"We have a second strong pillar: the agricultural sector, which is a supplier to the major agro-chemicals companies. We will strengthen this area in the next coming years," he said in an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.
A competitor of Exxon Mobil in the synthetic rubber market, Lanxess derives about a quarter of its sales from tyre makers and about 15 percent from other automotive customers.
The company said last month that it expected full-year operating earnings to come in at the lower end of its outlook range reflecting a decline in the European car industry.