BASF has agreed to purchase Bayer's seed and herbicide assets in a $7 billion deal ahead of Bayer's planned $66 billion Monsanto acquisition. BASF said it expects the units to add to earnings by 2020.

New investments in the US chemical sector are announced every year and will likely continue due to the availability of shale gas, according to Jefferies Analyst Laurence Alexander. "Renewed competitiveness from shale gas is making the US the region in which to invest, and resulting in a higher growth premium," said Kevin Swift of the American Chemistry Council.

People pay more attention to your actions than what you say, which is why Mark Deterding suggests you should spend most of your time listening. Open-ended questions and a tactical use of silence can ensure you're not the one doing all the talking.

Innovation has always been and will continue to be a core part of Clorox's operations, especially as the company moves toward its 2020 goals, says CEO Benno Dorer. To attract new customers and remain competitive, a product must offer something unique, he added.

Hand washing for a minimum of 20 seconds using soap is the most effective way to remove dirt, bacteria and disease-causing germs, according to University of Arizona germ expert Kelly Reynolds. Sanitizer can also be effective, but not all varieties are created equal, so consumers should look for products with 62%-70% ethyl alcohol.

Procter & Gamble has developed new plastic packaging for its Fairy detergent made from 10% ocean plastic and 90% post-consumer recycled plastic. P&G said the Fairy ocean plastic bottle supports its goal of doubling the amount of recycled materials used in packaging by 2020.

SC Johnson has implemented a zero manufacturing waste program at 65% of its operations worldwide and is ahead of schedule to bring it to 100% of its locations by 2021. "Our journey to zero waste to landfill is just part of our longstanding commitment to being a leader in sustainability and to serving the greater good," said CEO and Chairman Fisk Johnson.

At a Wednesday hearing called by the Surface Transportation Board, several shippers including Chemours raised concerns about service from CSX. Many have faced major disruptions to their operations and have been forced to switch to trucks after dealing with abrupt cancellations from CSX, and they called on the STB to develop better metrics to track service and to adopt regulatory reforms that would prevent future service failures by increasing access to more than one railroad.

The Trump administration's plan to repeal the Clean Power Plan isn't expected to stop the nation from moving away from coal-burning power plants, according to the American Chemistry Council and the Union of Concerned Scientists. ACC expects the US to continue cutting greenhouse gas emissions for many years and noted that the chemical sector has an important role in developing more environmentally friendly products.

The fourth round of negotiations to reform the North American Free Trade Agreement has been extended by two days to Oct. 17, raising doubts as to whether the original timeline of seven rounds by 2018 is still possible. Participants touted the third round as a success, but the future of the investor-state dispute settlement process and other contentious topics still need to be resolved.