally through material solutions. This strategy has been accelerated by investment in global differentiated application development capabilities that position Eastman as a strategic customer partner driving success within attractive targeted markets. See examples of recent product and technology innovations in "Corporate Overview - Business Strategy - Innovation".
Eastman manages certain growth initiatives and costs at the corporate level, including certain R&D costs not allocated to any one operating segment. The Company uses a stage-gating process, which is a disciplined decision-making framework for evaluating targeted opportunities, with a number of projects at various stages of development. As projects meet milestones, additional amounts are spent on those projects. The Company continues to explore and invest in R&D initiatives such as high-performance materials and opportunities created by disruptive macro trends, including sustainability and development of a circular economy. See "Corporate Overview - Business Strategy - Sustainability and Circular Economy ".
Manufacturing Streams
Integral to Eastman's strategy for growth is leveraging its heritage expertise and innovation in polyester, cellulosic biopolymers and acetyl, alkylamine, and olefins chemistries in key markets, including transportation, building and construction, consumables, and agriculture. For each of these chemistries, Eastman has developed and acquired a combination of assets and technologies that are operated within four manufacturing "streams", combining scale and integration across multiple manufacturing units and sites as a competitive advantage.
• In the polyester stream, the Company begins with paraxylene, ethylene glycol, and integrated feedstocks, converting them through a series of intermediate materials to ultimately produce clear, tough, chemically resistant copolyesters. The Company has further enhanced the polyester stream by investing in plastic-to-plastic polyester renewal facilities to enable various waste plastics to be recycled into high quality, polyester Renew products. Polyester stream products are converted for end-uses in cosmetics and personal care, medical devices, durable goods, and food packaging industries.
• In the cellulosic biopolymer and acetyl stream, the Company begins with gasification of fossil fuels with oxygen. The resulting synthesis gas is converted into acetic acid and acetic anhydride. Cellulosic biopolymers derivative manufacturing at the Company begins with natural polymers, sourced from sustainably-managed forests, which, when combined with acetyl and olefin chemicals, provide differentiated product lines. Through recycling innovation, carbon renewal technology is enabling the recycling of complex plastics to serve as the basic building blocks of Eastman's cellulosic product stream. The major end-markets for products from the cellulosic biopolymers and acetyl stream include coatings, displays, and thermoplastics.
• In the alkylamines stream, the Company begins with ammonia and alcohol feedstocks to produce methylamines and higher alkylamines, which can then be further converted into alkylamine derivatives. The Company's alkylamines products are primarily used in agriculture, water treatment, consumables, and oil and gas end-markets.
• In the olefins stream, the Company primarily focuses on propylene derivatives through its world-class Oxo catalyst technology. This technology is used to produce numerous derivative products converted for end-uses in the food industry, health and beauty products, detergents, and automotive products. Underlying this technology is the Company's low-cost propylene position created through the combination of propylene-centric hydrocarbon cracking, RGP processing, and cost-advantaged purchase agreements.
The Company leverages its expertise and innovation in polyester, cellulosic biopolymers and acetyl, alkylamine, and olefins chemistries and technologies to meet demand and create new uses and opportunities for the Company's products in key markets. Through integration and optimization across these streams, the Company is able to create unique and differentiated products that have a performance advantage over competitive materials.
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Sources and Availability of Raw Materials and Energy
Eastman purchases a majority of its key raw materials and energy through different contract mechanisms, generally of one to three years in initial duration, with renewal or cancellation options for each party. Most of these agreements do not require the Company to purchase materials or energy if its operations are reduced or idle. The cost of raw materials and energy is generally based on market price at the time of purchase; however, from time to time, Eastman uses derivative financial instruments for certain key raw materials to mitigate the impact of market price fluctuations. Key raw materials include cellulose, fatty alcohol, methanol, paraxylene, polyvinyl alcohol, propane, propylene, and a wide variety of precursors for specialty organic chemicals. Key purchased energy sources include natural gas, coal, and electricity. The Company has multiple suppliers for most key raw materials and energy sources and uses quality management principles, such as the establishment of long-term relationships with suppliers and ongoing performance assessments and benchmarking, as part of its supplier management process. When appropriate, the Company purchases raw materials from a single source supplier to maximize quality and reduce cost and has contingency plans to minimize the potential impact of any supply disruptions from single source suppliers.
While temporary shortages of raw materials and energy may occasionally occur, these items are generally sufficiently available to cover current and projected requirements. However, their continuous availability and cost are subject to unscheduled plant interruptions occurring during periods of high demand, domestic and world market conditions, changes in government regulation, supply chain disruption, global pandemics, natural disasters, war or other outbreak of hostilities or terrorism or other political factors, or breakdown or degradation of transportation infrastructure. Eastman's operations or products have been in the past, and may be in the future, adversely affected by these factors. See "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report. The Company's raw material and energy costs as a percent of total cost of operations were approximately 45 percent in 2025. For additional information about raw materials, see Exhibit 99.02 "Product and Raw Material Information" of this Annual Report.
Intellectual Property and Trademarks
While Eastman's intellectual property portfolio is an important Company asset that it expands and vigorously protects globally through a combination of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets, its business is not substantially dependent upon any one particular patent, trademark, copyright, or trade secret. As a producer of a broad range of advanced materials, specialty additives, chemicals, and fibers, Eastman owns over 700 active United States patents, over 1,600 active foreign patents, and over 4,500 active worldwide trademark applications and registrations. Domestic and foreign patents within the Company's portfolio are subject to various expiration dates, depending on the dates they were originally filed and laws governing patent terms and extensions thereof in applicable jurisdictions. As the laws of many countries do not protect intellectual property to the same extent as the laws of the United States, Eastman cannot ensure that it will be able to adequately protect its intellectual property assets outside the United States. See "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report.
Information Security
The Company employs information systems to support its business, enable transformation, and deploy digital services. The Company utilizes a risk-based, multi-layered information security approach based on the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework ("US NIST") and International Organization for Standardization / International Electrotechnical Commission 27001:2022 ("ISO 27001"). To date, the Company has not experienced a cybersecurity incident that has materially affected its business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition, nor has resulted in any penalties or settlements. See "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A and "Cybersecurity" in Part I, Item 1C of this Annual Report.
Artificial Intelligence
Eastman has been increasingly using artificial intelligence ("AI") tools and more traditional data science practices in its operations, research and development, and other areas to improveefficiency and effectiveness. Eastman has implemented a risk-based governance approach led by a cross-functional Responsible AI Council that oversees AI use cases, sets standards, and coordinates with existing risk and compliance functions. The Company maintains AI-specific policies, procedures, and general IT controls that define permitted uses, data handling requirements (including privacy and intellectual property protection), human oversight, and documentation expectations. AI use cases, models, and third-party tools are subject to review, vendor due diligence, and contractual safeguards. See "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report.
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Human Capital
To keep solving complex problems and growing its business, the Company must continue to attract, develop, and retain exceptional people ("human capital"), and motivate them to excel. Strong workforce and leadership development, succession management, an inclusive culture that brings out the best in every individual, and competitive compensation and benefits are vital to the success of Eastman's innovation-driven growth strategy. The Compensation and Management Development Committee of the Board of Directors oversees workforce and senior management development and the Board of Directors monitors the culture of the Company and leadership quality, morale, and development.
Eastman places a strong emphasis on the health, safety, and well-being of employees - both at work and at home. Eastman's "zero-incident mindset" takes a holistic approach to people and processes by fostering the right behaviors, values, and culture to ensure that employees are operating responsibly, accountably, and safely.
The Company's focus on well-being also includes physical, emotional, and financial health of employees and their families, with on-site and on-demand resources such as fitness classes, health coaches, and financial counselors. The Company regularly reviews its benefits equity to better understand the needs of its employees in the current environment. Through this work, the Company continues to explore new ways to make benefits more attractive in an evolving talent marketplace. The Company also continues to provide global flexibility principles and resources to emphasize the importance of balancing work and personal responsibilities.
Breakthroughs require creativity and unconventional ideas, and that takes diverse perspectives and an environment that empowers everyone to speak their mind and add value, so their ideas are translated into plans and actions. As Eastman develops new products to meet today's most pressing needs, the Company inspires innovative ideas by making every team member feel valued and empowered to do their best work. Building an inclusive workplace, powered by a global employee population of approximately 13,000 people worldwide is key to promoting innovation and driving results.
The table below shows the percentage of the Company's global employee population by region.
United States and Canada
Europe, Middle East, and Africa
Asia Pacific
Latin America
Total
Eastman's compensation philosophy, principles, and processes are designed to ensure the Company pays competitively in the market for top talent and that the pay is distributed fairly and consistently. An independent third party assesses pay equity each year by comparing pay for people in the same jobs, job levels, and locations. This analysis, which considers gender, race and ethnicity (in the United States), performance, tenure, specialty skills, and educational credentials, is completed during the annual compensation review process, when leadership makes pay decisions.
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Customers
Eastman has an extensive customer base and, while it is not dependent on any one customer, loss of certain top customers could adversely affect the Company until such business is replaced. The top 100 customers accounted for approximately 60 percent of the Company's 2025 sales revenue. No single customer accounted for 10 percent or more of the Company's consolidated sales revenue during 2025.
Compliance With Environmental and Other Government Regulations
The Company is subject to significant and complex governmental laws and regulations, both in the U.S. and internationally, which require and will continue to require significant expenditures to remain in compliance and may, depending on specific facts and circumstances, impact the Company's competitive position. See "Risk Factors -- Legislative, regulatory, or voluntary actions could increase the Company's future health, safety, and environmental compliance costs." in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report. These include health, safety, and environmental laws and regulations; site security regulations; chemical control laws; laws protecting intellectual property; privacy, data sharing, and data protection laws; laws regulating energy generation and distribution, such as utilities, pipelines and co-generation facilities; and customs laws and laws regulating import and export of products and technology. As described below, the most significant environmental capital and other expenditures are for compliance with environmental and health and safety laws. In addition to these regulations, compliance with chemical control laws (including the U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act, the U.S. Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and similar non-U.S. counterparts, and the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals ("REACH") program in the European Union) and laws protecting intellectual property (see "Intellectual Property and Trademarks") have the most impact on the Company's day-to-day operations and competitive position.
Environmental
The Company is subject to laws, regulations, and legal requirements relating to the use, storage, handling, generation, transportation, emission, discharge, disposal, remediation of, and exposure to, hazardous and non-hazardous substances and wastes in all of the countries in which it does business. These health, safety, and environmental considerations are a priority in the Company's planning for all existing and new products and processes. The Environmental, Safety, and Sustainability Committee of Eastman's Board of Directors oversees the Company's policies and practices concerning health, safety, and the environment and its processes for complying with related laws and regulations and monitors related matters.
The Company's policy is to operate its plants and facilities in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations such that it protects the environment and the health and safety of its employees and the public. The Company intends to continue to make expenditures for environmental protection and improvements in a timely manner consistent with its policies and with available technology. In some cases, applicable environmental regulations such as those adopted under the United States' Clean Air Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, and related actions of regulatory agencies determine the timing and amount of environmental costs incurred by the Company. Likewise, any new legislation or regulations related to GHG emissions, energy, or climate change, or the repeal of such legislation or regulations, could impact the timing and amount of environmental costs incurred by the Company.
The Company accrues environmental costs when it is probable that the Company has incurred a liability at a contaminated site and the amount can be reasonably estimated. In some instances, the amount cannot be reasonably estimated due to insufficient information, particularly as to the nature and timing of future expenditures. In these cases, the liability is monitored until such time that sufficient information exists. With respect to a contaminated site, the amount accrued reflects liabilities expected to be paid out within approximately 30 years as well as the Company's assumptions about remediation requirements at the contaminated site, the nature of the remedy, the outcome of discussions with regulatory agencies and other potentially responsible parties at multi-party sites, and the number and financial viability of other potentially responsible parties. Changes in the estimates on which the accruals are based, unanticipated government enforcement action, or changes in health, safety, environmental, and chemical control regulations, and testing requirements could result in higher or lower costs.
The Company does not currently expect near term environmental capital expenditures arising from requirements of environmental laws and regulations to materially impact the Company's planned level of annual capital expenditures for environmental control facilities. Other matters concerning health, safety, and the environment are discussed in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Part II, Item 7 and in Note 1, "Significant Accounting Policies"; Note 13, "Environmental Matters and Asset Retirement Obligations"; and Note 21, "Reserve Rollforwards", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
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Eastman's cash expenditures related to environmental protection and improvement were $339 million, $307 million, and $314 million in 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively, and include operating costs associated with environmental protection equipment and facilities, engineering costs, and construction costs. These cash expenditures include environmental capital expenditures of approximately $80 million, $70 million, and $65 million in 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
Health and Safety
Eastman places a strong emphasis on the health, safety, and well-being of its employees. Eastman's commitment to a "zero-incident mindset" takes a holistic approach to people and processes by fostering the right behaviors, values, and culture to ensure that its employees are operating responsibly, accountably, and safely. See "Human Capital". Under the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, as administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA"), some of the Company's operations are subject to workplace standards under OSHA's Process Safety Management program. From time to time, the Company may incur significant capital expenditures to maintain compliance with the requirements of this program.
Available Information - Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") Filings
Eastman makes available free of charge, in the Investors section of its Internet website at www.eastman.com, its annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing such material with, or furnishing it to, the SEC. Additionally, the Company routinely posts additional important information, including press releases, on its website and recognizes its website as a channel of distribution to reach public investors and as a means of disclosing material non-public information for complying with disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor the Company's website in addition to its SEC filings and public webcasts. The information contained on the Company's website is not included as a part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report.
The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
In addition to factors described elsewhere in this Annual Report, the following are the material known factors, risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report and elsewhere from time to time. See "Forward-Looking Statements". The risks described below should be carefully considered, some of which have manifested and any of which may occur in the future, in addition to the other information contained in this Annual Report, before making an investment decision with respect to any of the Company's securities. The following risk factors are not necessarily presented in the order of importance. In addition, there may be other factors not currently known to the Company, which could, in the future, materially adversely affect the Company, its business, financial condition, or results of operations. This and other related disclosures made by the Company in this Annual Report, and elsewhere from time to time, represent management's best judgment as of the date the information is given. The Company does not undertake responsibility for updating any of such information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. Investors are advised, however, to consult any further public Company disclosures (such as in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in Company press releases, or in other public Company presentations) on related subjects.
Risks Related to Global Economy and Industry Conditions
Continued uncertain conditions in the global economy, labor market, and financial markets could negatively impact the Company.
The Company's business and operating results are impacted by global recessions, and the related impacts, such as the credit market crisis, declining consumer and business confidence, fluctuating commodity prices, volatile exchange rates, increasing interest rates, and other challenges that impacted the global economy. Similarly, as a company that operates and sells products worldwide, uncertainty in the global economy, labor market, and capital markets (including impacts from inflation, higher interest rates, changes in governing and legislative bodies, and subsequent changes and disruptions in business, political, and economic conditions) has impacted and may adversely impact demand for and the costs of certain Eastman products and accordingly results of operations. These events may in turn adversely impact the Company's financial condition and cash flows
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and ability to access the credit and capital markets under attractive rates and terms, negatively impacting the Company's liquidity or ability to pursue certain growth initiatives.
In addition, the Federal Reserve in the U.S. and other central banks in various countries have raised interest rates in response to concerns about inflation, which, coupled with reduced government spending and volatility in financial markets, may have the effect of further increasing economic uncertainty and heightening these risks. Interest rate increases or other government actions taken to reduce inflation could also result in recessionary pressures in many parts of the world.
Volatility in costs for strategic raw material and energy commodities or disruption in the supply and transportation of these commodities and in transportation of Company products could adversely impact the Company's financial results.
Eastman is reliant on certain strategic raw material and energy commodities for its operations and utilizes certain risk management tools to mitigate market fluctuations in raw material and energy costs. The cost and availability of these raw materials and energy commodities can be adversely impacted by factors such as business and economic conditions, anomaloussevere weather events, natural disasters, global pandemics, plant interruptions, supply chain and transportation disruptions, changes in laws or regulations, levels of unemployment and inflation, currency exchange rates, higher interest rates, war or other outbreak of hostilities or terrorism (such as the ongoing Russia/Ukraine conflict), and breakdown or degradation of transportation and supply chain infrastructure.
Inflationary pressures affecting the general economy, energy markets, and certain raw materials have increased the Company's operating costs. While the Company has undertaken efforts to offset many of these costs through various pricing actions, these risk mitigation measures do not eliminate all exposure to market fluctuations. In addition to these inflationary pressures, the Company has experienced certain supply chain challenges impacting its ability to secure certain raw materials and timely distribute products to customers. To mitigate the effects of these and other supply chain disruptions, the Company has implemented multifaceted sourcing, warehousing, and delivery strategies to focus on building resilient and redundant supply positions, and minimizing disruptions to customers by using alternate shipping methods to expedite delivery times. The Company's geographic footprint has also helped reduce exposure to localized risks.
Prolonged periods of heightened inflation or supply chain disruptions could have a material, adverse impact on the Company's financial performance and results of operations.
The Company's substantial global operations subject it to risks of doing business in other countries that could adversely impact its business, financial condition, and results of operations.
More than half of Eastman's sales for 2025 were to customers outside of North America. The Company expects sales from international markets to continue to represent a significant portion of its sales. Also, a significant portion of the Company's manufacturing capacity is located outside of the United States. Accordingly, the Company's business is subject to risks related to the differing legal, political, cultural, social and regulatory requirements, and economic conditions of many jurisdictions. Fluctuations in currency exchange rates may impact product demand and may adversely impact the profitability in U.S. dollars of products and services provided in foreign countries. Volatility or unfavorable movements in currency exchange rates may adversely impact Eastman's financial condition or cash flows. Although the Company employs a variety of techniques to mitigate the impact of exchange rate fluctuations, there cannot be a guarantee that such hedging and risk management strategies will be effective, and Eastman's results of operations could be adversely affected.
The U.S. and foreign countries may also adopt or increase restrictions on foreign trade or investment, including currency exchange controls, tariffs or other taxes, or limitations on imports or exports (including recent and proposed changes in U.S. trade policy and resulting retaliatory actions by other countries, including China, which may increasingly reduce demand for and increase costs of impacted products or result in U.S.-based trade counterparties limiting trade with U.S.-based companies or non-U.S. customers limiting their purchases from U.S.-based companies). Certain legal and political risks are also inherent in the operation of a company with Eastman's global scope. For example, it may be more difficult for Eastman to enforce its agreements or collect receivables through foreign legal systems. There is also a risk that foreign governments may nationalize private enterprises in certain countries where Eastman operates. Also, changes in general economic and political conditions in countries where Eastman operates are a risk to the Company's financial performance. As Eastman continues to operate its business globally, its success will depend, in part, on its ability to anticipate and effectively manage and mitigate these and other related risks. There can be no assurance that the consequences of these and other factors relating to its multinational operations will not have an adverse impact on Eastman's business, financial condition, or results of operations.
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Risks Related to the Company's Business and Strategy
The Company's business is subject to operating risks common to chemical and specialty materials manufacturing businesses, any of which could disrupt manufacturing operations or related infrastructure and adversely impact results of operations.
As a global specialty materials company, Eastman's business is subject to operating risks common to chemical manufacturing, storage, handling, and transportation, including explosions, fires, inclement weather, natural disasters, mechanical failure, unscheduleddowntime, transportation and supply chain interruptions, remediation, chemical spills, and discharges or releases of toxic or hazardous substances or gases. Significant limitation on the Company's ability to manufacture products due to disruption of manufacturing operations or related infrastructure could have a material adverse impact on the Company's sales revenue, costs, results of operations, credit ratings, and financial condition. Disruptions could occur due to internal factors such as computer or equipment malfunction (accidental or intentional), operator error, or process failures; or external factors such as supply chain disruption, computer or equipment malfunction at third-party service providers, natural disasters, changes in laws or regulations, war or other outbreak of hostilities or terrorism, cyber-attacks, or breakdown or degradation of transportation and supply chain infrastructure used for delivery of supplies to the Company or for delivery of products to customers. Unplanneddisruptions of manufacturing operations or related infrastructure could be significant in scale and could negatively impact operations, neighbors, and the environment, and could have a negative impact on the Company's results of operations.
