Part I  iteM 1 Business seasonality The seasonal nature of the crop protection market and the geographic  spread of the Agricultural Products business can result in significant  variations in quarterly earnings among geographic locations. Agricultural  products sold into the northern hemisphere (North America, Europe and  parts of Asia) serve seasonal agricultural markets from March through  September, generally resulting in earnings in the first, second and third  quarters. Markets in the southern hemisphere (Latin America and  parts of the Asia Pacific region, including Australia) are served from  July through February, generally resulting in earnings in the third,  fourth and first quarters. The remainder of our businesses are generally  not subject to significant seasonal fluctuations. Competition We have a number one or number two market position in many of our product lines, based on revenue, either globally or in North America,  largely as a result of our product offerings, proprietary technologies and our position as a low-cost producer. The following product lines accounted  for the majority of our 2010 consolidated revenue. Market positions are based on the most recently available revenue data. agricultural Products Specialty Chemicals Industrial Chemicals Product Line Market Position Product Line Market Position Product Line Market Position Pyrethroids #2 in North America Microcrystalline cellulose #1 globally Soda ash #1 in North America Carbofuran #1 globally Carrageenan #1 globally Persulfates #1 in North America Alginates #1 globally Lithium #2 globally We encounter substantial competition in each of our three business  segments. This competition is expected to continue in both the  United States and markets outside of the United States. We market  our products through our own sales organization and through alliance  partners, independent distributors and sales representatives. The number  of our principal competitors varies from segment to segment. In general,  we compete by operating in a cost-efficient manner and by leveraging  our industry experience to provide advanced technology, high product  quality and reliability, and quality customer and technical service. as well as suppliers of other hydrocolloids, which may provide similar  functionality in specific applications. In microcrystalline cellulose,  competitors are typically smaller than us, while in seaweed extracts  (carrageenan and alginates), we compete with other broad-based chemical  companies. We and each of our two most significant competitors in  lithium extract the element from naturally occurring lithium-rich  brines located in the Andes Mountains of Argentina and Chile which  are believed to be the world’s most significant and lowest cost sources  of lithium. Our Agricultural Products segment competes primarily in the global  chemical crop protection market for insecticides, herbicides and  fungicides. The industry is characterized by a relatively small number  of large competitors and a large number of smaller, often regional  competitors. Industry products include crop protection chemicals  and, for certain major competitors, genetically engineered (crop  biotechnology) products. Competition from generic agrochemical  producers has increased as a significant number of product patents  held industry-wide have expired in the last decade. In general, we  compete as an innovator by focusing on product development, including  novel formulations, proprietary mixes, and advanced delivery systems  and by acquiring or licensing (mostly) proprietary chemistries or  technologies that complement our product and geographic focus. We  also differentiate ourselves by our global cost-competitiveness via our  manufacturing strategies, establishing effective product stewardship  programs and developing strategic alliances that strengthen market  access in key countries and regions. Our Industrial Chemicals segment serves the soda ash markets worldwide,  the peroxygens markets predominantly in North America and Europe  and the zeolite and silicate markets in Europe. In North America,  our soda ash business competes with four domestic producers of  natural soda ash, three of which operate in the vicinity of our mine  and processing facilities near Green River, Wyoming. Outside of  the U.S, Canada, Europe and South Africa, we sell soda ash mainly  through ANSAC. Internationally, our natural soda ash competes with  synthetic soda ash manufactured by numerous producers, ranging from  integrated multinational companies to smaller regional companies.  We maintain a leading position in the North American market for  hydrogen peroxide, especially in specialty segments. There are currently  five other firms competing in the hydrogen peroxide market in North  America but most of them focus primarily on the commodity pulp  and paper segment. The primary competitive factor affecting the sales  of soda ash and hydrogen peroxide to commodity markets is price.  We seek to maintain our competitive position by employing low cost  processing technology. We possess strong cost and market positions in  our European peroxygens business, zeolites and silicates. In each of these  markets we face significant competition from a range of multinational  and regional chemical producers. With significant positions in markets that include alginate, carrageenan,  microcrystalline cellulose and lithium-based products, our Specialty  Chemicals segment competes on the basis of product differentiation,  market applications expertise, customer service and price. BioPolymer  competes with both direct suppliers of cellulose and seaweed extract  11 FMC Corporation    2010 Form 10K