?
Butyl acetate, an acetate ester that is a solvent used in inks, pharmaceuticals and perfume; ?
Formaldehyde, paraformaldehyde and formcels, which are primarily used to produce adhesive resins for plywood, particle board, coatings, POM engineering resins and a compound used in making polyurethane; and ?
Other chemicals, such as crotonaldehyde, which are used by our food ingredients business for the production of sorbic acid and potassium sorbates, as well as raw materials for the fragrance and food ingredients industry.
Sales from solvents and derivatives products amounted to 11%, 11% and 11% of our consolidated net sales for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.  ?
Geographic Regions Net sales by destination for the Acetyl Intermediates segment by geographic region are as follows:
## Table 0 ##
(1) Excludes intersegment sales of $532 million, $448 million and $440 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.  ?
Customers Our intermediate chemistry business sells its products both directly to customers and through distributors.
Acetic acid, VAM and acetic anhydride are global businesses and we generally supply our customers under multi-year contracts.
Acetic acid, VAM and acetic anhydride customers produce polymers used in water-based paints, adhesives, paper coatings, polyesters, film modifiers, pharmaceuticals, cellulose acetate and textiles.
We have long-standing relationships with most of these customers.
Solvents and derivatives are sold to a diverse group of regional and multinational customers under multi-year contracts and on the basis of long-standing relationships.
Solvents and derivatives customers are primarily engaged in the production of paints, coatings and adhesives.
We manufacture formaldehyde for our own use as well as for sale to a few regional customers that include manufacturers in the wood products and chemical derivatives industries.
The sale of formaldehyde is based on longand short-term agreements.
Specialty solvents are sold globally to a wide variety of customers, primarily in the coatings and resins and the specialty products industries.
These products serve global regions in the synthetic lubricant, agrochemical, rubber processing and other specialty chemical areas.  ?
Competition Our principal competitors in the Acetyl Intermediates segment include BASF SE, BP PLC, Chang Chun Petrochemical Co. , Ltd. , Daicel Corporation, The Dow Chemical Company, Eastman Chemical Company, E.  I.  du Pont de Nemours and Company, Jiangsu Sopo (Group) Co. , Ltd. , Kuraray Co. , Ltd. , LyondellBasell Industries N. V. , Nippon Gohsei, Perstorp Inc.  and Showa Denko K. K.  Other Activities Other Activities primarily consists of corporate center costs, including financing and administrative activities such as legal, accounting and treasury functions, interest income and expense associated with our financing activities and results of our captive insurance companies.
Our two wholly-owned captive insurance companies are a key component of our global risk management program, as well as a form of self-insurance for our liability and workers compensation risks.
The captive insurance companies retain risk at levels approved by management and obtain reinsurance coverage from third parties to limit the net risk retained.
One of the captive insurance companies also insures certain third-party risks.
Other Activities also
Celanese Purchases of its Equity Securities Information regarding repurchases of our Common Stock during the three months ended December 31, 2014 is as follows:
## Table 1 ##
(1) Includes 27,780 and 9,537 for October and December 2014, respectively, related to shares withheld from employees to cover their statutory minimum withholding requirements for personal income taxes related to the vesting of restricted stock units.
(2) Our Board of Directors has authorized the aggregate repurchase of $1.4 billion of our Common Stock since February 2008.
See Note 17 - Stockholders' Equity in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
Performance Graph The following Performance Graph and related information shall not be deemed "soliciting material" or to be "filed" with the Securities and Exchange Commission, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any future filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate it by reference into such filing.
Comparison of Cumulative Total Return
affiliate.
Equity investment earnings for Polyplastics increased as a result of higher volume, lower turnaround expenses and lower restructuring charges related to one of their affiliates.
Year Ended December 31, 2013 Compared with Year Ended December 31, 2012 Advanced Engineered Materials' net sales increased $91 million, or 7.2%, for the year ended December 31, 2013 compared to the same period in 2012 primarily due to increased POM and LFRT volume resulting from increased penetration in automotive applications in the Americas and Asia.
Volume in Asia also improved across all product lines due to targeted growth programs in consumer and industrial applications.
Higher pricing and product mix, mainly for medical applications, also contributed to the increase in net sales for the year ended December 31, 2013.
Operating profit increased $809 million, or 851.6%, for the year ended December 31, 2013 compared to the same period in 2012 primarily driven by the recognition of a gain of $742 million, which represents the deferred proceeds in excess of divested assets as a result of the 2006 settlement agreement with Fraport to move our German POM operations.
A decrease in net periodic benefit cost of $24 million also contributed to the increase in operating profit.
Increased volume, a shift in product mix to higher margin medical applications and slightly lower raw material costs also contributed to increased operating profit.
These changes were partially offset by higher energy costs of $21 million resulting from higher prices and usage and an $11 million negative impact from Other (charges) gains, net for the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared to the same period in 2012.