In addition, as a chemical and materials manufacturing company, efficient inventory management is also a critical component of Eastman's business success. If inventory management decisions do not accurately forecast customer demand, buying trends and patterns, or seasonality, the Company may have to recognize unanticipated expenses or make pricing adjustments to dispose of the excess inventory, which can adversely impact Eastman's financial results.
The Company is subject to operating risks related to its information technology infrastructure, including service interruptions, data corruption, cyber-based attacks, or network security incidents, which could cause operations to be disrupted, product manufacturing to be delayed, or data confidentiality to be impaired.
Eastman depends on information technology ("IT") to enable the Company to operate safely, interface with employees, vendors and customers, and maintain its internal control environment. The Company's IT systems are maintained with a risk-based approach for the implementation of security protocols, system updates, employee training, and engagement of external experts. Eastman's risk-based approach is integrated with the Company's overall risk management strategy. Eastman's IT capabilities are delivered through a combination of internal and external services and service providers.
Despite the Company's efforts to mitigate cybersecurity risk, its business may be impacted by system shutdowns, service disruptions, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents, data breaches, and operational disruptions are constantly evolving, becoming more sophisticated, and conducted by groups and individuals with a wide range of expertise and motives, including foreign governments, cyber terrorists, cyber criminals, malicious employees, and other insiders and outsiders. Such an incident could result in unauthorized access or disclosure of confidential or personal information, and loss of trade secrets and intellectual property. In addition, the Company may suffer financial and reputational damage because of lost or misappropriated confidential information belonging to the Company, its current or former employees, customers, or suppliers, and may become exposed to legal action, governmental investigations, enforcement actions, and regulatory fines. The Company may also be required to spend additional resources to restore systems or repair damage caused by a cybersecurity incident. These risks may also be present for the Company's joint venture partners, suppliers, or acquired businesses.
The Company has been in the past, and likely will be in the future, subject to cyber-attacks related to its information systems. Although none of the previous cyber-attacks have had a material adverse impact on the Company's operations or financial results, no assurances can be provided that any future disruptions due to these, or other circumstances, will not have such an impact. See "Cybersecurity" in Part I, Item 1C of this Annual Report.
The Company is subject to risks associated with the potential use of artificial intelligence in the Company’s own operations and by third-party partners that the Company may engage with.
Eastman has been increasingly using AI tools and more traditional data science practices in its operations, research and development, and other areas to improveefficiency and effectiveness. The Company may be exposed to risks in cases where it utilizes AI in connection with certain business activities now or in the future. In addition, the use of AI by Eastman, its employees, or any of its third-party partners may result in unauthorized disclosure of data, which can result in, among other things, reputational harm, loss of confidence by the Company’s customers or employees, penalties, litigation costs, or legal
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liability. Analyses, results, or business processes relying on AI may also be deficient, inaccurate, or biased, and the Company may fail to identify in a timely fashion, or at all, if or to the extent that is the case.
Growth initiatives may not achievedesired business or financial objectives and may require significant resources in addition to or different from those available or in excess of those estimated or budgeted for such initiatives.
Eastman continues to identify and pursue growth opportunities through both organic and inorganic initiatives, such as Eastman's sustainable innovation initiatives, which aim to develop a more "circular economy." These and other growth opportunities include development and commercialization of innovative new products and technologies, expansion into new markets and geographic regions through, among other means, alliances, ventures, and acquisitions that complement and extend the Company's portfolio of businesses and capabilities. Such initiatives are necessarily constrained by availability and development of additional resources.
There can be no assurance that such innovation, development and commercialization, investments, or acquisitions and alliances (including integration of acquired businesses) will receive necessary governmental or regulatory approvals, or result in financially successful commercialization of products, or acceptance by existing or new customers, or successful entry into new markets or otherwise achieve their underlying strategic business objectives or that they will be beneficial to the Company's results of operations. There also can be no assurance that capital projects for growth efforts can be completed within the time or at the costs projected due to, among other things, demand for and availability of construction materials and labor, obtaining regulatory approvals and operating permits, and reaching agreement on terms of key agreements and arrangements with potential suppliers and customers. Any such delays or cost overruns or the inability to obtain such approvals or to reach such agreements on acceptable terms could negatively impact the returns from any proposed or current investments and projects.
The Company is the subject of various legal proceedings, and may be subject to future claims, that could have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition, and results of operations.
From time to time, Eastman is involved in various legal proceedings or other commercial disputes and other legal and regulatory proceedings relating to its business. Due to the inherent uncertainties of litigation, commercial disputes, including claims related to product quality, defects, or use, or other legal or regulatory proceedings, management cannot accurately predict their ultimate outcome, including the outcome of any related appeals. Although management establishes reserves based on the assessment of contingencies related to legal claims asserted against the Company, subsequent developments may affect its assessment and estimates of the loss contingency recorded as a reserve and require payments in excess of the Company's reserves, which could have an adverse effect on Eastman's business, financial conditions, and results of operations. Although the Company maintains liability insurance coverage, potential litigationclaims could be excluded, limited by self-insured retentions, or exceed coverage limits under the terms of the Company's insurance policies.
If Eastman is unable to protect its intellectual property rights, the Company's competitive position, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely impacted.
Eastman relies on its intellectual property rights both in the U.S. and in foreign countries, including patents, trade secrets, trademarks, trade names, and copyrights to protect its investment in research and development and its competitive commercial positions in manufacturing and branding its products. Because of the differences in foreign trademark, patent, and other laws concerning intellectual property rights, the intellectual property rights may not receive the same degree of protection in foreign countries as they would in the U.S., which could result in inconsistent protection or loss of valuable intellectual property rights in some countries. If the Company is not successful in protecting its intellectual property rights, Eastman's business, financial condition, and results of operations may be adversely affected.
Significant acquisitions or divestitures could expose the Company to risks and uncertainties, the occurrence of any of which could materially adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition, and results of operations.
While acquisitions and divestitures have been and continue to be a part of Eastman's strategy, acquisitions of large companies and acquisitions or divestitures of businesses subject the Company to a number of risks and uncertainties, the occurrence of any of which could have a material adverse effect on Eastman. These include, but are not limited to, the possibility that the actual and projected future financial performance of the acquired or remaining business may be significantly worse than expected. In the case of an acquired business and as reported in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Critical Accounting Estimates – Impairment of Long-Lived Assets - Goodwill" in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report, the carrying values of goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets, and certain assets from acquisitions may, as has been the case for certain acquired assets, be impaired resulting in non-cash charges to future earnings. In the case of a divested
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business, the divestiture could reduce Eastman's revenue and, potentially, margins and increase its costs and liabilities in the form of transition costs and retained liabilities from the operations divested, including environmental liabilities.
If Eastman were to incur significant additional indebtedness, it may constrain the Company's ability to access the credit and capital markets at attractive interest rates and favorable terms, which may negatively impact the Company's liquidity or ability to pursue certain growth initiatives. The Company also may not be able to achieve the cost, revenue, tax, or other "synergies" expected from any acquisition, or that there may be delays in achieving any such synergies. In addition, management's time and effort may be dedicated to the integration of the new business or specific assets or product lines or separation of the divested business or specific assets or product lines resulting in a loss of focus on the successful operation of the Company's legacy businesses. The Company also may be required to expend significant additional resources in order to integrate any acquired business or specific assets or product lines into Eastman or separate any divested business or specific assets or product lines from Eastman. As such, the integration or separation efforts may not achieve the expected benefits.
The Company may be subject to indemnity claims relating to properties or businesses it has divested or acquired.
In connection with the sale of certain properties and businesses, Eastman has agreed to indemnify the purchasers of such properties for certain types of matters, including unknown contingent liabilities for environmental matters or tax liabilities. In addition, the Company has assumed liabilities related to certain properties it has acquired. With respect to environmental matters, the discovery of contamination arising from properties that the Company has divested or acquired may expose it to liability for environmental matters, including indemnity obligations under the sale agreements with the buyers of such properties or cleanup obligations and other damages under applicable environmental laws. Eastman may not have insurance coverage for such indemnity obligations or cash flows to make such indemnity or other payments.
Certain agreements by which the Company has acquired companies require the former owners to indemnify Eastman against certain liabilities related to the operation of those companies prior to Eastman's acquisition. Similarly, the purchasers of the Company's disposed operations may, from time to time, agree to indemnify it for operations of such businesses after the closing. There can be no assurance that the indemnity agreements will be sufficient to protect Eastman against the full amount of any liabilities that may arise, or that the indemnitors will be able to fully satisfy their indemnification obligations. The failure to receive amounts for which Eastman is entitled to indemnification could adversely affect Eastman's financial condition and results of operations. For information regarding potential environmental remediation costs, see Note 13, "Environmental Matters and Asset Retirement Obligations", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Failure to attract and retain talented personnel could adversely affect the Company's ability to compete and achieve its strategic objectives.
Eastman's future success in achieving its performance and growth goals depends on its ability to attract, retain, develop, and motivate highly skilled personnel. The Company has experienced, and continues to experience, an increasingly competitive hiring environment for skilled employees at its manufacturing and other sites, which has generally increased the cost of hiring or retaining talented employees essential to its success. In addition, effective succession planning is paramount to its long-term success. It is critical that Eastman identifies and develops succession candidates for senior management and other key positions throughout the organization. Failure to timely identify and develop succession candidates heightens the risk associated with the unexpected departure of key employees. Eastman's inability to ensure effective transfer of knowledge and transitions involving key employees could adversely impact its strategic planning and execution, which could adversely affect Eastman's business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Risks Related to Regulatory Changes and Compliance
Legislative, regulatory, or voluntary actions, or violations thereof, could increase the Company's future health, safety, environmental, and other compliance costs and legal costs or have an adverse impact on the Company's ability to operate in foreign countries.
Eastman, its facilities, and its businesses are subject to complex health, safety, and environmental laws, regulations, and related voluntary actions, both in the U.S. and internationally, which require and will continue to require significant expenditures to remain in compliance with such laws, regulations, and voluntary actions. The Company's manufacturing activities, both inside and outside of the U.S., are subject to regulation by various federal, state, local, and foreign laws, regulations, rules, and government agencies concerning, among other things, air emissions, discharges to land and water, and the generation, handling, treatment, and disposal of hazardous waste and other materials. Actual or allegedviolations of environmental, health, or safety laws and regulations could result in restrictions or prohibitions on manufacturing operations as well as substantial damages,
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penalties, fines, civil, or criminal sanctions and remediation costs. Eastman has incurred, and will continue to incur, significant costs and capital expenditures to comply with these laws and regulations, which may adversely impact its business and financial results. Future developments and more stringent environmental regulations may require the Company to make significant expenditures for environmental protection equipment, compliance, and remediation.
The Company's accruals for such costs and associated liabilities are subject to changes in estimates on which the accruals are based. For example, any amount accrued for environmental matters reflects the Company's assumptions about remediation requirements at the contaminated site, the nature of the remedy, the outcome of discussions with regulatory agencies and other potentially responsible parties at multi-party sites, and the number of and financial viability of other potentially responsible parties. Changes in the estimates on which the accruals are based, unanticipated government enforcement action, or changes in health, safety, environmental, chemical control regulations and actions, and testing requirements could result in higher costs.
The global nature of Eastman's business could subject the Company to risks of violations, or allegations, associated with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the "FCPA") and similar foreign anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws. These anti-bribery laws and regulations generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or keeping business. Further, the accounting provisions of the FCPA require the maintenance of accurate books and records of all company transactions. Alleged or actual violations of these laws could subject the Company to substantial civil and/or criminalfines and penalties, which could have a material adverse effect on Eastman's business, reputation, operating results, and financial condition. Further, the Company is required to comply with U.S. or foreign government regulations on trade sanctions and embargoes. A violation thereof could subject the Company to regulatory enforcement actions, including a loss of export privileges and significant civil and criminalpenalties and fines.
Financial, regulatory, physical and transition risks associated with climate change could materially adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Extreme weather events linked to climate change, including hurricanes and other storms, flooding, extreme heat and drought, create physical risks to Eastman's manufacturing operations, as well as those of its key suppliers, which could result in operating disruptions and additional costs. While the Company's sustainability and "circular economy" innovation initiatives are sources of competitive strength (see "Business - Corporate Overview - Business Strategy - Circular Economy and Sustainability" in Part I, Item 1 of this Annual Report), future changes in legislation and regulation and related voluntary actions associated with physical impacts of climate change may increase the likelihood that the Company's manufacturing facilities will in the future be impacted by carbon requirements, regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, and energy policy. In addition, such changes may require additional capital expenditures, increase costs or limit the supply of raw materials and energy choices, and result in other direct and indirect compliance or other costs. Such changes could also result in decreased demand for products related to carbon-based energy sources or increased demand for goods that result in lower emissions than competing products. See "Business - Eastman Chemical Company General Information - Compliance with Environmental and Other Government Regulations" in Part I, Item 1 of this Annual Report.
Changes in tax laws, regulations or treaties or adverse determinations by taxing or other governmental authorities could increase the Company's tax liabilities or otherwise affect its business, financial condition or results of operations.
The multinational nature of Eastman's business subjects it to taxation in the United States and other foreign jurisdictions. Changes to income tax laws and regulations or in the interpretation of such laws in any of the jurisdictions in which it operates, including new legislation, such as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or the unfavorable resolution of tax matters could significantly increase the Company's effective tax rate and adversely impact its financial condition or results of operations. Eastman could also be affected by, among other things, changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, expirations of tax holidays, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, and changes in liabilities for uncertain tax positions. In addition, the U.S. and foreign countries may impose additional taxes or otherwise tax Eastman's income. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Critical Accounting Estimates - Income Taxes" in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report. For example, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ("OECD") has introduced a framework to implement a global minimum tax. Several jurisdictions in which Eastman operates have enacted laws effective January 1, 2024, consistent with the OECD's framework. Details around the global minimum tax in most jurisdictions remain uncertain. The Company has so far experienced a modest increase in tax obligations in jurisdictions it conducts business, a large portion of which is expected to be temporary due to the OECD's January 5, 2026 "side by side" arrangement. Eastman will continue to monitor and evaluate impacts.
The Company's insurance may not fully cover all potential exposures.
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Eastman maintains property, casualty, business interruption, and other insurance, but coverage limits may not be sufficient to cover all risks associated with the hazards of its business. As a result of market conditions, premiums and deductibles for certain insurance policies can increase substantially and, in some instances, certain insurance policies may become unavailable or available only for reduced amounts of coverage. In addition, from time to time, various types of insurance for specialty chemical companies have not been available on commercially acceptable terms or, in some cases, have not been available at all. For some risks, the Company may elect not to obtain insurance but instead self-insure. Losses and liabilities from uninsured or underinsured events and delay in the payment of insurance proceeds could have a material adverse effect on Eastman's business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Financial Strategy
Business Segments
Advanced Materials Segment
Additives & Functional Products Segment
Chemical Intermediates Segment
Fibers Segment
Eastman Chemical Company General Information
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CORPORATE OVERVIEW
Eastman Chemical Company ("Eastman" or the "Company") is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. Eastman began business in 1920 for the purpose of producing chemicals for Eastman Kodak Company's photographic business and became a public company, incorporated in Delaware, on December 31, 1993. Eastman has 36 manufacturing facilities and has equity interests in four manufacturing joint ventures in 12 countries that supply products to customers throughout the world. See "Properties" in Part I, Item 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K (this "Annual Report"). The Company's headquarters and largest manufacturing facility are located in Kingsport, Tennessee. With a robust portfolio of specialty businesses, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions with a commitment to safety and sustainability. Eastman's businesses are managed and reported in four operating segments: Advanced Materials ("AM"), Additives & Functional Products ("AFP"), Chemical Intermediates ("CI"), and Fibers. See "Business Segments".
In the first years as a stand-alone company, Eastman was diversified between commodity and more specialty chemical businesses. Beginning in 2004, the Company refocused its strategy and changed its businesses and portfolio of products, first by the divestiture and discontinuance of under-performing assets and commodity businesses and initiatives (including divestiture in 2004 of resins, inks, and monomers product lines, divestiture in 2006 of the polyethylene business, and divestiture from 2007 to 2010 of the polyethylene terephthalate ("PET") assets and business). The Company then pursued growth through the development and acquisition of more specialty businesses and product lines by inorganic acquisition and integration (including acquisitions of Solutia, Inc., a global leader in performance materials and specialty chemicals in 2012, and Taminco Corporation, a global specialty chemical company in 2014) and organic development and commercialization of new and enhanced technologies and products.
Eastman uses an innovation-driven growth model which consists of leveraging world class scalable technology platforms, delivering differentiated application development capabilities, and relentlessly engaging the market. The Company's world class technology platforms, scale advantage, and sustainability macrotrends form the foundation of the Company's research and development ("R&D") and innovation initiatives. Molecular recycling technologies continue to be an area of investment focus for the Company and extend the level of differentiation afforded by its world class technology platforms. Eastman began operating the world's largest polyester molecular recycling facility in 2024 and achievedstrongimprovement in operating rates in 2025. Differentiated application development converts market complexity into opportunities for growth and accelerates innovation by enabling a deeper understanding of the value of Eastman's products and how they perform within customers' and end-users' products. Key areas of application development include thermoplastic conversion, functional films, coatings formulations, textiles, and personal and home care formulations. The Company engages the market by working directly with customers and downstream users, targeting attractive markets, and leveraging disruptive macro trends. Management believes that these elements of the Company's innovation-driven growth model, combined with disciplined portfolio management and balanced capital deployment, are transforming Eastman into a global specialty materials company that enhances the quality of life in a material way. The Company's impact is evidenced by recycling technology that allows for waste to be used as building blocks in several Eastman products, branded with "Renew". As a global specialty materials company, management continuously evaluates the Company's business and operations to improve cost structure, increase investment in growth, and strengthen execution capabilities, including specific initiatives to transform operations, work processes and systems, and business structure alignment, scale, and integration.
In 2025, the Company reported sales revenue of $8.8 billion, earnings before interest and taxes ("EBIT") of $776 million, and net earnings attributable to Eastman of $474 million. Diluted earnings per share were $4.10. Net cash provided by operating activities was $970 million. Excluding non-core and unusual items, adjusted EBIT was $930 million and adjusted diluted earnings per share were $5.42. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report for a reconciliation of financial measures under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") to non-GAAP financial measures, description of excluded items, and related information. For Company sales revenue by end-use market, see Exhibit 99.01 "2025 Company and Segment Sales Revenue by End-Use Market" of this Annual Report. Approximately 55 percent of 2025 sales revenue was generated from outside the United States and Canada region. For additional information regarding sales by customer location and by segment, see Note 20, "Segment and Regional Sales Information", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8, and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Summary by Operating Segment", and "Sales by Customer Location" in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report.
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BUSINESS STRATEGY
Eastman's objective is to be a global specialty materials company that enhances the quality of life in a material way with consistent, sustainable earnings growth and strong cash flow. Integral to the Company's strategy for growth is leveraging its heritage expertise and innovation within its cellulosic biopolymer and acetyl, olefins, polyester, and alkylamine chemistries. For each of these "streams", the Company has developed and acquired a combination of assets and technologies that combine scale and integration across multiple manufacturing units and sites as a competitive advantage. Management uses an innovation-driven growth model which consists of leveraging world class scalable technology platforms, delivering differentiated application development, and relentlessly engaging the market. The Company sells differentiated products into diverse markets and geographic regions and engages the market by collaborating and co-innovating with customers and downstream users in existing and new targeted markets to creatively solve problems. Management believes that this innovation-driven growth model will enable the Company to leverage its proven technology capabilities to improve product mix, increasing emphasis on specialty businesses, and sustaining and expanding market share through leadership in attractive targeted markets.
