(Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer)

By Jane M. Von Bergen, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Jan. 13--Royal Bank of Scotland Plc, the Edinburgh, Scotland-based parent company of Citizens Financial Group, the Citizens bank company, may face losses on its $3.47 billion in loans to Lyondell Chemical Co. The chemical company has research operations in Newtown Square.
LyondellBasell Industries AF, based in Rotterdam, filed for bankruptcy protection for its U.S. unit, Basell Finance USA Inc, last week. One of the biggest creditors in the bankruptcy was ABN Amro Holding NV, a Dutch bank that helped finance Basell's purchase of Lyondell in 2007. That bank, and its debts, were purchased by Royal Bank last year.
In other Royal news, Reuters reported that the Scottish bank is selling all its 10.8 billion shares -- worth about $2.4 billion -- in the Beijing-controlled Bank of China.
Citizens employed 2,300 people in the Philadelphia area as of June.
Royal Bank American's Depositary Receipts were down 3.36 percent, or 36 cents, to $10.34 shortly after trading opened this morning on the New York Stock Exchange.
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