The negative impact of Other (charges) gains, net primarily reflects an increase of $6 million in costs associated with the relocation and expansion of our German POM operations and a 2012 $4 million legal reserve reduction associated with plumbing actions.
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates decreased $42 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 compared to the same period in 2012 primarily due to decreases in equity investment earnings from our Ibn Sina and Polyplastics strategic affiliates of $19 million and $18 million, respectively.
The decrease in Ibn Sina equity investment earnings was largely the result of the timing of turnaround activity, lower methyl tertiary-butyl ether pricing and lower sales volume.
Polyplastics' equity investment earnings decreased due to slightly lower pricing, higher turnaround and sales expenses and restructuring charges related to one of their affiliates.
Consumer Specialties
## Table 2 ##
Our Consumer Specialties segment includes our cellulose derivatives and food ingredients businesses, which serve consumer- driven applications.
Our cellulose derivatives business is a leading global producer and supplier of acetate flake, acetate film and acetate tow, primarily used in filtration applications.
Our food ingredients business is a leading international supplier of premium quality ingredients for the food and beverage and pharmaceuticals industries and is a leading producer of food protection ingredients, such as potassium sorbate and sorbic acid.
Our food ingredients business produces and sells the Qorus?
sweetener system and Sunett ?
high intensity sweeteners.

Tables referenced above, in order (Table 0 first):
<table><tr><td></td><td colspan="6">Year Ended December 31,</td></tr><tr><td></td><td colspan="2">2014</td><td colspan="2">2013</td><td colspan="2">2012</td></tr><tr><td></td><td colspan="6">(In $ millions, except percentages)</td></tr><tr><td>North America</td><td>743</td><td>25%</td><td>708</td><td>25%</td><td>698</td><td>25%</td></tr><tr><td>Europe and Africa</td><td>905</td><td>31%</td><td>894</td><td>32%</td><td>1,010</td><td>36%</td></tr><tr><td>Asia-Pacific</td><td>1,210</td><td>41%</td><td>1,091</td><td>39%</td><td>986</td><td>35%</td></tr><tr><td>South America</td><td>103</td><td>3%</td><td>100</td><td>4%</td><td>97</td><td>4%</td></tr><tr><td>Total<sup>-1</sup></td><td>2,961</td><td>100%</td><td>2,793</td><td>100%</td><td>2,791</td><td>100%</td></tr></table>
<table><tr><td>Period</td><td>TotalNumberof SharesPurchased<sup>-1</sup></td><td>AveragePrice Paidper Share</td><td>Total Numberof SharesPurchased asPart of PubliclyAnnounced Program</td><td>ApproximateDollarValue of SharesRemaining thatmay bePurchased Underthe Program<sup>-2</sup></td></tr><tr><td>October 1 - 31, 2014</td><td>192,580</td><td>$58.02</td><td>164,800</td><td>$490,000,000</td></tr><tr><td>November 1 - 30, 2014</td><td>468,128</td><td>$59.25</td><td>468,128</td><td>$463,000,000</td></tr><tr><td>December 1 - 31, 2014</td><td>199,796</td><td>$60.78</td><td>190,259</td><td>$451,000,000</td></tr><tr><td>Total</td><td>860,504</td><td></td><td>823,187</td><td></td></tr></table>
<table><tr><td></td><td colspan="2">Year Ended December 31,</td><td></td><td colspan="2">Year Ended December 31,</td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td>2014</td><td>2013</td><td>Change</td><td>2013</td><td>2012</td><td>Change</td></tr><tr><td></td><td colspan="6">(In $ millions, except percentages)</td></tr><tr><td>Net sales</td><td>1,160</td><td>1,214</td><td>-54</td><td>1,214</td><td>1,186</td><td>28</td></tr><tr><td>Net Sales Variance</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Volume</td><td>-5%</td><td></td><td></td><td>-4%</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Price</td><td>1%</td><td></td><td></td><td>6%</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Currency</td><td>—%</td><td></td><td></td><td>—%</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Other</td><td>—%</td><td></td><td></td><td>—%</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Other (charges) gains, net</td><td>16</td><td>—</td><td>16</td><td>—</td><td>-4</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>Operating profit (loss)</td><td>388</td><td>346</td><td>42</td><td>346</td><td>251</td><td>95</td></tr><tr><td>Operating margin</td><td>33.4%</td><td>28.5%</td><td></td><td>28.5%</td><td>21.2%</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates</td><td>9</td><td>3</td><td>6</td><td>3</td><td>6</td><td>-3</td></tr><tr><td>Dividend income - cost investments</td><td>115</td><td>92</td><td>23</td><td>92</td><td>83</td><td>9</td></tr><tr><td>Depreciation and amortization</td><td>43</td><td>41</td><td>2</td><td>41</td><td>45</td><td>-4</td></tr></table>

Question: Does net sales keeps increasing each year between 2012 and 2013?
Answer: yes