Innovation
Management is pursuing specific opportunities to leverage Eastman's innovation-driven growth model with the goal of greater than end-market growth by both sustaining the Company's leadership in existing markets and expanding into new markets. Recently developed, introduced, or commercialized innovation products, applications, and technologies include the following:
• Molecular recycling technologies, including polyester renewal technology and carbon renewal technology, which are being used for production and commercial sales of multiple products, described below under " Sustainability and Circular Economy ";
• Eastman Tritan™ Renew copolyester based on polyester renewal technology which transforms single-use polyester waste into basic building blocks that are then used to make durable, high performance materials;
• Naia™, a biodegradable and compostable cellulosic biopolymer fiber product for the apparel market developed from proprietary cellulosic materials that are approximately 60 percent biopolymer derived, and Naia™ Renew, approximately 60 percent biopolymer and 40 percent waste plastics derived;
• Aventa™, a biodegradable and compostable cellulosic biopolymer that is approximately 60 percent bio-content derived, and Aventa™ Renew, approximately 60 percent bio-content derived and 40 percent recycled plastic derived, both used in food service and food packaging applications. Aventa™ is both home and industrially compostable and does not persist in the environment as a microplastic;
• Esmeri™, a naturally derived, biodegradable cellulose ester micropowder that delivers advanced optical effects and durable performance in color cosmetics, sun care, and skin care;
• Solus™, a biodegradable paper coating additive that enhances the end of life of packaging used in food service;
• Saflex™ innovations in both the automotive and building and construction markets including: Saflex™ Horizon Vision, a next generation polyvinyl butyral ("PVB") interlayer product, for advanced Head-up Displays ("HUD") systems, enhancing virtual image and field of view; Saflex™ Evoca, a new platform for electrical vehicle glazing, offering acoustic, solar, or color options to design; and Saflex™ LiteCarbon Clear, a premium PVB interlayer that reduces the embodied carbon of laminated glass elements while maintaining the construction of safe buildings; and
• Eastman CORE™, a software platform that provides automotive dealership groups and professional installers access to shop management and automotive film patterns to improve installation quality and customer experience.
Sustainability and Circular Economy
Central to Eastman's innovation-driven growth model is the Company's dedication to enhance the quality of life in a material way with an ongoing commitment to sustainability.
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The Company's long history of technical expertise in chemical processes and polymer science positions it to provide innovative solutions to some of the world's most complex problems. One example is Eastman's contribution to the development of a more "circular economy". A circular economy focuses on making the most of the world's resources - minimizing waste and maximizing value - by providing end-of-life solutions to reduce, reuse, and recycle products and materials. This keeps materials in use and decouples growth from scarce resource consumption by recycling carbon in the form of hard to recycle waste plastics, while allowing economic development and improvement in quality of life. The Company's sustainable innovation initiatives include biodegradation, molecular recycling, and strategic collaborations with end-user markets. The Company continues the use of its unique platform of solutions to address the challenges of plastic waste in the environment with advanced circular recycling, or molecular recycling, including polyester renewal and carbon renewal technologies. Together, these technologies allow the Company to use plastic waste, such as polyester carpet and waste rejected from mechanical recyclers, colored strapping, and bottles, as feedstock to lower greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions compared to traditional processes. Eastman's scale and integration provide a unique opportunity to accelerate the use of these molecular recycling technologies and make a meaningful positive impact on the environment.
Management approaches sustainability as a source of competitive strength by focusing its innovation strategy on opportunities where disruptive macro trends align with the Company's differentiated technology platforms. Applications development capabilities are used to develop innovative products, applications, and technologies that enable customers' development and sale of sustainable products. Eastman's sustainability-related growth initiatives include targeted product and process innovation that focuses on enhancing product health and safety, end-use product durability, recyclability, and reducing material usage, while lowering GHG emissions associated with climate change. Eastman has focused on communication and collaboration with stakeholders, including policymakers and other interested parties, to build support for the concepts of molecular recycling and mass balance accounting (an accepted and certified protocol by International Sustainability & Carbon Certification ("ISCC") that documents and tracks recycled content through complex manufacturing systems). Eastman has committed to reduce its absolute scope 1 (direct GHG emissions occurring from sources that are owned by Eastman) and scope 2 (indirect GHG associated with the purchase of electricity, steam, heat, or cooling as a result of Eastman's energy use) emissions by 30 percent by 2035, measured from the Company's 2017 baseline year, in order to achieve net-zero operations by 2050, and to innovate to provide products that enable energy savings and GHG emissions reductions to customers and end-users.
Eastman focuses on the triple challenge of climate change, plastic waste, and a growing population through its aligned innovation pillars of Circularity, Caring for Society, and Climate. Examples of Eastman sustainable solutions within identified disruptive macro trends include:
Innovation Pillar
Growth Platform by Segment
Mainstreaming Circularity
Mitigating Climate Change
Caring For Society
Advanced Materials
Circular Economy Solutions (Eastman Renew)
Next-Generation Copolyester Innovation
Saflex™ Evoca™ for Electric Vehicles (1)
Window and Paint Protection Films
Additives & Functional Products
Solus™ Biobased Additive for Paper Coatings (2)
Esmeri™ Micropowder for Personal Care (3)
Fibers
Naia™ Filament and Staple Fiber
Other
Aventa™ and Aventa™ Renew Compostable Materials (4)
(1) Saflex ™ Evoca ™ interlayers improves acoustic performance, provides lightweight alternatives for windshields, and helps mitigate solar heat to increase maximum driving range and reduce strain on air conditioning systems in electric vehicles.
(2) Solus ™ for paper coatings is a proprietary additive used in food service and food backing that is compatible with the recycle stream for paper.
(3) Esmeri ™ is a cellulosic biopolymer for personal care applications including color cosmetics, sunscreens, and facial lotions.
(4) Aventa ™ , a biodegradable and compostable cellulosic biopolymer, replaces single-use, traditional materials in food packaging and quick-service restaurants such as straws, cutlery, and protein trays.
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Eastman is positioned to enhance the quality of life in a material way with its sustainable solutions. The Company's expertise and scalability within the Circular Economy platform allows true material to material recycling with an infinite loop and no compromise to quality. The Company's technologies create virgin equivalent drop-in replacements for existing products by breaking down hard-to-recycle plastic waste feedstock to a molecular level and upcycling it back to food-grade products. This platform is further differentiated as it is able to reduce GHG emissions by up to 70 percent, including avoided emissions, when comparing to materials made from fossil feedstocks. The Company's molecular recycling technology also overcomesbarriers seen in mechanical recycling such as degradation in color and performance after multiple cycles.
These strengths have enabled the Company to achieve significant milestones in 2025 within the Circular Economy platform, including:
• Operating the world's largest polyester molecular recycling facility, which generated approximately 2.5 times greater output than 2024; and
• Continued adoption of the Company's circular polyester offerings across multiple end-markets including consumer durables and packaging.
FINANCIAL STRATEGY
In its management of the Company's businesses and growth initiatives, management is committed to maintaining a strong financial position with appropriate financial flexibility and liquidity. Management believes maintaining a financial profile that supports a solid investment grade credit rating is important to its long-term strategy and financial flexibility. The Company employs a disciplined and balanced approach to capital allocation and deployment of cash. The priorities for uses of available cash include paying the quarterly dividend, funding targeted growth opportunities, and repurchasing shares, while maintaining a solid investment-grade balance sheet. Management expects that the combination of continued stable cash flow generation, a strong balance sheet, and sufficient liquidity will continue to provide flexibility to pursue growth initiatives.
BUSINESS SEGMENTS
The Company's products and operations are managed and reported in four operating segments: Advanced Materials ("AM"), Additives & Functional Products ("AFP"), Chemical Intermediates ("CI"), and Fibers. This organizational structure is based on the management of the strategies, operating models, and sales channels that the various businesses employ and supports the Company's continued transformation towards a global specialty materials company.
For segment sales revenue and earnings and segment product lines revenues, see Note 20, "Segment and Regional Sales Information", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Summary by Operating Segment" in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report. For identification of manufacturing facilities by segment, see Item 2, "Properties" of this Annual Report.
ADVANCED MATERIALS SEGMENT
Overview
In the AM segment, the Company produces and markets polymers, films, and plastics with differentiated performance properties for value-added end-uses in transportation; durables and electronics; building and construction; medical and pharma; and consumables end-markets. Key technology platforms for this segment include cellulosic biopolymers, copolyesters, and PVB and polyester films.
Eastman's technical, application development, and market development capabilities enable the AM segment to modify its polymers, films, and plastics to control and customize their final properties for the development of new applications with enhanced functionality. For example, Tritan ™ copolyesters are a leading solution for food contact applications due to their performance and processing attributes and bisphenol A free ("BPA free") properties. The Saflex ™ Q Series product line is a leading acoustic solution for architectural and automotive applications. The Company also maintains a leading solar control technology position in the window films market as well as advanced urethane film and coatings technologies in the paint protection film market. The segment principally competes on differentiated technology and application development capabilities. Management believes the AM segment's competitive advantages also include long-term customer relationships, vertical integration and scale in manufacturing, and leading market positions.
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Principal Products
Product
Description
Principal
Competitors
Key Raw
Materials
End-Use Applications
Advanced Interlayers
Saflex ™
Saflex ™ Q Series
Saflex ™ HUD interlayer products
standard PVB
sheet
premium PVB
sheet
Sekisui Chemical Co.,
Ltd.
Kuraray Co., Ltd.
Kingboard (Fo Gang)
Specialty Resins
Limited
Chang Chun
Petrochemical Co.,
Ltd.
polyvinyl alcohol
butyraldehyde
2-ethyl hexanol ethanol
triethylene glycol
vinyl acetate monomer
transportation (automotive safety glass,
automotive acoustic glass, and
HUD)
building and construction (PVB for
architectural interlayers)
Performance Films
LLumar ™
Flexvue ™
SunTek ™
V-KOOL ™
Gila ™
window films and
protective films
products for
aftermarket
applied films
XPEL, Inc.
3M Company
Saint-Gobain S.A.
polyethylene terephthalate film
aliphatic thermoplastic polyurethane film
transportation (automotive after-
market window films and paint
protection films)
building and construction (residential
and commercial window films)
Specialty Plastics
Tritan ™ copolyesters
Eastar ™ copolyesters
Spectar ™ copolyesters
Embrace ™ copolyesters
Visualize ™
Eastman Aspira ™ family of resins
Treva ™
standard copolyesters
premium copolyesters
cellulosic biopolymers
molecular-recycled copolyesters
S.K. Chemical Industries
Sichuan Push Acetati Company Limited
Daicel Chemical Industries Ltd.
Covestro AG
Trinseo S.A.
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation
paraxylene
ethylene glycol
cellulose
purified terephthalic acid
waste plastics and textiles
consumables (consumer packaging,
cosmetics packaging, in-store
fixtures and displays)
durable goods (consumer housewares
and appliances)
health and wellness (medical)
electronics (displays)
See Exhibit 99.01 for AM segment revenue by end-use market.
Strategy
Management applies Eastman's innovation-driven growth model in the AM segment by leveraging innovation and technology platforms to develop new and multi-generational products and applications to help facilitate AM segment growth and leverage its manufacturing capacity. The AM segment is positioned to benefit from Eastman polyesters and acetyl streams sustainability innovations by leveraging molecular recycling technologies to enable various waste plastics to be recycled into specialty plastics products marketed and sold under the "Renew" product designations. See "Corporate Overview - Business Strategy - Sustainability and Circular Economy". The segment continues to expand its portfolio of higher margin products in attractive end-markets. Through Eastman's advantaged asset position and expertise in applications development, management believes that the AM segment is well positioned for future growth. The advanced interlayers product lines, including acoustic and HUD sheet interlayer products, leverage Eastman's global presence to supply industry leadinginnovations to automotive and architectural end-markets by collaborating with global and large regional customers. In the performance films product lines, management believes it has one of the largest distribution and dealer networks which, when combined with its industry leading technologies and recognized brands, positions Eastman for further growth, particularly in leading automotive markets such as North America and Asia. The segment's product portfolio is aligned with underlying energy efficiency trends in both automotive and architectural markets.
The AM segment expects to continue to benefit from sales of premium products, including Tritan ™ copolyester, Tritan ™ Renew, Visualize ™ material, Saflex ™ Q acoustic series, Saflex ™ HUD interlayer products, LLumar ™ , V-KOOL ™ , and SunTek ™ window and protective films.
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ADDITIVES & FUNCTIONAL PRODUCTS SEGMENT
Overview
In the AFP segment, the Company manufactures materials for products in the food, feed, and agriculture; transportation; water treatment and energy; personal care and wellness; building and construction; consumables; and durables and electronics end-markets. Key technology platforms are cellulosic biopolymers, polyester polymers, alkylamine derivatives, and propylene derivatives.
The AFP segment is focused on producing high-value additives that provide critical functionality but which comprise a small percentage of total customer product cost. The segment principally competes on the differentiated performance characteristics of its products and through leveraging its strong customer base and long-standing customer relationships to promote substantial recurring business and product development. A critical element of the AFP segment's success is its close formulation collaboration with customers through advantaged application development capability.
Principal Products
Product
Description
Principal
Competitors
Key Raw
Materials
End-Use Applications
Care Additives
Alkylamine derivatives
Organic acids and derivatives
Cellulosic biopolymers
amine derivative-based building blocks for production of flocculants
intermediates for surfactants
metam-based soil fumigants
organic acid-based solutions
BASF SE
Huntsman Corporation
Argo-Kanesho Co., Ltd.
Adisseo
DSM-Firmenich
alkylamines
acrylonitrile
alcohols
methanol
ethylene oxide
carbon disulfide ("CS2")
caustic soda
water treatment
personal and home care
pharmaceuticals
agriculture and crop protection
gut health solutions
preservation and hygiene
Coatings Additives
Polymers
cellulosics
polyesters
polyolefins
Additives and Solvents
Texanol ™
Optifilm ™
ketones
esters
EastaPure ™ electronic chemicals
specialty coalescents
specialty solvents
paint additives
specialty polymers
BASF SE
Dow Inc.
OXEA
Celanese Corporation
Alternative Technologies
Elementis Global
Clariant Specialty Chemicals
wood pulp
propane
propylene
building and construction (architectural coatings)
transportation (OEM) and refinish coatings
durable goods (wood, industrial coatings and applications)
consumables (graphic arts, inks, and packaging)
electronics
Functional Amines
Alkylamines
methylamines and salts
higher amines and solvents
BASF SE
Arclin Inc.
Advansix
OXEA
methanol
ammonia
acetone
ethanol
butanol
agrochemicals
energy
pharmaceuticals
water treatment
industrial intermediates
Specialty Fluids & Energy
Therminol ™
Turbo oils
Skydrol ™
SkyKleen ™
Marlotherm ™
heat transfer and
aviation fluids
Dow Inc.
Exxon Mobil
Corporation
benzene
phosphorous
neo-polyol esters
industrial chemicals and processing (heat transfer fluids for chemical processes)
renewable energy
commercial aviation
See Exhibit 99.01 for AFP segment revenue by end-use market.
Strategy
Management applies Eastman's innovation-driven growth model in the AFP segment by leveraging proprietary technologies for
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the continued development of innovative product offerings and focusing growth efforts in end-markets such as food, feed, and agriculture; transportation; water treatment and energy; personal care and wellness; building and construction; consumables; and durables and electronics. Management believes that the ability to leverage the AFP segment's research, differentiated application development, and production capabilities across multiple markets uniquely positions it to meet evolving needs to improve the quality and performance of its customers' products. For example, Eastman EastaPure TM electronic chemicals is a portfolio of ultrapure solvents designed to meet the rigorous purity needs required in the electronics industry with our comprehensive material testing, multiple purification steps, shipping measures, and on-site, state-of-the-art, clean room that provides continuous monitoring and purity certification. The Company is also developing solutions to address the environmental challenges caused by non-biodegradable materials in personal care products by leveraging its world-class biodegradable cellulosic biopolymer technology platform in biodegradable cellulose-ester micropowders for personal care applications.
CHEMICAL INTERMEDIATES SEGMENT
Overview
Eastman leverages large scale and vertical integration from the cellulosic biopolymers and acetyl and olefins streams to support the Company's specialty operating segments with advantaged cost positions. The CI segment sells excess intermediates beyond the Company's internal specialty needs into end-markets such as industrial chemicals and processing, building and construction, health and wellness, and food and feed. Key technology platforms include acetyls, oxos, and plasticizers.
The CI segment product lines benefit from competitive cost positions primarily resulting from the use of and access to lower cost raw materials, and the Company's scale, technology, and operational excellence. Examples include produced acetic anhydride used in the manufacturing of cellulosic biopolymers and acetyl stream product lines, propylene and ethylene used in the production of olefin derivative product lines such as oxo alcohols and plasticizers. The CI segment also provides superior reliability to customers through its backward integration into readily available raw materials, such as propane, ethane, and propylene. See "Eastman Chemical Company General Information - Manufacturing Streams".
Several CI segment product lines are affected by cyclicality, most notably olefin and acetyl-based products. This cyclicality is caused by periods of supply and demand imbalance, when either incremental capacity additions are not offset by corresponding increases in demand, or when demand exceeds existing supply. Although future results are expected to fluctuate due to both general economic conditions and industry supply and demand, management has taken steps to reduce the impact of the trough of these cycles, including the use of refinery-grade propylene ("RGP") in the feedstock mix, resulting in reduced participation in the merchant ethylene market and the divestiture of its Texas City Operations in 2023. The Company is now investing in the conversion of existing assets and utilizing licensed metathesis technology to convert ethylene to propylene ("E2P"). This E2P conversion will align the Company's strategy with business needs by balancing ethylene and propylene across the site structurally, improving feedstock mix, and improving downstream propylene usage.
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Principal Products
Product
Description
Principal
Competitors
Key Raw
Materials
End-Use Applications
Intermediates
Oxo alcohols
and derivatives
Acetic acid and
derivatives
Acetic anhydride
Ethylene
Glycol ethers
Esters
Organic acids and derivatives
olefin derivatives
acetyl derivatives
ethylene
commodity solvents
Lyondell Bassell
BASF SE
Dow Inc.
OXEA
Celanese Corporation
Lonza
Ineos Group Holdings
propane
ethane
propylene
coal
natural gas
paraxylene
industrial chemicals and processing
building and construction (paint and coating applications, construction chemicals, building materials)
pharmaceuticals and agriculture
health and wellness
packaging
Plasticizers
Eastman 168 ™
Dioctyl
phthalate
("DOP")
Benzoflex ™
TXIB ™
Effusion ™
primary non-
phthalate and
phthalate
plasticizers
and a range of
targeted non-
phthalate
plasticizers
BASF SE
Exxon Mobil Corporation
LG Chem, Ltd.
Lanxess AG
propane
propylene
paraxylene
building and construction (non-phthalate
plasticizers used in interior surfaces)
consumables (food packaging, packaging
adhesives, and glove applications)
health and wellness (medical devices)
See Exhibit 99.01 for CI segment revenue by end-use market.
Strategy
To maintain and enhance its status as a low-cost producer and optimize earnings, the CI segment continuously focuses on cost control, operational efficiency, and capacity utilization. This includes focusing on products used internally by other operating segments, thereby supporting growth in specialty product lines throughout the Company. Through the CI segment, the Company has leveraged the advantage of its highly integrated manufacturing facilities. Scale at the Kingsport, Tennessee manufacturing facility allows for competitive advantage in the production of acetic anhydride and other acetyl derivatives. At the Longview, Texas manufacturing site, Eastman uses its proprietary oxo technology in one of the world's largest single-site oxo butyraldehyde manufacturing facilities to produce a wide range of alcohols and other derivative products utilizing local propane and ethane supplies and purchased propylene. These integrated facilities, combined with large scale production processes and a continuous focus on additional process improvements, allow the CI segment product lines to remain cost competitive and, for some products, cost-advantaged as compared to competitors. Use of RGP in the feedstock mix of the olefin cracking units at the Longview, Texas manufacturing site reduces the amount of other purchased feedstocks. This results in a decrease in ethylene production and excess ethylene sales while maintaining historical levels of propylene production, providing flexibility to reduce participation in the merchant ethylene market, and retaining a cost-advantaged integrated propylene position to support specialty derivatives throughout the Company.
FIBERS SEGMENT
Overview
In the Fibers segment, Eastman manufactures and sells acetate tow and triacetin plasticizers for use in filtration media, primarily cigarette filters; cellulosic filament yarn and staple fibers for use in apparel under the brand Naia ™ , home furnishings, and industrial fabrics; nonwoven media for use in filtration and friction applications, used primarily in transportation, industrial, and agricultural end-markets; and cellulose acetate flake and acetyl raw materials for other acetate fiber producers.
