ChemConnect Links To Global eXchange Services; ChemConnect Members Gain Cost-Efficient Access to Thousands of Customers and Suppliers Through GXS Network.

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

HOUSTON & GAITHERSBURG, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 21, 2002

Occidental Chemical Corporation Among First to Reap

Benefits of GXS Connection

ChemConnect, Inc., a leader in helping customers optimize their purchasing and sales processes for chemicals, plastics, and related products, and Global eXchange Services, Inc. (GXS), a leader in business-to-business Internet commerce, today announced that ChemConnect Members are now successfully exchanging data through ChemConnect's connection to the GXS network.

The link between ChemConnect and GXS enables ChemConnect members to exchange electronic business documents cost-effectively with thousands of customers and suppliers in multiple industries. ChemConnect Member Occidental Chemical Corporation (OxyChem) is already using the new service to exchange production documents with its trading partners.

The connection between ChemConnect and GXS enables ChemConnect Members using the Chem eStandards data format based upon eXtensible Markup Language (XML) to send and receive documents with businesses that use electronic data interchange (EDI), proprietary data formats, or other versions of XML.

Using the GXS network, ChemConnect Members no longer need to establish costly one-to-one connections with their customers or suppliers outside of the chemical industry.

Instead, ChemConnect members may access these business partners using their single connection through the ChemConnect hub to the GXS network - where all data translation and transaction routing is performed automatically through GXS's EC Service Center(SM).

"We immediately identified a half-dozen trading partners with whom we had not previously been exchanging business documents electronically," said Stacy Palmatary, vice president of e-business for OxyChem. "ChemConnect and GXS worked with us and our customers to map the document specifications we needed, and it is now working seamlessly. Now we are leveraging our ChemConnect channel to reach out to downstream customers and we have new opportunities to automate our business processes beyond direct material sales and purchases."

"We cross-checked GXS customers by industry and location and developed a list of 50,000 potential connections. Then we polled our Members and got an overwhelmingly positive response," said John Robinson, ChemConnect CEO. "We've always been committed to providing our Members with unprecedented improvements to the process of buying and selling chemicals and plastics worldwide. This hub-to-hub connection is already transmitting documents back and forth, and it clearly complements and extends our capabilities and provides our Members with unmatched opportunities to automate a large number of relatively low value transactions that tie up so much administrative time."

"ChemConnect's strategic position in the chemical industry made it an ideal business platform to showcase our shared vision of connecting trading partners from different vertical industries," said Steven Scala, vice president of marketing for GXS. "Our reach spans a variety of industries - such as paper, automotive, rubber, and consumer packaged goods - that are customers of chemical companies. Together, GXS and ChemConnect are expanding the depth and breadth of electronic data exchange opportunities to benefit buyers and sellers of chemicals worldwide."

ChemConnect Connectivity

ChemConnect provides its members with back-end connectivity services based on Chem eStandards, the inventory, forecasting, and collaboration electronic messages developed by the Chemical Industry Data Exchange (CIDX), for the transfer of XML documents between enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.

ChemConnect's link to GXS gives ChemConnect members new opportunities to exchange documents with downstream customers and suppliers, which use different electronic data exchange standards, including EDI.

Now ChemConnect members can identify any number of trading partners with whom they want to exchange documents and for whom ChemConnect and GXS will provide the appropriate mapping and routing.

This connection reinforces ChemConnect's commitment to immediately connect with any independently operated hub that supports buyers and sellers of chemicals and plastics, which will drive value for ChemConnect members.

About Global eXchange Services

Global eXchange Services, Inc. (GXS) operates one of the largest B2B e-commerce networks in the world, with more than 100,000 trading partners. The network's 1 billion annual transactions account for $1 trillion in goods and services.

With more than 35 years experience, GXS provides supply chain services and software to 60% of Fortune 500 companies. GXS is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md. Call 800/560-4347 or visit our Web site at www.gxs.com.

About ChemConnect

ChemConnect is a leader in helping customers optimize their purchasing and sales processes for chemicals, plastics, and related products through a unique combination of market information, industry expertise, e-commerce solutions, and an active network of trading partners.

More than 7,500 Member companies in multiple industries around the world can use ChemConnect's highly efficient tools and services to streamline transactions and lower costs. Visit www.chemconnect.com for more information.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This document includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances.

Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to changes in global political, economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory factors. These factors include technological developments, customer demand, trading partner participation and network availability.