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The Fibers segment's competitive strengths include a reputation for high-quality products, technical expertise, large scale vertically-integrated processes, reliability of supply, internally produced acetate flake supply for Fibers segment's products, a reputation for customer service excellence, and a customer base characterized by strategic long-term customers and end-user relationships. The Company continues to capitalize and build on these strengths to further improve the strategic position of its Fibers segment. To strengthen and stabilize segment earnings, the Company has taken actions such as the establishment of long-term variable pricing in acetate tow customer arrangements and agreements, development of innovative textile and nonwoven applications, and repurposing manufacturing capacity from acetate tow to new products.
The 10 largest Fibers segment customers accounted for approximately 65 percent of the segment's 2025 sales revenue, and include multinational as well as regional cigarette producers, fabric manufacturers, textile distributors, and other acetate fiber producers.
The Company's long history and experience in fibers markets are reflected in the Fibers segment's operating expertise, both within the Company and in support of its customers' processes. The Fibers segment's knowledge of the industry and of customers' processes allows it to assist its customers in maximizing their processing efficiencies, promoting repeat sales, and developing mutually beneficial, long-term customer relationships.
The Company's fully integrated fibers manufacturing process employs unique technology that allows it to use a broad range of high-purity wood pulps for which the Company has dependable sources of supply.
Principal Products
Product
Description
Principal
Competitors
Key Raw
Materials
End-Use Applications
Acetate Tow
Estron ™
cellulose acetate tow
Celanese Corporation
Cerdia International
Daicel Corporation
Jinan Acetate Chemical
wood pulp
methanol
high sulfur coal
filtration media (primarily cigarette filters)
Acetate Yarn and Fiber
Naia ™
Estron ™
natural (undyed) acetate yarn
solution dyed acetate yarn
staple fiber
UAB Dirbtinis Pluostas
Lenzing AG
Aditya Birla Group
wood pulp
methanol
high sulfur coal
waste plastics and textiles
consumables (apparel, home furnishings, and industrial fabrics)
health and wellness (medical tape)
Acetyl Chemical Products
Estrobond ™
triacetin
cellulose acetate flake
acetic acid
acetic anhydride
Daicel Corporation
Celanese Corporation
Cerdia International
Jinan Acetate Chemical
wood pulp
methanol
high sulfur coal
filtration media (primarily cigarette filters)
Nonwovens
Nonwovens
wetlaid nonwoven media
specialty and engineered papers
cellulose acetate fiber
Hollingsworth and Vose Company
Lydall, Inc.
BorgWarner Inc.
natural and synthetic fibers
inorganic and metallic additives
resins
filtration and friction media for transportation
industrial
agriculture and mining
aerospace markets
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Strategy
Management applies the innovation-driven growth model to the Fibers segment by leveraging its strong customer relationships and industry knowledge to maintain a leading industry position in the global market. The segment benefits from a state-of-the-art, world class, acetate flake production facility at the Kingsport, Tennessee site, which is supplied from Eastman's vertically integrated gasification facility and is the largest and most integrated acetate tow site in the world. The Fibers segment also expects to benefit from Eastman's carbon renewal technology, which enables the substitution of fossil feedstock with recycled waste content. Products using this technology are marketed and sold under the "Renew" product designation. See "Corporate Overview - Business Strategy - Sustainability and Circular Economy ". The Company contractually supplies acetate flake raw material to the manufacturing facility of its acetate tow joint venture in China from the Company's manufacturing facility in Kingsport, Tennessee, which the Company recognizes in sales revenue. The Company recognizes earnings in the joint venture through its equity investment, reported in "Other (income) charges, net" in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings, Comprehensive Income and Retained Earnings in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report. The Company's focus on innovation has resulted in repurposing some of its acetate tow manufacturing capacity to fibers products for textiles, resulting in increased capacity utilization and lower acetate tow costs.
To meet customers' evolving needs and further improve the Fibers segment's manufacturing process efficiencies, the Company leverages proprietary cellulosic biopolymers and spinning technology, optimizing asset productivity through process improvement, selecting product innovation in response to acetate tow customer needs, and working with suppliers to reduce costs. For textiles, the Fibers segment seeks to offset declines in acetate tow through investments in differentiated application development capabilities and new product innovations, including circular solutions, to drive growth in textiles and apparel of Naia ™ yarns and fibers.
EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANY GENERAL INFORMATION
Seasonality
Eastman's earnings are typically lowest in fourth quarter, and cash flows from operations are typically highest in the second half of the year due to seasonal demand based on general economic activity in the Company's key markets as described in "Business Segments". Results in all segments except the Fibers segment are typically weaker in the fourth quarter due to seasonal downturns in key markets.
Eastman is exposed to consumer discretionary end-markets and changes in global consumer spending, particularly in the AM and AFP segments. The coatings additives product line of the AFP segment and the intermediates product line of the CI segment are impacted by the cyclicality of key end products and markets, while other operating segments and product lines are more sensitive to global economic conditions. Supply and demand dynamics determine profitability at different stages of business cycles, and global economic conditions affect the length of each cycle.
Sales, Marketing, and Distribution
Eastman markets and sells products primarily through a global marketing and sales organization that has a presence in the United States and approximately 30 other countries, selling into more than 100 countries around the world. The Company focuses its market engagement on attractive targeted markets, leveraging disruptive macro trends, and market activation throughout the value chain with both customers and downstream users. Eastman's strategy is to target industries and markets where the Company can leverage its application development expertise to develop product offerings to provide differentiated value that addresses current and future customer and market needs. The Company's strategic marketing approach and capabilities leverage the Company's insights about trends, markets, and customers to drive development of specialty products. Through a highly skilled and specialized sales force that is capable of providing differentiated product solutions, Eastman strives to be the preferred supplier in the Company's targeted markets.
The Company's products are also marketed through indirect channels, which include dealers and contract representatives. Sales outside the United States tend to be made more frequently through dealers and contract representatives than sales in the United States. The combination of direct and indirect sales channels allows Eastman to reliably serve customers throughout the world.
The Company's products are shipped to customers and downstream users directly from Eastman manufacturing plants and distribution centers worldwide.
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Research and Development
Management applies its innovation-driven growth model by leveraging the Company's world class scalable technology platforms, such as cellulosic biopolymers and polyesters, that provide a competitive advantage and the foundation for sustainable earnings growth. The Company's R&D strategy for sustainable growth through innovation includes multi-generational product development for specialty products, faster and more differentiated product development by leveraging global application development capabilities, and the creation of value through integration of multiple technology platforms. The Company's innovation strategy is guided by the need to provide timely and practical solutions to sustainability macro-drivers that will improve the quality of life globally through material solutions. This strategy has been accelerated by investment in global differentiated application development capabilities that position Eastman as a strategic customer partner driving success within attractive targeted markets. See examples of recent product and technology innovations in "Corporate Overview - Business Strategy - Innovation".
Eastman manages certain growth initiatives and costs at the corporate level, including certain R&D costs not allocated to any one operating segment. The Company uses a stage-gating process, which is a disciplined decision-making framework for evaluating targeted opportunities, with a number of projects at various stages of development. As projects meet milestones, additional amounts are spent on those projects. The Company continues to explore and invest in R&D initiatives such as high-performance materials and opportunities created by disruptive macro trends, including sustainability and development of a circular economy. See "Corporate Overview - Business Strategy - Sustainability and Circular Economy ".
Manufacturing Streams
Integral to Eastman's strategy for growth is leveraging its heritage expertise and innovation in polyester, cellulosic biopolymers and acetyl, alkylamine, and olefins chemistries in key markets, including transportation, building and construction, consumables, and agriculture. For each of these chemistries, Eastman has developed and acquired a combination of assets and technologies that are operated within four manufacturing "streams", combining scale and integration across multiple manufacturing units and sites as a competitive advantage.
• In the polyester stream, the Company begins with paraxylene, ethylene glycol, and integrated feedstocks, converting them through a series of intermediate materials to ultimately produce clear, tough, chemically resistant copolyesters. The Company has further enhanced the polyester stream by investing in plastic-to-plastic polyester renewal facilities to enable various waste plastics to be recycled into high quality, polyester Renew products. Polyester stream products are converted for end-uses in cosmetics and personal care, medical devices, durable goods, and food packaging industries.
• In the cellulosic biopolymer and acetyl stream, the Company begins with gasification of fossil fuels with oxygen. The resulting synthesis gas is converted into acetic acid and acetic anhydride. Cellulosic biopolymers derivative manufacturing at the Company begins with natural polymers, sourced from sustainably-managed forests, which, when combined with acetyl and olefin chemicals, provide differentiated product lines. Through recycling innovation, carbon renewal technology is enabling the recycling of complex plastics to serve as the basic building blocks of Eastman's cellulosic product stream. The major end-markets for products from the cellulosic biopolymers and acetyl stream include coatings, displays, and thermoplastics.
• In the alkylamines stream, the Company begins with ammonia and alcohol feedstocks to produce methylamines and higher alkylamines, which can then be further converted into alkylamine derivatives. The Company's alkylamines products are primarily used in agriculture, water treatment, consumables, and oil and gas end-markets.
• In the olefins stream, the Company primarily focuses on propylene derivatives through its world-class Oxo catalyst technology. This technology is used to produce numerous derivative products converted for end-uses in the food industry, health and beauty products, detergents, and automotive products. Underlying this technology is the Company's low-cost propylene position created through the combination of propylene-centric hydrocarbon cracking, RGP processing, and cost-advantaged purchase agreements.
The Company leverages its expertise and innovation in polyester, cellulosic biopolymers and acetyl, alkylamine, and olefins chemistries and technologies to meet demand and create new uses and opportunities for the Company's products in key markets. Through integration and optimization across these streams, the Company is able to create unique and differentiated products that have a performance advantage over competitive materials.
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Sources and Availability of Raw Materials and Energy
Eastman purchases a majority of its key raw materials and energy through different contract mechanisms, generally of one to three years in initial duration, with renewal or cancellation options for each party. Most of these agreements do not require the Company to purchase materials or energy if its operations are reduced or idle. The cost of raw materials and energy is generally based on market price at the time of purchase; however, from time to time, Eastman uses derivative financial instruments for certain key raw materials to mitigate the impact of market price fluctuations. Key raw materials include cellulose, fatty alcohol, methanol, paraxylene, polyvinyl alcohol, propane, propylene, and a wide variety of precursors for specialty organic chemicals. Key purchased energy sources include natural gas, coal, and electricity. The Company has multiple suppliers for most key raw materials and energy sources and uses quality management principles, such as the establishment of long-term relationships with suppliers and ongoing performance assessments and benchmarking, as part of its supplier management process. When appropriate, the Company purchases raw materials from a single source supplier to maximize quality and reduce cost and has contingency plans to minimize the potential impact of any supply disruptions from single source suppliers.
While temporary shortages of raw materials and energy may occasionally occur, these items are generally sufficiently available to cover current and projected requirements. However, their continuous availability and cost are subject to unscheduled plant interruptions occurring during periods of high demand, domestic and world market conditions, changes in government regulation, supply chain disruption, global pandemics, natural disasters, war or other outbreak of hostilities or terrorism or other political factors, or breakdown or degradation of transportation infrastructure. Eastman's operations or products have been in the past, and may be in the future, adversely affected by these factors. See "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report. The Company's raw material and energy costs as a percent of total cost of operations were approximately 45 percent in 2025. For additional information about raw materials, see Exhibit 99.02 "Product and Raw Material Information" of this Annual Report.
Intellectual Property and Trademarks
While Eastman's intellectual property portfolio is an important Company asset that it expands and vigorously protects globally through a combination of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets, its business is not substantially dependent upon any one particular patent, trademark, copyright, or trade secret. As a producer of a broad range of advanced materials, specialty additives, chemicals, and fibers, Eastman owns over 700 active United States patents, over 1,600 active foreign patents, and over 4,500 active worldwide trademark applications and registrations. Domestic and foreign patents within the Company's portfolio are subject to various expiration dates, depending on the dates they were originally filed and laws governing patent terms and extensions thereof in applicable jurisdictions. As the laws of many countries do not protect intellectual property to the same extent as the laws of the United States, Eastman cannot ensure that it will be able to adequately protect its intellectual property assets outside the United States. See "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report.
Information Security
The Company employs information systems to support its business, enable transformation, and deploy digital services. The Company utilizes a risk-based, multi-layered information security approach based on the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework ("US NIST") and International Organization for Standardization / International Electrotechnical Commission 27001:2022 ("ISO 27001"). To date, the Company has not experienced a cybersecurity incident that has materially affected its business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition, nor has resulted in any penalties or settlements. See "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A and "Cybersecurity" in Part I, Item 1C of this Annual Report.
Artificial Intelligence
Eastman has been increasingly using artificial intelligence ("AI") tools and more traditional data science practices in its operations, research and development, and other areas to improveefficiency and effectiveness. Eastman has implemented a risk-based governance approach led by a cross-functional Responsible AI Council that oversees AI use cases, sets standards, and coordinates with existing risk and compliance functions. The Company maintains AI-specific policies, procedures, and general IT controls that define permitted uses, data handling requirements (including privacy and intellectual property protection), human oversight, and documentation expectations. AI use cases, models, and third-party tools are subject to review, vendor due diligence, and contractual safeguards. See "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report.
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Human Capital
To keep solving complex problems and growing its business, the Company must continue to attract, develop, and retain exceptional people ("human capital"), and motivate them to excel. Strong workforce and leadership development, succession management, an inclusive culture that brings out the best in every individual, and competitive compensation and benefits are vital to the success of Eastman's innovation-driven growth strategy. The Compensation and Management Development Committee of the Board of Directors oversees workforce and senior management development and the Board of Directors monitors the culture of the Company and leadership quality, morale, and development.
Eastman places a strong emphasis on the health, safety, and well-being of employees - both at work and at home. Eastman's "zero-incident mindset" takes a holistic approach to people and processes by fostering the right behaviors, values, and culture to ensure that employees are operating responsibly, accountably, and safely.
The Company's focus on well-being also includes physical, emotional, and financial health of employees and their families, with on-site and on-demand resources such as fitness classes, health coaches, and financial counselors. The Company regularly reviews its benefits equity to better understand the needs of its employees in the current environment. Through this work, the Company continues to explore new ways to make benefits more attractive in an evolving talent marketplace. The Company also continues to provide global flexibility principles and resources to emphasize the importance of balancing work and personal responsibilities.
Breakthroughs require creativity and unconventional ideas, and that takes diverse perspectives and an environment that empowers everyone to speak their mind and add value, so their ideas are translated into plans and actions. As Eastman develops new products to meet today's most pressing needs, the Company inspires innovative ideas by making every team member feel valued and empowered to do their best work. Building an inclusive workplace, powered by a global employee population of approximately 13,000 people worldwide is key to promoting innovation and driving results.
The table below shows the percentage of the Company's global employee population by region.
United States and Canada
Europe, Middle East, and Africa
Asia Pacific
Latin America
Total
Eastman's compensation philosophy, principles, and processes are designed to ensure the Company pays competitively in the market for top talent and that the pay is distributed fairly and consistently. An independent third party assesses pay equity each year by comparing pay for people in the same jobs, job levels, and locations. This analysis, which considers gender, race and ethnicity (in the United States), performance, tenure, specialty skills, and educational credentials, is completed during the annual compensation review process, when leadership makes pay decisions.
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Customers
Eastman has an extensive customer base and, while it is not dependent on any one customer, loss of certain top customers could adversely affect the Company until such business is replaced. The top 100 customers accounted for approximately 60 percent of the Company's 2025 sales revenue. No single customer accounted for 10 percent or more of the Company's consolidated sales revenue during 2025.
Compliance With Environmental and Other Government Regulations
The Company is subject to significant and complex governmental laws and regulations, both in the U.S. and internationally, which require and will continue to require significant expenditures to remain in compliance and may, depending on specific facts and circumstances, impact the Company's competitive position. See "Risk Factors -- Legislative, regulatory, or voluntary actions could increase the Company's future health, safety, and environmental compliance costs." in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report. These include health, safety, and environmental laws and regulations; site security regulations; chemical control laws; laws protecting intellectual property; privacy, data sharing, and data protection laws; laws regulating energy generation and distribution, such as utilities, pipelines and co-generation facilities; and customs laws and laws regulating import and export of products and technology. As described below, the most significant environmental capital and other expenditures are for compliance with environmental and health and safety laws. In addition to these regulations, compliance with chemical control laws (including the U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act, the U.S. Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and similar non-U.S. counterparts, and the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals ("REACH") program in the European Union) and laws protecting intellectual property (see "Intellectual Property and Trademarks") have the most impact on the Company's day-to-day operations and competitive position.
Environmental
The Company is subject to laws, regulations, and legal requirements relating to the use, storage, handling, generation, transportation, emission, discharge, disposal, remediation of, and exposure to, hazardous and non-hazardous substances and wastes in all of the countries in which it does business. These health, safety, and environmental considerations are a priority in the Company's planning for all existing and new products and processes. The Environmental, Safety, and Sustainability Committee of Eastman's Board of Directors oversees the Company's policies and practices concerning health, safety, and the environment and its processes for complying with related laws and regulations and monitors related matters.
The Company's policy is to operate its plants and facilities in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations such that it protects the environment and the health and safety of its employees and the public. The Company intends to continue to make expenditures for environmental protection and improvements in a timely manner consistent with its policies and with available technology. In some cases, applicable environmental regulations such as those adopted under the United States' Clean Air Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, and related actions of regulatory agencies determine the timing and amount of environmental costs incurred by the Company. Likewise, any new legislation or regulations related to GHG emissions, energy, or climate change, or the repeal of such legislation or regulations, could impact the timing and amount of environmental costs incurred by the Company.
The Company accrues environmental costs when it is probable that the Company has incurred a liability at a contaminated site and the amount can be reasonably estimated. In some instances, the amount cannot be reasonably estimated due to insufficient information, particularly as to the nature and timing of future expenditures. In these cases, the liability is monitored until such time that sufficient information exists. With respect to a contaminated site, the amount accrued reflects liabilities expected to be paid out within approximately 30 years as well as the Company's assumptions about remediation requirements at the contaminated site, the nature of the remedy, the outcome of discussions with regulatory agencies and other potentially responsible parties at multi-party sites, and the number and financial viability of other potentially responsible parties. Changes in the estimates on which the accruals are based, unanticipated government enforcement action, or changes in health, safety, environmental, and chemical control regulations, and testing requirements could result in higher or lower costs.
The Company does not currently expect near term environmental capital expenditures arising from requirements of environmental laws and regulations to materially impact the Company's planned level of annual capital expenditures for environmental control facilities. Other matters concerning health, safety, and the environment are discussed in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Part II, Item 7 and in Note 1, "Significant Accounting Policies"; Note 13, "Environmental Matters and Asset Retirement Obligations"; and Note 21, "Reserve Rollforwards", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
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Eastman's cash expenditures related to environmental protection and improvement were $339 million, $307 million, and $314 million in 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively, and include operating costs associated with environmental protection equipment and facilities, engineering costs, and construction costs. These cash expenditures include environmental capital expenditures of approximately $80 million, $70 million, and $65 million in 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
Health and Safety
Eastman places a strong emphasis on the health, safety, and well-being of its employees. Eastman's commitment to a "zero-incident mindset" takes a holistic approach to people and processes by fostering the right behaviors, values, and culture to ensure that its employees are operating responsibly, accountably, and safely. See "Human Capital". Under the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, as administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA"), some of the Company's operations are subject to workplace standards under OSHA's Process Safety Management program. From time to time, the Company may incur significant capital expenditures to maintain compliance with the requirements of this program.
Available Information - Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") Filings
Eastman makes available free of charge, in the Investors section of its Internet website at www.eastman.com, its annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing such material with, or furnishing it to, the SEC. Additionally, the Company routinely posts additional important information, including press releases, on its website and recognizes its website as a channel of distribution to reach public investors and as a means of disclosing material non-public information for complying with disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor the Company's website in addition to its SEC filings and public webcasts. The information contained on the Company's website is not included as a part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report.
The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
In addition to factors described elsewhere in this Annual Report, the following are the material known factors, risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report and elsewhere from time to time. See "Forward-Looking Statements". The risks described below should be carefully considered, some of which have manifested and any of which may occur in the future, in addition to the other information contained in this Annual Report, before making an investment decision with respect to any of the Company's securities. The following risk factors are not necessarily presented in the order of importance. In addition, there may be other factors not currently known to the Company, which could, in the future, materially adversely affect the Company, its business, financial condition, or results of operations. This and other related disclosures made by the Company in this Annual Report, and elsewhere from time to time, represent management's best judgment as of the date the information is given. The Company does not undertake responsibility for updating any of such information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. Investors are advised, however, to consult any further public Company disclosures (such as in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in Company press releases, or in other public Company presentations) on related subjects.
Risks Related to Global Economy and Industry Conditions
Continued uncertain conditions in the global economy, labor market, and financial markets could negatively impact the Company.
The Company's business and operating results are impacted by global recessions, and the related impacts, such as the credit market crisis, declining consumer and business confidence, fluctuating commodity prices, volatile exchange rates, increasing interest rates, and other challenges that impacted the global economy. Similarly, as a company that operates and sells products worldwide, uncertainty in the global economy, labor market, and capital markets (including impacts from inflation, higher interest rates, changes in governing and legislative bodies, and subsequent changes and disruptions in business, political, and economic conditions) has impacted and may adversely impact demand for and the costs of certain Eastman products and accordingly results of operations. These events may in turn adversely impact the Company's financial condition and cash flows
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and ability to access the credit and capital markets under attractive rates and terms, negatively impacting the Company's liquidity or ability to pursue certain growth initiatives.
In addition, the Federal Reserve in the U.S. and other central banks in various countries have raised interest rates in response to concerns about inflation, which, coupled with reduced government spending and volatility in financial markets, may have the effect of further increasing economic uncertainty and heightening these risks. Interest rate increases or other government actions taken to reduce inflation could also result in recessionary pressures in many parts of the world.
Volatility in costs for strategic raw material and energy commodities or disruption in the supply and transportation of these commodities and in transportation of Company products could adversely impact the Company's financial results.
Eastman is reliant on certain strategic raw material and energy commodities for its operations and utilizes certain risk management tools to mitigate market fluctuations in raw material and energy costs. The cost and availability of these raw materials and energy commodities can be adversely impacted by factors such as business and economic conditions, anomaloussevere weather events, natural disasters, global pandemics, plant interruptions, supply chain and transportation disruptions, changes in laws or regulations, levels of unemployment and inflation, currency exchange rates, higher interest rates, war or other outbreak of hostilities or terrorism (such as the ongoing Russia/Ukraine conflict), and breakdown or degradation of transportation and supply chain infrastructure.
Inflationary pressures affecting the general economy, energy markets, and certain raw materials have increased the Company's operating costs. While the Company has undertaken efforts to offset many of these costs through various pricing actions, these risk mitigation measures do not eliminate all exposure to market fluctuations. In addition to these inflationary pressures, the Company has experienced certain supply chain challenges impacting its ability to secure certain raw materials and timely distribute products to customers. To mitigate the effects of these and other supply chain disruptions, the Company has implemented multifaceted sourcing, warehousing, and delivery strategies to focus on building resilient and redundant supply positions, and minimizing disruptions to customers by using alternate shipping methods to expedite delivery times. The Company's geographic footprint has also helped reduce exposure to localized risks.
Prolonged periods of heightened inflation or supply chain disruptions could have a material, adverse impact on the Company's financial performance and results of operations.
The Company's substantial global operations subject it to risks of doing business in other countries that could adversely impact its business, financial condition, and results of operations.
More than half of Eastman's sales for 2025 were to customers outside of North America. The Company expects sales from international markets to continue to represent a significant portion of its sales. Also, a significant portion of the Company's manufacturing capacity is located outside of the United States. Accordingly, the Company's business is subject to risks related to the differing legal, political, cultural, social and regulatory requirements, and economic conditions of many jurisdictions. Fluctuations in currency exchange rates may impact product demand and may adversely impact the profitability in U.S. dollars of products and services provided in foreign countries. Volatility or unfavorable movements in currency exchange rates may adversely impact Eastman's financial condition or cash flows. Although the Company employs a variety of techniques to mitigate the impact of exchange rate fluctuations, there cannot be a guarantee that such hedging and risk management strategies will be effective, and Eastman's results of operations could be adversely affected.
The U.S. and foreign countries may also adopt or increase restrictions on foreign trade or investment, including currency exchange controls, tariffs or other taxes, or limitations on imports or exports (including recent and proposed changes in U.S. trade policy and resulting retaliatory actions by other countries, including China, which may increasingly reduce demand for and increase costs of impacted products or result in U.S.-based trade counterparties limiting trade with U.S.-based companies or non-U.S. customers limiting their purchases from U.S.-based companies). Certain legal and political risks are also inherent in the operation of a company with Eastman's global scope. For example, it may be more difficult for Eastman to enforce its agreements or collect receivables through foreign legal systems. There is also a risk that foreign governments may nationalize private enterprises in certain countries where Eastman operates. Also, changes in general economic and political conditions in countries where Eastman operates are a risk to the Company's financial performance. As Eastman continues to operate its business globally, its success will depend, in part, on its ability to anticipate and effectively manage and mitigate these and other related risks. There can be no assurance that the consequences of these and other factors relating to its multinational operations will not have an adverse impact on Eastman's business, financial condition, or results of operations.
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Risks Related to the Company's Business and Strategy
The Company's business is subject to operating risks common to chemical and specialty materials manufacturing businesses, any of which could disrupt manufacturing operations or related infrastructure and adversely impact results of operations.
As a global specialty materials company, Eastman's business is subject to operating risks common to chemical manufacturing, storage, handling, and transportation, including explosions, fires, inclement weather, natural disasters, mechanical failure, unscheduleddowntime, transportation and supply chain interruptions, remediation, chemical spills, and discharges or releases of toxic or hazardous substances or gases. Significant limitation on the Company's ability to manufacture products due to disruption of manufacturing operations or related infrastructure could have a material adverse impact on the Company's sales revenue, costs, results of operations, credit ratings, and financial condition. Disruptions could occur due to internal factors such as computer or equipment malfunction (accidental or intentional), operator error, or process failures; or external factors such as supply chain disruption, computer or equipment malfunction at third-party service providers, natural disasters, changes in laws or regulations, war or other outbreak of hostilities or terrorism, cyber-attacks, or breakdown or degradation of transportation and supply chain infrastructure used for delivery of supplies to the Company or for delivery of products to customers. Unplanneddisruptions of manufacturing operations or related infrastructure could be significant in scale and could negatively impact operations, neighbors, and the environment, and could have a negative impact on the Company's results of operations.
In addition, as a chemical and materials manufacturing company, efficient inventory management is also a critical component of Eastman's business success. If inventory management decisions do not accurately forecast customer demand, buying trends and patterns, or seasonality, the Company may have to recognize unanticipated expenses or make pricing adjustments to dispose of the excess inventory, which can adversely impact Eastman's financial results.
The Company is subject to operating risks related to its information technology infrastructure, including service interruptions, data corruption, cyber-based attacks, or network security incidents, which could cause operations to be disrupted, product manufacturing to be delayed, or data confidentiality to be impaired.
Eastman depends on information technology ("IT") to enable the Company to operate safely, interface with employees, vendors and customers, and maintain its internal control environment. The Company's IT systems are maintained with a risk-based approach for the implementation of security protocols, system updates, employee training, and engagement of external experts. Eastman's risk-based approach is integrated with the Company's overall risk management strategy. Eastman's IT capabilities are delivered through a combination of internal and external services and service providers.
Despite the Company's efforts to mitigate cybersecurity risk, its business may be impacted by system shutdowns, service disruptions, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents, data breaches, and operational disruptions are constantly evolving, becoming more sophisticated, and conducted by groups and individuals with a wide range of expertise and motives, including foreign governments, cyber terrorists, cyber criminals, malicious employees, and other insiders and outsiders. Such an incident could result in unauthorized access or disclosure of confidential or personal information, and loss of trade secrets and intellectual property. In addition, the Company may suffer financial and reputational damage because of lost or misappropriated confidential information belonging to the Company, its current or former employees, customers, or suppliers, and may become exposed to legal action, governmental investigations, enforcement actions, and regulatory fines. The Company may also be required to spend additional resources to restore systems or repair damage caused by a cybersecurity incident. These risks may also be present for the Company's joint venture partners, suppliers, or acquired businesses.
The Company has been in the past, and likely will be in the future, subject to cyber-attacks related to its information systems. Although none of the previous cyber-attacks have had a material adverse impact on the Company's operations or financial results, no assurances can be provided that any future disruptions due to these, or other circumstances, will not have such an impact. See "Cybersecurity" in Part I, Item 1C of this Annual Report.
The Company is subject to risks associated with the potential use of artificial intelligence in the Company’s own operations and by third-party partners that the Company may engage with.
Eastman has been increasingly using AI tools and more traditional data science practices in its operations, research and development, and other areas to improveefficiency and effectiveness. The Company may be exposed to risks in cases where it utilizes AI in connection with certain business activities now or in the future. In addition, the use of AI by Eastman, its employees, or any of its third-party partners may result in unauthorized disclosure of data, which can result in, among other things, reputational harm, loss of confidence by the Company’s customers or employees, penalties, litigation costs, or legal
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liability. Analyses, results, or business processes relying on AI may also be deficient, inaccurate, or biased, and the Company may fail to identify in a timely fashion, or at all, if or to the extent that is the case.
Growth initiatives may not achievedesired business or financial objectives and may require significant resources in addition to or different from those available or in excess of those estimated or budgeted for such initiatives.
Eastman continues to identify and pursue growth opportunities through both organic and inorganic initiatives, such as Eastman's sustainable innovation initiatives, which aim to develop a more "circular economy." These and other growth opportunities include development and commercialization of innovative new products and technologies, expansion into new markets and geographic regions through, among other means, alliances, ventures, and acquisitions that complement and extend the Company's portfolio of businesses and capabilities. Such initiatives are necessarily constrained by availability and development of additional resources.
There can be no assurance that such innovation, development and commercialization, investments, or acquisitions and alliances (including integration of acquired businesses) will receive necessary governmental or regulatory approvals, or result in financially successful commercialization of products, or acceptance by existing or new customers, or successful entry into new markets or otherwise achieve their underlying strategic business objectives or that they will be beneficial to the Company's results of operations. There also can be no assurance that capital projects for growth efforts can be completed within the time or at the costs projected due to, among other things, demand for and availability of construction materials and labor, obtaining regulatory approvals and operating permits, and reaching agreement on terms of key agreements and arrangements with potential suppliers and customers. Any such delays or cost overruns or the inability to obtain such approvals or to reach such agreements on acceptable terms could negatively impact the returns from any proposed or current investments and projects.
The Company is the subject of various legal proceedings, and may be subject to future claims, that could have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition, and results of operations.
From time to time, Eastman is involved in various legal proceedings or other commercial disputes and other legal and regulatory proceedings relating to its business. Due to the inherent uncertainties of litigation, commercial disputes, including claims related to product quality, defects, or use, or other legal or regulatory proceedings, management cannot accurately predict their ultimate outcome, including the outcome of any related appeals. Although management establishes reserves based on the assessment of contingencies related to legal claims asserted against the Company, subsequent developments may affect its assessment and estimates of the loss contingency recorded as a reserve and require payments in excess of the Company's reserves, which could have an adverse effect on Eastman's business, financial conditions, and results of operations. Although the Company maintains liability insurance coverage, potential litigationclaims could be excluded, limited by self-insured retentions, or exceed coverage limits under the terms of the Company's insurance policies.
If Eastman is unable to protect its intellectual property rights, the Company's competitive position, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely impacted.
Eastman relies on its intellectual property rights both in the U.S. and in foreign countries, including patents, trade secrets, trademarks, trade names, and copyrights to protect its investment in research and development and its competitive commercial positions in manufacturing and branding its products. Because of the differences in foreign trademark, patent, and other laws concerning intellectual property rights, the intellectual property rights may not receive the same degree of protection in foreign countries as they would in the U.S., which could result in inconsistent protection or loss of valuable intellectual property rights in some countries. If the Company is not successful in protecting its intellectual property rights, Eastman's business, financial condition, and results of operations may be adversely affected.
Significant acquisitions or divestitures could expose the Company to risks and uncertainties, the occurrence of any of which could materially adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition, and results of operations.
While acquisitions and divestitures have been and continue to be a part of Eastman's strategy, acquisitions of large companies and acquisitions or divestitures of businesses subject the Company to a number of risks and uncertainties, the occurrence of any of which could have a material adverse effect on Eastman. These include, but are not limited to, the possibility that the actual and projected future financial performance of the acquired or remaining business may be significantly worse than expected. In the case of an acquired business and as reported in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Critical Accounting Estimates – Impairment of Long-Lived Assets - Goodwill" in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report, the carrying values of goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets, and certain assets from acquisitions may, as has been the case for certain acquired assets, be impaired resulting in non-cash charges to future earnings. In the case of a divested
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business, the divestiture could reduce Eastman's revenue and, potentially, margins and increase its costs and liabilities in the form of transition costs and retained liabilities from the operations divested, including environmental liabilities.
If Eastman were to incur significant additional indebtedness, it may constrain the Company's ability to access the credit and capital markets at attractive interest rates and favorable terms, which may negatively impact the Company's liquidity or ability to pursue certain growth initiatives. The Company also may not be able to achieve the cost, revenue, tax, or other "synergies" expected from any acquisition, or that there may be delays in achieving any such synergies. In addition, management's time and effort may be dedicated to the integration of the new business or specific assets or product lines or separation of the divested business or specific assets or product lines resulting in a loss of focus on the successful operation of the Company's legacy businesses. The Company also may be required to expend significant additional resources in order to integrate any acquired business or specific assets or product lines into Eastman or separate any divested business or specific assets or product lines from Eastman. As such, the integration or separation efforts may not achieve the expected benefits.
The Company may be subject to indemnity claims relating to properties or businesses it has divested or acquired.
In connection with the sale of certain properties and businesses, Eastman has agreed to indemnify the purchasers of such properties for certain types of matters, including unknown contingent liabilities for environmental matters or tax liabilities. In addition, the Company has assumed liabilities related to certain properties it has acquired. With respect to environmental matters, the discovery of contamination arising from properties that the Company has divested or acquired may expose it to liability for environmental matters, including indemnity obligations under the sale agreements with the buyers of such properties or cleanup obligations and other damages under applicable environmental laws. Eastman may not have insurance coverage for such indemnity obligations or cash flows to make such indemnity or other payments.
Certain agreements by which the Company has acquired companies require the former owners to indemnify Eastman against certain liabilities related to the operation of those companies prior to Eastman's acquisition. Similarly, the purchasers of the Company's disposed operations may, from time to time, agree to indemnify it for operations of such businesses after the closing. There can be no assurance that the indemnity agreements will be sufficient to protect Eastman against the full amount of any liabilities that may arise, or that the indemnitors will be able to fully satisfy their indemnification obligations. The failure to receive amounts for which Eastman is entitled to indemnification could adversely affect Eastman's financial condition and results of operations. For information regarding potential environmental remediation costs, see Note 13, "Environmental Matters and Asset Retirement Obligations", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Failure to attract and retain talented personnel could adversely affect the Company's ability to compete and achieve its strategic objectives.
Eastman's future success in achieving its performance and growth goals depends on its ability to attract, retain, develop, and motivate highly skilled personnel. The Company has experienced, and continues to experience, an increasingly competitive hiring environment for skilled employees at its manufacturing and other sites, which has generally increased the cost of hiring or retaining talented employees essential to its success. In addition, effective succession planning is paramount to its long-term success. It is critical that Eastman identifies and develops succession candidates for senior management and other key positions throughout the organization. Failure to timely identify and develop succession candidates heightens the risk associated with the unexpected departure of key employees. Eastman's inability to ensure effective transfer of knowledge and transitions involving key employees could adversely impact its strategic planning and execution, which could adversely affect Eastman's business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Risks Related to Regulatory Changes and Compliance
Legislative, regulatory, or voluntary actions, or violations thereof, could increase the Company's future health, safety, environmental, and other compliance costs and legal costs or have an adverse impact on the Company's ability to operate in foreign countries.
Eastman, its facilities, and its businesses are subject to complex health, safety, and environmental laws, regulations, and related voluntary actions, both in the U.S. and internationally, which require and will continue to require significant expenditures to remain in compliance with such laws, regulations, and voluntary actions. The Company's manufacturing activities, both inside and outside of the U.S., are subject to regulation by various federal, state, local, and foreign laws, regulations, rules, and government agencies concerning, among other things, air emissions, discharges to land and water, and the generation, handling, treatment, and disposal of hazardous waste and other materials. Actual or allegedviolations of environmental, health, or safety laws and regulations could result in restrictions or prohibitions on manufacturing operations as well as substantial damages,
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penalties, fines, civil, or criminal sanctions and remediation costs. Eastman has incurred, and will continue to incur, significant costs and capital expenditures to comply with these laws and regulations, which may adversely impact its business and financial results. Future developments and more stringent environmental regulations may require the Company to make significant expenditures for environmental protection equipment, compliance, and remediation.
The Company's accruals for such costs and associated liabilities are subject to changes in estimates on which the accruals are based. For example, any amount accrued for environmental matters reflects the Company's assumptions about remediation requirements at the contaminated site, the nature of the remedy, the outcome of discussions with regulatory agencies and other potentially responsible parties at multi-party sites, and the number of and financial viability of other potentially responsible parties. Changes in the estimates on which the accruals are based, unanticipated government enforcement action, or changes in health, safety, environmental, chemical control regulations and actions, and testing requirements could result in higher costs.
The global nature of Eastman's business could subject the Company to risks of violations, or allegations, associated with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the "FCPA") and similar foreign anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws. These anti-bribery laws and regulations generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or keeping business. Further, the accounting provisions of the FCPA require the maintenance of accurate books and records of all company transactions. Alleged or actual violations of these laws could subject the Company to substantial civil and/or criminalfines and penalties, which could have a material adverse effect on Eastman's business, reputation, operating results, and financial condition. Further, the Company is required to comply with U.S. or foreign government regulations on trade sanctions and embargoes. A violation thereof could subject the Company to regulatory enforcement actions, including a loss of export privileges and significant civil and criminalpenalties and fines.
Financial, regulatory, physical and transition risks associated with climate change could materially adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Extreme weather events linked to climate change, including hurricanes and other storms, flooding, extreme heat and drought, create physical risks to Eastman's manufacturing operations, as well as those of its key suppliers, which could result in operating disruptions and additional costs. While the Company's sustainability and "circular economy" innovation initiatives are sources of competitive strength (see "Business - Corporate Overview - Business Strategy - Circular Economy and Sustainability" in Part I, Item 1 of this Annual Report), future changes in legislation and regulation and related voluntary actions associated with physical impacts of climate change may increase the likelihood that the Company's manufacturing facilities will in the future be impacted by carbon requirements, regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, and energy policy. In addition, such changes may require additional capital expenditures, increase costs or limit the supply of raw materials and energy choices, and result in other direct and indirect compliance or other costs. Such changes could also result in decreased demand for products related to carbon-based energy sources or increased demand for goods that result in lower emissions than competing products. See "Business - Eastman Chemical Company General Information - Compliance with Environmental and Other Government Regulations" in Part I, Item 1 of this Annual Report.
Changes in tax laws, regulations or treaties or adverse determinations by taxing or other governmental authorities could increase the Company's tax liabilities or otherwise affect its business, financial condition or results of operations.
The multinational nature of Eastman's business subjects it to taxation in the United States and other foreign jurisdictions. Changes to income tax laws and regulations or in the interpretation of such laws in any of the jurisdictions in which it operates, including new legislation, such as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or the unfavorable resolution of tax matters could significantly increase the Company's effective tax rate and adversely impact its financial condition or results of operations. Eastman could also be affected by, among other things, changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, expirations of tax holidays, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, and changes in liabilities for uncertain tax positions. In addition, the U.S. and foreign countries may impose additional taxes or otherwise tax Eastman's income. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Critical Accounting Estimates - Income Taxes" in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report. For example, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ("OECD") has introduced a framework to implement a global minimum tax. Several jurisdictions in which Eastman operates have enacted laws effective January 1, 2024, consistent with the OECD's framework. Details around the global minimum tax in most jurisdictions remain uncertain. The Company has so far experienced a modest increase in tax obligations in jurisdictions it conducts business, a large portion of which is expected to be temporary due to the OECD's January 5, 2026 "side by side" arrangement. Eastman will continue to monitor and evaluate impacts.
The Company's insurance may not fully cover all potential exposures.
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Eastman maintains property, casualty, business interruption, and other insurance, but coverage limits may not be sufficient to cover all risks associated with the hazards of its business. As a result of market conditions, premiums and deductibles for certain insurance policies can increase substantially and, in some instances, certain insurance policies may become unavailable or available only for reduced amounts of coverage. In addition, from time to time, various types of insurance for specialty chemical companies have not been available on commercially acceptable terms or, in some cases, have not been available at all. For some risks, the Company may elect not to obtain insurance but instead self-insure. Losses and liabilities from uninsured or underinsured events and delay in the payment of insurance proceeds could have a material adverse effect on Eastman's business, financial condition, and results of operations.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY
Risk Management and Strategy
Cybersecurity is an integral part of the Company's overall risk management program. The Company takes a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity, involving key stakeholders in oversight and decision-making processes.
The Company utilizes a risk-based, multi-layered information security strategy based on the US NIST and ISO 27001 to assess, identify, and manage risks from cybersecurity threats. This approach includes: (i) dedicated security operations center monitoring; (ii) network-based and host-based protections; (iii) a Privacy Council focused on privacy regulation adherence; (iv) privileged access management controls; (v) annual and ongoing information security training for all employees and targeted tabletop and other exercises; (vi) encryption of data, backup, recovery, and testing; (vii) regular internal and external audits against information security best practices; and (viii) benchmarking using external third parties. The Company employs these, and other measures, to protect its information assets and operations from internal and external cyber threats while ensuring business resiliency. It also aims to protect employee, customer and supplier information from unauthorized access or attack, as well as secure the Company's networks, systems, devices, products, and services.
The Company maintains cybersecurity policies, standards, and procedures, which include cyber incident response plans. These policies and procedures are continually refined to adapt to changes in regulations, identify potential and emerging security risks, and develop mitigation strategies and protocols for those risks. Regular exercises, tests, incident simulations, and system assessments are conducted to discover and address potential vulnerabilities, and improve decision-making, prioritization, monitoring, and reporting. The Company also engages external parties, such as consultants, independent assessors, computer security firms, and risk management and governance experts, to enhance its cybersecurity oversight and mitigate third-party risks.
To date the Company has not experienced a cybersecurity incident that has materially affected its business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. The Company maintains processes to asses the materiality of cybersecurity incidents, and where material, the Company will disclose such incidents via Form 8-K. See "Risk Factors - Risks Related to the Company's Business and Strategy" in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report.
Governance
The Board of Directors provides oversight of the Company's cybersecurity program. The Audit Committee , which consists of non-employee independent directors, receives updates from the Chief Information Officer ("CIO") or the Chief Information Security Officer ("CISO") on cybersecurity performance and recent industry trends at least quarterly. In addition to regular cybersecurity briefings from the Audit Committee, the Board also receives periodic, but at least annual, updates from management regarding cybersecurity, including prompt notice of cybersecurity threats or incidents that could materially impact the Company. The Board is informed about risk profile status, adversary assessments, training initiatives, cybersecurity projects, emerging global policies and regulations, cybersecurity technologies and best practices, cyber readiness, third-party assessments, mitigation efforts, and response plans.
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The Company has a dedicated CIO and CISO who are supported by a team of cybersecurity professionals (the "Cybersecurity Team") that are responsible for leading the company-wide cybersecurity program and risk mitigation efforts. The CIO, CISO, and Cybersecurity Team work across all organizations within the Company to protect the Company and its employees, customers and suppliers against cybersecurity risks. The CIO and CISO, with over 35 and 25 years of experience, respectively, have cybersecurity expertise, coupled with experience in IT strategy, operational management, incident response, and business continuity maintenance.
The Company also has a cross-functional Cybersecurity Incident Response Team consisting of senior-level management. This team is responsible for cybersecurity incident oversight and meets as needed, depending on the nature of an incident. The Company's internal audit team also provides independent assurance on the overall operations of the Company's cybersecurity program. The Company ensures that all employees, including part-time and temporary employees, undergo cybersecurity training and compliance programs at least annually.
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INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Certain information about Eastman's executive officers is provided below:
Mark J. Costa, age 59, is Chair of the Eastman Chemical Company Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Costa joined the Company in June 2006 as Chief Marketing Officer and leader of corporate strategy and business development; was appointed Executive Vice President, Specialty Plastics and Performance Polymers Head and Chief Marketing Officer in August 2008; was appointed Executive Vice President, Specialty Products and Chief Marketing Officer in May 2009; and became President and a member of the Board of Directors in May 2013. Prior to joining Eastman, Mr. Costa was a senior partner with Monitor Group, a global management consulting firm. He joined Monitor in 1988, and his experience included corporate and business unit strategies, asset portfolio strategies, innovation and marketing, and channel strategies across a wide range of industries. Mr. Costa was appointed Chief Executive Officer in January 2014 and named Board Chair effective July 2014. Mr. Costa also serves on the Board of Directors of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.
William T. McLain, Jr., age 53, is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. McLain joined Eastman in 2000 and has served in high-level finance and accounting roles throughout the organization in the United States, Asia, and Europe. In 2011, Mr. McLain served as Director, Asia Pacific Finance, and in 2013 was appointed to International Controller. In 2014, Mr. McLain was appointed Corporate Controller until 2016 when he became Vice President of Finance. Prior to Eastman, Mr. McLain worked for the public accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Mr. McLain was appointed to his current position effective February 2020.
Stephen G. Crawford, age 61, is Executive Vice President, Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer, leading the technology and sustainability organizations. Mr. Crawford joined Eastman in 1984 and held leadership positions of increasing responsibility in both the manufacturing and technology organizations. From 2007 until January 2014 he served as Vice President of Global R&D in the AM and AFP segments. He was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer effective January 2014, Senior Vice President, Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer effective October 2019, and Executive Vice President, Manufacturing and Chief Sustainability Officer effective October 2022, and Executive Vice President, Methanolysis Operations and Worldwide Engineering & Construction Transformation effective January 2025. Mr. Crawford was appointed to his current position in November 2025.
Brad A. Lich, age 58, is Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, with responsibility for the AM segment, including the circular platform, as well as leadership of marketing, sales, supply chain, corporate strategy, and regional leadership. Mr. Lich joined Eastman in 2001 as Director of Global Product Management and Marketing for the Coatings business. Other positions of increasing responsibility followed, including General Manager of Emerging Markets of the former Coatings, Adhesives, Specialty Polymers, and Inks ("CASPI") segment. In 2006, Mr. Lich became Vice President of Global Marketing with direct responsibility for company-wide global marketing functions. In 2008, Mr. Lich was appointed Vice President and General Manager of the former CASPI segment, and in 2012 was appointed Vice President and General Manager of the AFP segment. In January 2014, Mr. Lich was appointed Executive Vice President, with responsibility for the AFP and AM segments and the marketing, sales, and pricing organizations. In March 2016, Mr. Lich assumed executive responsibility for outside-U.S. regional business leadership. Mr. Lich was appointed to his current position effective July 2016.
Travis Smith, age 52, is Executive Vice President, Additives & Functional Products, Manufacturing, WWE&C and HSE with responsibility for the global manufacturing and Worldwide Engineering and Construction ("WWE&C") in addition to leadership of the AFP segment and Health, Safety and Environment ("HSE"). Mr. Smith joined the Company in December 1992 as a chemical engineer and has held various positions of increasing responsibility within manufacturing, the chemicals business, corporate innovation, specialty plastics, and advance materials during his career at Eastman. Mr. Smith assumed the position of Vice President and General Manager, Performance Films in July 2012 and for both Performance Films and Advance Interlayers in April 2018, and was appointed Senior Vice President with responsibility for the AFP segment effective October 2022. Mr. Smith was appointed to his current position effective January 2025.
Iké Adeyemi, age 48, is Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary. Ms. Adeyemi has leadership responsibility for Eastman's legal organization, which includes corporate governance, commercial law, litigation management and intellectual property, as well as responsibility for product stewardship and regulatory affairs, global business conduct, global trade compliance, and global public affairs. Before joining Eastman, Ms. Adeyemi served as vice president, corporate secretary, and associate general counsel of The Clorox Company. Prior to that, Ms. Adeyemi's work experience includes serving as the head of legal, corporate/M&A at BHP Billiton, and working at the law firms of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in the U.S. and White & Case LLP in London. Ms. Adeyemi was appointed to her current position effective September 2024.
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Michelle H. Caveness, age 52, is Senior Vice President and Chief Manufacturing Officer overseeing global manufacturing and operations support. Ms. Caveness joined Eastman in 1996 and has held leadership roles of increasing responsibility in engineering, technology and manufacturing as well as on cross-functional business teams. Prior to her current role, she was vice president, Tennessee operations site leader and global operations support, leading one of the largest manufacturing sites in the United States and associated sites across the globe. Ms. Caveness was appointed to her current position effective January 2025.
Adrian J. Holt, age 56, is Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. Mr. Holt is responsible for human resources strategy and services worldwide, which includes employee engagement, total rewards, learning and leadership development, and global talent acquisition and management. Mr. Holt joined Eastman in 2016 as Vice President, Global Talent Acquisition and HR Client Support, Americas and EMEA. Prior to Eastman, Mr. Holt served as Chief Human Resources Officer for WireCo World Group and as Vice President of Corporate Human Resources for BASF North America. Mr. Holt was appointed to his current position effective May 2023.
Julie A. McAlindon, age 58, is Senior Vice President, Regions and Chief Supply Chain Officer. Ms. McAlindon has responsibility for overseeing global supply chain, sourcing and procurement, and regional leadership outside of North America. Ms. McAlindon also leads the transformation of Eastman, building the capabilities and culture required to support Eastman's strategy. Prior to this role, Ms. McAlindon was Chief Procurement Officer and Vice President, Transformation. Ms. McAlindon joined Eastman in 2016. Before joining Eastman, Ms. McAlindon was with Avient Corporation as senior vice president, designed structures and solutions; and vice president of marketing. Prior to that, Ms. McAlindon's work experience includes a variety of leadership positions with Dow Inc. Ms. McAlindon was appointed to her current position effective June 2021.
Michelle R. Stewart, age 54, is Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller. Since joining Eastman in 1995, Ms. Stewart has served in a number of positions with increasing responsibility in the finance organization. Prior to joining Eastman, Ms. Stewart worked for the public accounting firm KPMG Peat Marwick. Ms. Stewart was appointed to her current position effective October 2021.
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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
At December 31, 2025, Eastman owned or operated 36 manufacturing facilities and had equity interests in four manufacturing joint ventures in a total of 12 countries. Utilization of these sites may vary with product mix and economic, seasonal, and other business conditions; however, none of the principal plants are substantially idle. The Company's plants, including approved expansions, generally have sufficient capacity for existing needs and expected near-term growth. These plants are generally well maintained, in good operating condition, and suitable and adequate for their use. Unless otherwise indicated, all properties are owned. Corporate headquarters are in Kingsport, Tennessee. The Company has major business offices in Shanghai, China; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Singapore; and Zug, Switzerland.
The locations and general character of the Company's manufacturing facilities are:
Segment using manufacturing location
Location
Advanced Materials
Additives & Functional Products
Chemical Intermediates
Fibers
USA
Alvin, Texas (1)
Anniston, Alabama
Axton, Virginia
Chestertown, Maryland
Columbia, South Carolina (1)
Fieldale, Virginia
Kingsport, Tennessee
Linden, New Jersey
Longview, Texas
Martinsville, Virginia
Pace, Florida (2)
Springfield, Massachusetts
St. Gabriel, Louisiana
Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
Texas City, Texas (1)
Watertown, New York
Europe
Antwerp, Belgium (1)
Ghent, Belgium (3)
Kohtla-Järve, Estonia
Oulu, Finland (2)
Dresden, Germany
Leuna, Germany
Marl, Germany (2)
Avila, Spain
Newport, Wales
(1) Eastman maintains an operating agreement with a third party that operates Eastman's manufacturing assets at the site.
(2) Eastman leases from a third party and operates the site.
(3) Eastman has more than one manufacturing facility at this location.
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Segment using manufacturing location
Location
Advanced Materials
Additives & Functional Products
Chemical Intermediates
Fibers
Asia Pacific
Dalian, China
Nanjing, China
Suzhou, China (1)(2)(3)
Wuhan, China (4)
Zibo, China (5)
Ulsan, Korea (6)
Kuantan, Malaysia (1)
Latin America
Mauá, Brazil
Santo Toribio, Mexico
(1) Eastman leases from a third party and operates the site.
(2) Eastman has more than one manufacturing facility at this location.
(3) Eastman holds a 60 percent share of Solutia Therminol Co., Ltd. Suzhou in the Additives & Functional Products segment.
(4) Eastman holds a 51 percent share of Eastman Specialties Wuhan Youji Chemical Co., Ltd.
(5) Eastman holds a 51 percent share of Qilu Eastman Specialty Chemical, Ltd.
(6) Eastman holds an 80 percent share of Eastman Fibers Korea Limited.
Eastman has 50 percent or less ownership in joint ventures that have manufacturing facilities at the following locations:
Segment using manufacturing location
Location
Advanced Materials
Additives & Functional Products
Chemical Intermediates
Fibers
USA
Kingsport, Tennessee
Asia Pacific
Hefei, China
Ruian, China
Shenzhen, China
Eastman has distribution facilities at all of its plant sites. In addition, the Company owns or leases approximately 200 stand-alone distribution facilities in approximately 30 countries. The Company also maintains technical service centers around the world.
A summary of properties, classified by type, is included in Note 4, "Properties and Accumulated Depreciation", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
General
From time to time, Eastman and its operations are parties to, or targets of, lawsuits, claims, investigations, and proceedings, including product liability, personal injury, asbestos, patent and intellectual property, commercial, contract, environmental, antitrust, health and safety, and employment matters, which are handled and defended in the ordinary course of business. While the Company is unable to predict the outcome of these matters, it does not believe, based upon currently available facts, that the ultimate resolution of any such pending matters will have a material adverse effect on its overall financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Consistent with the requirements of Regulation S-K, Item 103, the Company's threshold for disclosing any environmental legal proceeding involving a governmental authority is potential monetary sanctions that management believes will meet or exceed $1 million.
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Solutia Legacy Torts ClaimsLitigation
Pursuant to an Amended and Restated Settlement Agreement effective February 28, 2008 between Solutia Inc. ("Solutia") and Monsanto Company ("Monsanto") in connection with Solutia's emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings (the "Monsanto Settlement Agreement"), Monsanto is responsible for the defense and indemnification of Solutia against any Legacy Tort Claims (as defined in the Monsanto Settlement Agreement) and Solutia has agreed to retain responsibility for certain tort claims, if any, that may arise from Solutia's conduct after its spinoff from Pharmacia Corporation (f/k/a Monsanto), which occurred on September 1, 1997. Solutia, which became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eastman upon Eastman's acquisition of Solutia in July 2012, has been named as a defendant in several such proceedings, and has submitted the matters to Monsanto, which was acquired by Bayer AG in June 2018, as Legacy Tort Claims. To the extent these matters are not within the meaning of Legacy Tort Claims, Solutia could potentially be liable thereunder. In connection with the completion of its acquisition of Solutia, Eastman guaranteed the obligations of Solutia and Eastman was added as an indemnified party under the Monsanto Settlement Agreement.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON STOCK, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
(a) Eastman's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") under the symbol "EMN".
As of December 31, 2025, there were 114,097,314 shares of Eastman's common stock issued and outstanding, which shares were held by 9,520 stockholders of record. These shares include 50,798 shares held by the Company's charitable foundation.
See "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters - Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans" in Part III, Item 12 of this Annual Report for the information required by Item 201(d) of Regulation S-K.
(b) Not applicable.
(c) Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers.
In December 2021, the Company's Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $2.5 billion of the Company's outstanding common stock at such times, in such amounts, and on such terms, as determined by management to be in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders (the "2021 authorization"). As of December 31, 2025, a total of 13,032,926 shares have been repurchased under the 2021 authorization for $1.2 billion. Both dividends and share repurchases are key strategies employed by the Company to return value to its stockholders.
During 2025, the Company repurchased 1,420,768 shares of common stock for $100 million.
For additional information, see Note 15, "Stockholders' Equity", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
ITEM 6. RESERVED
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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Page
Critical Accounting Estimates
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Overview
Results of Operations
Summary by Operating Segment
Sales by Customer Location
Liquidity and Other Financial Information
Inflation
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
This Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A") is based upon the consolidated financial statements of Eastman Chemical Company ("Eastman" or the "Company"), which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"), and should be read in conjunction with the Company's consolidated financial statements and related notes, included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K (this "Annual Report"). All references to earnings per share ("EPS") contained in this report are to diluted EPS unless otherwise noted. EBIT is the GAAP measure earnings before interest and taxes. For a discussion of the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, please read "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Part II, Item 7 of Eastman's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
In preparing the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP, management must make decisions which impact the reported amounts and the related disclosures. Such decisions include the selection of the appropriate accounting principles to be applied and assumptions on which to base estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, sales revenue and expenses, fair value of disposal groups, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, Eastman evaluates its estimates, including those related to impairment of long-lived assets, environmental costs, pension and other postretirement benefits, and income taxes. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. Management believes the critical accounting estimates described below are the most important to the fair presentation of the Company's financial condition and results. These estimates require management's most significant judgments in the preparation of the Company's consolidated financial statements.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
Definite-lived Assets
Properties and equipment and definite-lived intangible assets to be held and used by Eastman are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. The review of properties and equipment and the review of definite-lived intangible assets is performed at the asset group level, which is the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities. If the carrying amount is not considered to be recoverable, an analysis of potential impairment is triggered. An impairment is recognized for the excess of the carrying amount of the asset over the estimated fair value. The Company's assumptions to estimate cash flows in the evaluation of impairment related to long-lived assets are subject to change and impairments may be required in the future resulting in a charge to earnings.
Goodwill
Goodwill is an asset determined as the residual of the purchase price over the fair value of identified assets and liabilities
acquired in a business combination. Eastman conducts testing of goodwill for impairment annually in the fourth quarter or more frequently when events and circumstances indicate an impairment may have occurred. The testing of goodwill is performed at the "reporting unit" level which the Company has determined to be its "components". Components are defined as an operating segment or one level below an operating segment, and in order to be a reporting unit, the component must 1) be a "business" as defined by applicable accounting standards (an integrated set of activities and assets that is capable of being conducted and managed for the purpose of providing a return in the form of dividends, lower costs, or other economic benefits directly to the investors or other owners, members, or participants); 2) have discrete financial information available; and 3) be reviewed regularly by Company operating segment management. The Company aggregates certain components into reporting units based on economic similarities.
An impairment is recognized when the reporting unit's estimated fair value is less than its carrying value. The Company elected to perform a qualitative impairment assessment of goodwill in 2025. The qualitative assessment identified three reporting units where a quantitative assessment was needed to confirm that goodwill was not impaired. For those reporting units, the Company used an income approach, specifically a discounted cash flow model, in testing the carrying value of goodwill for each reporting unit for impairment. Key assumptions and estimates used in the Company's 2025 goodwill impairment testing included projections of revenues and EBIT determined using the Company's annual multi-year strategic plan, the estimated weighted average cost of capital ("WACC"), and projected long-term growth rates. The Company believes these assumptions are consistent with those a hypothetical market participant would use given circumstances that were present at the time the estimates were made. However, actual results and amounts may be significantly different from the Company's estimates. In addition, the use of different estimates or assumptions could result in materially different estimated fair values of reporting units. The WACC is calculated incorporating weighted average returns on debt and equity from market participants. Therefore, changes in the market, which are beyond the control of the Company, may have an impact on future estimates of fair value.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The Company had $3.7 billion of goodwill as of December 31, 2025. As a result of the goodwill impairment testing performed during fourth quarter 2025, fair values were determined to significantly exceed the carrying values for each reporting unit tested with the exception of performance films (part of the Advanced Materials operating segment as described in Part I, Item 1, "Business", of this Annual Report). Two of the most critical assumptions used in the calculation of the fair value of the performance films reporting unit are the target market long-term growth rate and the WACC. The Company performed a sensitivity analysis of both of those assumptions, assuming a 50 basis point decrease in the expected long-term growth rate or a 50 basis point increase in the WACC, and both scenarios independently yielded an estimated fair value for the performance films reporting unit above the carrying value. As of December 31, 2025, goodwill allocated to the performance films reporting unit was $812 million. Declines in market conditions or forecasted revenue and EBIT could result in a future impairment of goodwill.
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets
Indefinite-lived intangible assets, consisting primarily of tradenames, are tested for potential impairment by comparing the estimated fair value to the carrying amount. The Company elected to perform a quantitative impairment assessment of indefinite-lived intangible assets in fourth quarter 2025. The qualitative assessment did not identify indicators of impairment, and it was determined that it is more likely than not the fair value of indefinite-lived intangible assets was greater than their carrying value. When a quantitative impairment assessment is performed, the Company uses an income approach, specifically the relief from royalty method, to test indefinite-lived intangible assets for potential impairment. The estimated fair value of tradenames is determined based on projections of revenue and an assumed royalty rate savings, discounted by the calculated market participant WACC plus a risk premium. The Company had $351 million in indefinite-lived intangible assets at December 31, 2025. There were no impairments of the Company's indefinite-lived intangible assets as a result of the tests performed during fourth quarter 2025. Declines in market conditions or forecasted revenue could result in a future impairment of indefinite-lived intangible assets.
The Company will continue to monitor both goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for any indication of events which might require additional testing before the next annual impairment test and could result in material impairment charges.
For additional information related to impairment of long-lived assets, see Note 1, "Significant Accounting Policies", Note 4, "Properties and Accumulated Depreciation", Note 5, "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets", and Note 16, "Asset Impairments, Restructuring, and Other Charges, Net", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Environmental Costs
Eastman recognizes environmental remediation costs when it is probable that the Company has incurred a liability at a contaminated site and the amount can be reasonably estimated. When a single amount cannot be reasonably estimated but the cost can be estimated within a range, the Company recognizes the minimum undiscounted amount. This undiscounted amount reflects liabilities expected to be paid within approximately 30 years and the Company's assumptions about remediation requirements at the contaminated site, the nature of the remedy, the outcome of discussions with regulatory agencies and other potentially responsible parties at multi-party sites, and the number and financial viability of other potentially responsible parties. Changes in the estimates on which the accruals are based, unanticipated government enforcement action, or changes in health, safety, environmental, and chemical control regulations and testing requirements could result in higher or lower costs. Estimated future environmental expenditures for undiscounted remediation costs ranged from $285 million to $509 million with a best estimate or minimum of $285 million at December 31, 2025. The best estimate or minimum estimated future environmental expenditures are considered to be probable and reasonably estimable and include the amounts recognized at December 31, 2025.
For additional information, see Note 13, "Environmental Matters and Asset Retirement Obligations", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits
Eastman maintains defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans that provide eligible employees with retirement benefits. The estimated amounts of the costs and obligations related to these benefits primarily reflect the Company's assumptions related to discount rates and expected return on plan assets. For the Company's U.S. and non-U.S. defined benefit pension plans, the Company assumed weighted average discount rates of 5.26 percent and 4.81 percent, respectively, and weighted average expected returns on plan assets of 7.50 percent and 5.13 percent, respectively, at December 31, 2025. The Company assumed a weighted average discount rate of 5.13 percent for its other postretirement benefit plans at December 31, 2025. The estimated cost of providing plan benefits also depends on demographic assumptions including retirements, mortality, turnover, and plan participation.
The projected benefit obligation as of December 31, 2025 and expense for 2026 are affected by year-end 2025 assumptions. The following table illustrates the sensitivity to changes in the Company's long-term assumptions in the assumed discount rate and expected return on plan assets for all pension and other postretirement benefit plans. The sensitivities below are specific to the time periods noted. They also may not be additive, so the impact of changing multiple factors simultaneously cannot be calculated by combining the individual sensitivities shown.
Change in
Assumption
Impact on
2026 Pre-tax
Benefits Expense
(Excludes mark-to-market impact)
for Pension Plans
Impact on December 31, 2025 Projected Benefit Obligation for Pension Plans
Impact on 2026 Pre-tax Benefits Expense (Excludes mark-to-market impact) for Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
Impact on December 31, 2025 Benefit Obligation for Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
Non-U.S.
25 basis point
decrease in discount
rate
$-2 Million
$+26 Million
$+20 Million
<-$0.5 Million
$+4 Million
25 basis point
increase in discount
rate
$+1 Million
$-26 Million
$-18 Million
<+$0.5 Million
$-4 Million
25 basis point
decrease in expected return on plan assets
$+5 Million
No Impact
No Impact
<+$0.5 Million
No Impact
25 basis point
increase in expected
return on plan assets
$-5 Million
No Impact
No Impact
<-$0.5 Million
No Impact
The assumed discount rate and expected return on plan assets used to calculate the Company's pension and other postretirement benefit obligations are established each December 31. The assumed discount rate is based upon a portfolio of high-grade corporate bonds, which are used to develop a yield curve. This yield curve is applied to the expected cash flows of the pension and other postretirement benefit obligations. Because future health care benefits under the U.S. benefit plan have been fixed at a certain contribution amount, changes in the health care cost trend assumptions do not have a material impact on results of operations. The expected return on plan assets is based upon prior performance and the long-term expected returns in the markets in which the plans invest their funds, primarily in U.S. and non-U.S. fixed income securities, U.S. and non-U.S. public equity securities, private equity, and real estate. Moreover, the expected return on plan assets is a long-term assumption and on average is expected to approximate the actual return on plan assets. Actual returns will be subject to year-to-year variances and could vary materially from assumptions.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The Company calculates service and interest cost components of net periodic benefit costs for its significant defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans by applying the specific spot rates along the yield curve to the plans' projected cash flows. This cost approach does not affect the measurement of the total benefit obligation or the annual net periodic benefit cost or credit of the plans because the change in the service and interest costs will be offset in the mark-to-market ("MTM") actuarial gain or loss. The MTM gain or loss, as described in the next paragraph, is typically recognized in the fourth quarter of each year or in any other quarters in which an interim remeasurement is triggered.
The Company uses fair value accounting for plan assets. If actual experience differs from actuarial assumptions, primarily discount rates and long-term assumptions for asset returns which were used in determining the current year expense, the difference is recognized as part of the MTM net gain or loss in fourth quarter each year, and any other quarter in which an interim remeasurement is triggered. See the calculation of the MTM pension and other post-retirement benefits (gain) loss table below in "NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES - Non-GAAP Financial Measures - Non-Core and Unusual Items Excluded from Earnings".
While changes in obligations do not correspond directly to cash funding requirements, it is an indication of the amount the Company will be required to contribute to the plans in future years. The amount and timing of such cash contributions is dependent upon interest rates, actual returns on plan assets, retirements, attrition rates of employees, and other factors.
For further information regarding pension and other postretirement benefit obligations, see Note 11, "Retirement Plans", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Income Taxes
Amounts of deferred tax assets and liabilities on Eastman's Consolidated Statements of Financial Position are based on temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, applying enacted tax rates expected to be in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The ability to realize deferred tax assets is evaluated through the forecasting of taxable income, using historical and projected future operating results, the reversal of existing temporary differences, and the availability of tax planning opportunities. Valuation allowances are recognized to reduce deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized. In the event that the actual outcome of future tax consequences differs from management estimates and assumptions, the resulting change to the provision for income taxes could have a material impact on the consolidated results of operations and statements of financial position. As of December 31, 2025, valuation allowances of $731 million have been provided against certain deferred tax assets.
The calculation of income tax liabilities involves uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws and regulations, which are subject to legal interpretation and management judgment. Eastman's income tax returns are regularly examined by federal, state and foreign tax authorities, and those audits may result in proposed adjustments which could result in additional income tax liabilities and income tax expense. Income tax expense could be materially impacted to the extent the Company prevails in a tax position, when the statute of limitations expires for a tax position for which there is an established liability for unrecognized tax benefits, or to the extent payments are required in excess of the established liability for unrecognized tax benefits.
For further information, see Note 8, "Income Taxes", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
Non-GAAP financial measures, and the accompanying reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable GAAP measures, are presented below in this section and in "Overview", "Results of Operations", "Summary by Operating Segment", and "Liquidity and Other Financial Information - Cash Flows" in this MD&A.
Management discloses non-GAAP financial measures, and the related reconciliations to the most comparable GAAP financial measures, because it believes investors use these metrics in evaluating longer term period-over-period performance, and to allow investors to better understand and evaluate the information used by management to assess the Company's and its operating segments' performances, make resource allocation decisions, and evaluate organizational and individual performances in determining certain performance-based compensation. Non-GAAP financial measures do not have definitions under GAAP, and may be defined differently by, and not be comparable to, similarly titled measures used by other companies. As a result, management cautions investors not to place undue reliance on any non-GAAP financial measure, but to consider such measures alongside the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Company Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Non-Core Items and any Unusual or Non-Recurring Items Excluded from Non-GAAP Earnings
In addition to evaluating Eastman's financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, and cash flows as reported in accordance with GAAP, management evaluates Company and operating segment performance, and makes resource allocation and performance evaluation decisions, excluding the effect of transactions, costs, and losses or gains that do not directly result from Eastman's normal, or "core", business and operations, or are otherwise of an unusual or non-recurring nature.
Non-core, unusual, or non-recurring items include transactions, costs, and losses or gains relating to, among other things, cost reductions, growth and profitabilityimprovement initiatives, changes in businesses and assets, and other events outside of the Company's core business operations, and have included asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges and gains; costs of and related to acquisitions; gains and losses from and costs related to dispositions, closures, or shutdowns of businesses or assets; financing transaction costs; environmental and other costs related to previously divested businesses, non-operational sites and product lines, and discontinued programs; mark-to-market losses or gains for pension and other postretirement benefit plans; the impact from significant tax law changes; and unusual or non-recurring income tax reserves or adjustments.
Because non-core, unusual, or non-recurring transactions, costs, and losses or gains may materially affect the Company's, or any particular operating segment's, financial condition or results in a specific period in which they are recognized, management believes it is appropriate to evaluate the financial measures prepared and calculated in accordance with both GAAP and the related non-GAAP financial measures excluding the effect on the Company's results of these non-core, unusual, or non-recurring items. In addition to using such measures to evaluate results in a specific period, management evaluates such non-GAAP measures, and believes that investors may also evaluate such measures, because such measures may provide more complete and consistent comparisons of the Company's, and its segments', operational performance on a period-over-period historical basis and, as a result, provide a better indication of expected future trends.
Non-GAAP Debt Measure
Eastman from time to time evaluates and discloses to investors and securities and credit analysts the non-GAAP debt measure "net debt", which management defines as total borrowings less cash and cash equivalents. Management believes this metric is useful to investors and securities and credit analysts to provide them with information similar to that used by management in evaluating the Company's overall financial position, liquidity, and leverage and because management believes investors, securities analysts, credit analysts and rating agencies, and lenders often use a similar measure to assess and compare companies' relative financial position and liquidity.
Non-GAAP Measures in this Annual Report
The following non-core items are excluded by management in its evaluation of certain earnings results in this Annual Report:
• Asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net;
• Cost of sales impact from restructuring activities;
• Mark-to-market pension and other postretirement benefit plans gains and losses resulting from the changes in discount rates and other actuarial assumptions and the difference between actual and expected returns on plan assets during the period; and
• Environmental and other costs from previously divested businesses, non-operational sites and product lines, and discontinued programs.
The following unusual items are excluded by management in its evaluation of certain earnings results in this Annual Report:
• Income tax related items.
As described above, the alternative non-GAAP measure of debt, "net debt", is also presented in this Annual Report.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Non-GAAP Financial Measures - Non-Core and Unusual Items Excluded from Earnings
(Dollars in millions)
Non-core items impacting EBIT:
Cost of sales impact from restructuring activities
Asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net
Mark-to-market pension and other postretirement benefits (gain) loss, net
Environmental and other costs
Total non-core items impacting EBIT
Less: Items impacting provision for income taxes:
Tax effect for non-core items
Income tax related items
Total items impacting provision for income taxes
Total items impacting net earnings attributable to Eastman
Below is the calculation of the "Other components of post-employment (benefit) cost, net" that are not included in the above non-core item "mark-to-market pension and other postretirement benefits loss (gain), net" and that are included in the non-GAAP results.
(Dollars in millions)
Other components of post-employment (benefit) cost, net
Service cost
Net periodic benefit (credit) cost
Less: Mark-to-market pension and other postretirement benefits (gain) loss, net
Components of post-employment (benefit) cost, net included in non-GAAP earnings measures
Below is the calculation of the MTM pension and other post-retirement benefits (gain) lossdisclosed above.
(Dollars in millions)
Actual return and percentage of return on assets
Less: expected return on assets
Mark-to-market gain (loss) on assets
Actuarial (loss) gain (1)
Total mark-to-market (loss) gain
Global weighted-average assumed discount rate for year ended December 31:
(1) Actuarial (loss) gain resulted primarily from the change in discount rates from the prior year and changes in other actuarial assumptions.
For more detail about MTM pension and other postretirement benefit plans net gains and losses, including actual and expected return on plan assets and the components of the net gain or loss, see "Critical Accounting Estimates - Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits" above, and Note 11, "Retirement Plans", "Summary of Changes - Actuarial (gain) loss, Actual return on plan assets, and Reserve for third party contributions", and "Summary of Benefit Costs and Other Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income - Mark-to-market pension and other postretirement benefits (gain) loss, net" to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This MD&A includes the effect of the foregoing on the following GAAP financial measures:
• Gross profit,
• Other components of post-employment (benefit) cost, net,
• Other (income) charges, net,
• EBIT,
• Provision for income taxes,
• Net earnings attributable to Eastman,
• Diluted EPS, and
• Total borrowings.
Other Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Adjusted Tax Rate and Provision for Income Taxes
In interim periods, Eastman discloses non-GAAP earnings with an adjusted effective tax rate and a resulting adjusted provision for income taxes using the Company's forecasted tax rate for the full year as of the end of the interim period. The adjusted effective tax rate and resulting adjusted provision for income taxes are equal to the Company's projected full year effective tax rate and provision for income taxes on earnings excluding non-core, unusual, or non-recurring items for completed periods. The adjusted effective tax rate and resulting adjusted provision for income taxes may fluctuate during the year for changes in events and circumstances that change the Company's forecasted annual effective tax rate and resulting provision for income taxes excluding non-core, unusual, or non-recurring items. Management discloses this adjusted effective tax rate, and the related reconciliation to the GAAP effective tax rate, to provide investors more complete and consistent comparisons of the Company's operational performance on a period-over-period interim basis and on the same basis as management evaluates quarterly financial results to provide a better indication of expected full year results.
Alternative Non-GAAP Cash Flow Measures
In addition to the non-GAAP measures presented in this Annual Report and other periodic reports, management may occasionally evaluate and disclose to investors and securities analysts the non-GAAP measure cash provided by or used in operating activities excluding certain non-core, unusual, or non-recurring sources or uses of cash or including cash from or used by activities that are managed as part of core business operations ("adjusted cash provided by or used in operating activities") when analyzing, among other things, business performance, liquidity and financial position, and performance-based compensation. Management has used this non-GAAP measure in conjunction with the GAAP measure cash provided by or used in operating activities because it believes it is an appropriate metric to evaluate the cash flows from Eastman's core operations that are available for organic and inorganic growth initiatives and because it allows for a more consistent period-over-period presentation of such amounts. In its evaluation, management generally excludes the impact of certain non-core and unusual activities and decisions of management that it does not consider core, ongoing components of operations and the decisions to undertake or not to undertake such activities may be made irrespective of the cash generated from operations, and generally includes cash from or used in activities that are managed as operating activities and in business operating decisions. Management has disclosed this non-GAAP measure and the related reconciliation to investors, securities analysts, credit analysts and rating agencies, and lenders to allow them to better understand and evaluate the information used by management in its decision-making processes and because management believes investors and securities analysts use similar measures to assess Company performance, liquidity, and financial position over multiple periods and to compare these with other companies.
From time to time, Eastman may evaluate and disclose to investors and securities analysts an alternative non-GAAP measure of "free cash flow", which management defines as net cash provided by or used in operating activities less the amount of net capital expenditures (typically the GAAP measure additions to properties and equipment, net of government incentives). In addition, Eastman may disclose to investors and securities analysts an alternative non-GAAP measure of "free cash flow yield", which management defines as annual free cash flow divided by the Company's market capitalization, and "free cash flow conversion", which management defines as annual free cash flow divided by adjusted net income. Management believes these metrics can be useful to investors and securities analysts in comparing cash flow generation with that of peer and other companies.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Alternative Non-GAAP Earnings Measures
From time to time, Eastman may also disclose to investors and securities analysts the non-GAAP earnings measures "Adjusted EBIT Margin", "Adjusted EBITDA", "Adjusted EBITDA Margin", "Return on Invested Capital" (or "ROIC"), and "Adjusted ROIC". Management defines Adjusted EBIT Margin as the GAAP measure EBIT adjusted to exclude the same non-core, unusual, or non-recurring items as are excluded from the Company's other non-GAAP earnings measures for the same periods divided by the GAAP measure sales revenue in the Company's Consolidated Statement of Earnings, Comprehensive Income and Retained Earnings for the same periods. Adjusted EBITDA is EBITDA (net earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) adjusted to exclude the same non-core, unusual, or non-recurring items as are excluded from the Company's other non-GAAP earnings measures for the same periods. Adjusted EBITDA Margin is Adjusted EBITDA divided by the GAAP measure sales revenue in the Company's Consolidated Statement of Earnings, Comprehensive Income and Retained Earnings for the same periods. Management defines ROIC as net earnings plus interest expense after tax divided by average total borrowings plus average stockholders' equity for the periods presented, each derived from the GAAP measures in the Company's financial statements for the periods presented. Adjusted ROIC is ROIC adjusted to exclude from net earnings the same non-core, unusual, or non-recurring items as are excluded from the Company's other non-GAAP earnings measures for the same periods. Management believes that Adjusted EBIT Margin, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, ROIC, and Adjusted ROIC are useful as supplemental measures in evaluating the performance of and returns from Eastman's operating businesses, and from time to time uses such measures in internal performance calculations. Further, management understands that investors and securities analysts often use similar measures of Adjusted EBIT Margin, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, ROIC, and Adjusted ROIC to compare the results, returns, and value of the Company with those of peer and other companies.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
OVERVIEW
Eastman's products and operations are managed and reported in four operating segments: Advanced Materials ("AM"), Additives & Functional Products ("AFP"), Chemical Intermediates ("CI"), and Fibers. Eastman uses an innovation-driven growth model which consists of leveraging world class scalable technology platforms, delivering differentiated application development capabilities, and relentlessly engaging the market. The Company's world class technology platforms, scale advantage, and sustainability macrotrends form the foundation of the Company's research and development ("R&D") and innovation initiatives. Molecular recycling technologies continue to be an area of investment focus for the Company and extends the level of differentiation afforded by our world class technology platforms. Eastman began operating the world's largest polyester molecular recycling facility in 2024. Differentiated application development converts market complexity into opportunities for growth and accelerates innovation by enabling a deeper understanding of the value of Eastman's products and how they perform within customers' and end-user products. Key areas of application development include thermoplastic conversion, functional films, coatings formulations, textiles, and personal and home care formulations. The Company engages the market by working directly with customers and downstream users, targeting attractive markets, and leveraging disruptive macro trends. Management believes that these elements of the Company's innovation-driven growth model, combined with disciplined portfolio management and balanced capital deployment, will result in consistent, sustainable earnings growth and strong cash flow from operations.
Sales, EBIT, and EBIT excluding non-core items were as follows:
(Dollars in millions)
Sales
Earnings before interest and taxes
Earnings before interest and taxes excluding non-core items
Sales revenue decreased in 2025 compared to 2024 due to lower sales volume primarily driven by acetate tow customer inventory destocking and industry capacity share adjustments as well as end-market weakness in most consumer discretionary end markets. EBIT excluding non-core items decreased in 2025 compared to 2024 primarily due to lower sales volume, lower selling prices and higher raw material and energy costs, and lower asset utilization. These factors were partially offset by cost reduction initiatives, lower manufacturing costs, and lower variable compensation costs.
Further discussion of sales revenue and EBIT changes is presented in "Results of Operations" and "Summary by Operating Segment" in this MD&A.
Net earnings and EPS and adjusted net earnings and EPS were as follows:
(Dollars in millions, except diluted EPS)
EPS
EPS
Net earnings attributable to Eastman
Total non-core and unusual items, net of tax
Net earnings attributable to Eastman excluding non-core and unusual items
The Company generated $970 million and $1.3 billion of cash from operating activities in 2025 and 2024, respectively.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Eastman's results of operations as presented in the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report are summarized and analyzed below.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Sales
(Dollars in millions)
Change
Sales
Volume / product mix effect
Price effect
Exchange rate effect
Sales revenue decreased in 2025 compared to 2024 due to decreases across all operating segments except the AFP segment. Further discussion by operating segments is presented in "Summary of Operating Segment" in this MD&A.
Gross Profit
(Dollars in millions)
Change
Gross profit
Costs of sales impact from restructuring activities
Gross profit excluding non-core items
Gross profit in 2025 included inventory adjustments related to the decommissioning of certain assets at performance films facilities in North America. Gross profit in 2024 included inventory adjustments related to the closure of a solvent-based resins production line at an advanced interlayers facility in North America.
Excluding these non-core items, gross profit decreased in 2025 compared to 2024 due to lower sales volume and higher raw material and energy costs and lower selling prices. Further discussion of sales revenue and EBIT changes is presented in "Summary by Operating Segment" in this MD&A.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
(Dollars in millions)
Change
Selling, general and administrative expenses
Selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expense decreased in 2025 compared to 2024 primarily as a result of cost reduction initiatives and lower variable compensation costs.
Research and Development Expenses
(Dollars in millions)
Change
Research and development expenses
R&D expenses slightly increased in 2025 compared to 2024 primarily due to strategic investment in innovation.
Asset Impairments, Restructuring, and Other Charges, Net
(Dollars in millions)
Asset impairments
Severance charges
Restructuring and other charges
Total
For detailed information regarding asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net see Note 16, "Asset Impairments, Restructuring, and Other Charges, Net", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Other Components of Post-employment (Benefit) Cost, Net
(Dollars in millions)
Change
Other components of post-employment (benefit) cost, net
Mark-to-market pension and other postretirement benefitgain (loss), net
Other components of post-employment (benefit) cost, net excluding non-core item
For more information regarding "Other components of post-employment (benefit) cost, net" see Note 1, "Significant Accounting Policies", and Note 11, "Retirement Plans", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Other (Income) Charges, Net
(Dollars in millions)
Foreign exchange transaction losses (gains), net
(Income) loss from equity investments and other investment (gains) losses, net
Environmental and other costs
Other, net
Other (income) charges, net
Environmental and other costs
Other (income) charges, net excluding non-core items
Other (income) charges, net in 2025 and 2024 included environmental and other costs related to previously divested businesses, non-operational sites and product lines, and discontinued programs. Excluding these non-core items, Other (income) charges, net decreased in 2025 compared to 2024 primarily due to lower factoring fees and foreign exchange transaction losses. For more information regarding components of foreign exchange transaction losses, see Note 10, "Derivative and Non-Derivative Financial Instruments", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Earnings Before Interest and Taxes
(Dollars in millions)
Change
EBIT
Cost of sales impact from restructuring activities
Asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net
Mark-to-market pension and other postretirement benefit (gain) loss, net
Environmental and other costs
EBIT excluding non-core items
For more information regarding items that impact EBIT, see "Overview", and items described above in "Results of Operations".
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Net Interest Expense
(Dollars in millions)
Change
Gross interest expense
Less: Capitalized interest
Interest Expense
Less: Interest income
Net interest expense
Net interest expense increased in 2025 compared to 2024 primarily as a result of lower interest income and lower capital expenditures.
Provision for Income Taxes
(Dollars in millions)
Provision for income taxes and effective tax rate
Tax provision for non-core items (1)
Income tax related items (2)
Adjusted provision for income taxes and effective tax rate
(1) Provision for income taxes for non-core items is calculated using the tax rate for the jurisdiction where the gains are taxable and the expenses are deductible.
(2) Full year 2025 includes a benefit from releasing reserves related to prior tax law changes and charges related to the enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the "Act") and unusual macroeconomic conditions impacting certain deferred tax assets in the U.S. Full year 2024 includes tax expense associated with a previously divested business.
Provision for income taxes and effective tax rate in 2025 and 2024 included the tax effect of non-core items and other income tax related items. Excluding these items, adjusted provision for income taxes decreased in 2025 compared to 2024 primarily as a result of changes in unrecognized tax benefits and the tax effect of decreased adjusted earnings, partially offset by foreign tax effects due to the Company's mix of earnings and effects of cross border tax laws, net of credits.
For more information, see Note 8, "Income Taxes", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Net Earnings Attributable to Eastman and Diluted Earnings per Share
(Dollars in millions, except per share amounts)
EPS
EPS
Net earnings and diluted earnings per share attributable to Eastman
Non-core items, net of tax: (1)
Cost of sales impact from restructuring activities
Asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net
Mark-to-market pension and other postretirement benefit (gain) loss, net
Environmental and other costs
Unusual items:
Income tax related items
Adjusted net earnings and diluted earnings per share attributable to Eastman
(1) The provision for income taxes for non-core items is calculated using the tax rate for the jurisdiction where the gains are taxable and the expenses are deductible.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
SUMMARY BY OPERATING SEGMENT
Eastman's products and operations are managed and reported in four operating segments: Advanced Materials ("AM"), Additives & Functional Products ("AFP"), Chemical Intermediates ("CI"), and Fibers. For additional financial and product information for each operating segment, see "Business - Business Segments" in Part I, Item 1 of this Annual Report and Note 20, "Segment and Regional Sales Information", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Advanced Materials Segment
Change
(Dollars in millions)
Sales
Volume / product mix effect
Price effect
Exchange rate effect
Earnings before interest and taxes
Cost of sales impact from restructuring activities
Asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net
Earnings before interest and taxes excluding non-core items
Sales revenue decreased in 2025 compared to 2024 primarily due to lower sales volume in the advanced interlayers and performance films product lines. Lower sales volume in the advanced interlayers product line was driven by weakness in the building and construction end market. Lower sales volume in the performance films product line was driven by weak consumer discretionary spending in the automotive end-market. Sales volume in the specialty plastics product line was relatively flat as growth from innovation offset a weak consumer durables end-market and impacts from tariff uncertainty.
EBIT in 2025 included inventory adjustments and asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net related to the decommissioning of certain assets at performance films facilities in North America and certain terminated capital projects within the performance films product line. EBIT in 2024 included inventory adjustments, and asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net related to the closure of a solvent-based resins production line. For more information regarding asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net, see Note 16, "Asset Impairments, Restructuring, and Other Charges, Net", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Excluding these non-core items, EBIT decreased in 2025 compared to 2024 due to $116 million lower sales volume and $9 million higher raw material and energy costs and lower selling prices. This was partially offset by cost reduction initiatives and lower SG&A expenses.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Additives & Functional Products Segment
Change
(Dollars in millions)
Sales
Volume / product mix effect
Price effect
Exchange rate effect
Earnings before interest and taxes
Cost of sales impact from restructuring activities
Asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net
Earnings before interest and taxes excluding non-core items
Sales revenue remained relatively unchanged in 2025 compared to 2024 primarily due to higher selling prices offset by lower sales volume. Higher selling prices were driven by cost-pass-through contracts. Lower sales volume in the building and construction and automotive end-markets were partially offset by growth in the water treatment, medical and pharma, and electronics end-markets.
EBIT in 2025 included asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net related to the closure of a heat-transfer fluids production line at a specialty fluids and energy facility in North America. EBIT in 2024 included inventory adjustments related to the closure of a solvent-based resins production line. For more information see Note 16, "Asset Impairments, Restructuring, and Other Charges, Net", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Excluding these non-core items, EBIT increased in 2025 compared to 2024 due to lower SG&A expenses and lower operating costs, partially offset by $19 million lower sales volume.
Chemical Intermediates Segment
Change
(Dollars in millions)
Sales
Volume / product mix effect
Price effect
Exchange rate effect
Earnings (loss) before interest and taxes
Asset impairments and restructuring, and other charges, net
Environmental and other costs
Earnings (loss) before interest and taxes excluding non-core items
Sales revenue decreased in 2025 compared to 2024 due to lower sales volume, primarily in the building and construction and durables end markets, and lower selling prices primarily due to competitive pressure in Asia.
EBIT in 2025 included asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net related to the termination of certain capital projects and other costs related to the discontinuation of licensing programs in the Asia Pacific region. For more information see Note 16, "Asset Impairments, Restructuring, and Other Charges, Net", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Excluding these non-core items, EBIT decreased in 2025 compared to 2024 primarily due to $121 million lower selling prices and higher raw material and energy costs and $27 million lower sales volume, partially offset by lower SG&A expenses.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Fibers Segment
(Dollars in millions)
Change
Sales
Volume / product mix effect
Price effect
Exchange rate effect
Earnings before interest and taxes
Asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net
Earnings before interest and taxes excluding non-core item
Sales revenue decreased in 2025 compared to 2024 primarily due to lower sales volume in the acetate tow product line attributed to customer inventory destocking and industry capacity share adjustments, and lower textiles sales volume into Europe and Asia due to impacts of tariffs on demand.
EBIT in 2025 included asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net due to a loss on sale related to the 2022 closure of an acetate yarn manufacturing facility in Europe. For more information see Note 16, "Asset Impairments, Restructuring, and Other Charges, Net", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Excluding this non-core item, EBIT decreased in 2025 compared to 2024 primarily due to $129 million lower sales volume and $51 million higher raw material and energy costs and lower selling prices. These higher costs were partially offset by lower SG&A expenses.
Other
(Dollars in millions)
Sales
Loss before interest and taxes
Growth initiatives and businesses not allocated to operating segments
Asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net
Pension and other postretirement benefit plans income (expense), net not allocated to operating segments
Other income (charges), net not allocated to operating segments
Loss before interest and taxes
Asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net
Mark-to-market pension and other postretirement benefits (gain) loss, net
Environmental and other costs
Loss before interest and taxes excluding non-core items
Sales and costs related to growth initiatives, including the cellulosic biopolymer and circular economy platforms, R&D costs, certain components of pension and other postretirement benefits, and other expenses and income not identifiable to an operating segment are included in "Other".
Loss before interest and taxes in 2025 and 2024 included severance charges related to corporate cost reduction initiatives; environmental and other costs related to previously divested businesses, non-operational sites and product lines, discontinued programs, and profitabilityimprovement initiatives. For more information regarding Non-GAAP items, see "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" in this MD&A. For more information regarding asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net, see Note 16, "Asset Impairments, Restructuring, and Other Charges, Net", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
SALES BY CUSTOMER LOCATION
Sales Revenue
Change
(Dollars in millions)
United States and Canada
Europe, Middle East, and Africa
Asia Pacific
Latin America
Total
Sales revenue decreased 7 percent in 2025 compared to 2024. Lower sales revenue was due to lower sales volume and unfavorable product mix across all regions and operating segments, as well as lower selling prices in the Asia Pacific region.
See Note 20, "Segment and Regional Sales Information", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report for segment sales revenues by customer location.
LIQUIDITY AND OTHER FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Cash Flows
The Company had cash and cash equivalents as follows:
(Dollars in millions)
December 31,
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash flows from operations, cash and cash equivalents, and other sources of liquidity are expected to be available and sufficient to meet known short and long-term cash requirements. However, the Company's cash flows from operations can be affected by numerous factors including risks associated with global operations, raw material availability and cost, demand for and pricing of Eastman's products, capacity utilization, and other factors described under "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report. Management believes maintaining a financial profile that supports a solid investment grade credit rating is important to its long-term strategy and financial flexibility.
For years ended December 31,
(Dollars in millions)
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities
Investing activities
Financing activities
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents
Net change in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
Cash provided by operating activities decreased $317 million primarily due to lower net earnings and higher variable compensation payout partially offset by lower working capital driven by inventory consumption in 2025 compared to build in 2024.
Cash used in investing activities decreased $72 million due to lower capital expenditure primarily for methanolysis plastic-to-plastic molecular recycling manufacturing facilities.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Cash used in financing activities increased $343 million primarily due to lower proceeds from borrowings partially offset by lower repayment of borrowings and lower stock repurchases. For additional information, see "Liquidity and Other Financial Information - Debt and Other Commitments" in this MD&A.
Working Capital Management
Eastman applies a proactive and disciplined approach to working capital management to optimize cash flow and to enable a full range of capital allocation options in support of the Company's strategy. Eastman expects to continue utilizing the programs described below to support operating cash flow consistent with the Company's past practices.
The Company engages in off-balance sheet, uncommitted accounts receivable factoring programs as a routine part of its ordinary business operations. Through these programs, entire invoices may be sold to third-party financial institutions, the vast majority of which are without recourse. Under these agreements, the Company sells the invoices at face value, less a transaction fee, which substantially equals the carrying value and fair value with no gain or loss recognized, and no credit loss exposure is retained. Available capacity under these programs, which the Company uses as a routine source of working capital funding, is dependent on the level of accounts receivable eligible to be sold and the financial institutions' willingness to purchase such receivables. The total amounts sold in both 2025 and 2024 were $2.7 billion. Based on the original terms of receivables sold for certain programs and actual outstanding balance of receivables under servicing agreements, the Company estimates that $346 million and $385 million of these receivables would have been outstanding as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, had they not been sold under these factoring programs.
Eastman works with suppliers to optimize payment terms and conditions on accounts payable to enhance timing of working
capital and cash flows. The Company has a voluntary supplier finance program to provide suppliers with the opportunity to sell receivables due from Eastman to a participating financial institution. The Company also maintains a structured payables program that utilizes a payables processing arrangement with a financial institution to support the processing and settlement of freight and logistics invoices. See Note 1, "Significant Accounting Policies", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information regarding both programs.
Debt and Other Commitments
Eastman has debt and other commitments for debt securities, credit facilities, interest payable, purchase obligations, operating leases, and other liabilities. A summary of the Company's debt and other commitment obligations as of December 31, 2025 for each of the next five years and beyond is included in Note 12, "Leases and Other Commitments", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
At December 31, 2025, Eastman's borrowings totaled $4.8 billion with various maturities. Estimated future payments of debt securities assumes the repayment of principal upon stated maturity, and actual amounts and the timing of such payments may differ materially due to repayment or other changes in the terms of such debt prior to maturity. See Note 9, "Borrowings", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report, for more information regarding total borrowings and related activity.
Amounts in other liabilities represent the current estimated cash payments required to be made by the Company primarily for pension and other postretirement benefits, accrued compensation benefits, environmental loss contingency estimates, uncertain tax liabilities, and commodity and foreign exchange hedging in the periods indicated. Due to uncertainties in the timing of the effective settlement of tax positions with taxing authorities, management is unable to determine the timing of payments related to uncertain tax liabilities and these amounts are included in the "2031 and beyond" line item.
The amount and timing of pension and other postretirement benefit payments included in other liabilities is dependent upon interest rates, health care cost trends, actual returns on plan assets, retirement and attrition rates of employees, continuation or modification of the benefit plans, and other factors. Such factors can significantly impact the amount and timing of any future contributions by the Company. Excess contributions are periodically made by management in order to keep the plans' funded status above 80 percent under the funding provisions of the Pension Protection Act to avoid partial benefit restrictions on accelerated forms of payment. The Company's U.S. defined benefit pension plans are not currently under any benefit restrictions. See Note 11, "Retirement Plans", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report, for more information regarding pension and other postretirement benefit obligations.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The resolution of uncertainties related to environmental matters included in other liabilities may have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated results of operations in the period recognized, however, because of the availability of legal defenses, the Company's preliminary assessment of actions that may be required, and, if applicable, the expected sharing of costs, management does not believe that the Company's liability for these environmental matters, individually or in the aggregate, will be material to the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. See "Environmental Costs" in Note 1, "Significant Accounting Policies", and Note 13, "Environmental Matters and Asset Retirement Obligations", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report for more information regarding outstanding environmental matters and asset retirement obligations.
Credit Facility, Term Loans, and Commercial Paper Borrowings
The Company has access to a $1.50 billion revolving credit agreement (the "Credit Facility") in which borrowings under the Credit Facility are subject to interest at varying spreads above quoted market rates and a commitment fee is paid on the total unused commitment . In December 2025, the Credit Facility was amended to remove the sustainability-linked pricing terms from the agreement. In February 2026, the Credit Facility was amended and restated to extend the maturity to February 2031 and to temporarily adjust the maximum leverage ratio covenant through the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2027 in the event of further macroeconomic uncertainty impacting operating results. All other material terms of the Credit Facility remains unchanged. The Credit Facility provides available liquidity for general corporate purposes, and supports commercial paper borrowings. At December 31, 2025, the Company had no outstanding borrowings under the Credit Facility and no commercial paper borrowings.
In 2025, the Company repaid $100 million of the remaining $250 million five-year term loan (the "2027 Term Loan"). There were no extinguishment costs associated with the partial repayment of the 2027 Term Loan. The outstanding balance on the 2027 Term Loan was $150 million at December 31, 2025 and $250 million at December 31, 2024, with variable interest rates of 5.14% and 5.58%, respectively. The 2027 Term Loan is subject to interest at a spread above quoted market rates.
The Credit Facility and the 2027 Term Loan contain customary covenants, including requirements to maintain certain financial ratios, that determine the events of default, amounts available, and terms of borrowings. The Company was in compliance with all applicable covenants at December 31, 2025. The total amount of available borrowings under the Credit Facility was $1.50 billion as of December 31, 2025. For additional information regarding financial covenants under the Credit Facility, see Section 5.03 of the Credit Facility filed as Exhibit 10.01 to the Company's 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
See Note 9, "Borrowings", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Net Debt
December 31,
December 31,
(Dollars in millions)
Total borrowings
Less: Cash and cash equivalents
Net debt (1)
(1) Includes non-cash increase of $68 million in 2025 and non-cash decrease of $32 million in 2024 resulting from foreign currency exchange rates.
Capital Expenditures
Capital expenditures were $546 million and $599 million in 2025 and 2024, respectively. Capital expenditures in 2025 were primarily for the methanolysis plastic-to-plastic molecular recycling manufacturing facilities, other targeted growth initiatives, and site modernization projects.
The Company expects that 2026 capital spending will be approximately $400 million, primarily for maintenance capital and limited growth capital for projects already in progress.
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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The Company had capital expenditures related to environmental protection and improvement of approximately $80 million and $70 million in 2025 and 2024, respectively. The Company does not currently expect near term environmental capital expenditures arising from requirements of environmental laws and regulations to materially impact the Company's planned level of annual capital expenditures for environmental control facilities.
Dividends and Stock Repurchases
In December 2021, the Company's Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $2.5 billion of the Company's outstanding common stock at such times, in such amounts, and on such terms, as determined by management to be in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders (the "2021 authorization"). As of December 31, 2025, a total of 13,032,926 shares have been repurchased under the 2021 authorization for $1.2 billion.
During 2025, the Company repurchased 1,420,768 shares of common stock for $100 million. During 2024, the Company repurchased 3,001,409 shares of common stock for $300 million.
The Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.84 per share during the first quarter of 2026, payable on April 8, 2026 to stockholders of record on March 13, 2026. Both dividends and share repurchases are key strategies employed by the Company to return value to its stockholders.
INFLATION
In recent years, Eastman has experienced significant volatility attributed to inflation, deflation, and other factors. The cost of raw materials is generally based on market prices, although derivative instruments are utilized, as appropriate, to mitigate short-term market price fluctuations. Management expects the volatility of raw material and energy prices and costs to continue and the Company will continue to pursue pricing and hedging strategies and ongoing cost control initiatives to offset the effects. For additional information, see "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A, "Summary by Operating Segments" in this MD&A, and Note 10, "Derivative and Non-Derivative Financial Instruments", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS
For information regarding the impact of recently issued accounting standards, see Note 1, "Significant Accounting Policies", to the Company's consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
