Consolidated Financial Statements
Notes
Notes on the consolidated balance sheet
15. Inventories 15. INVENTORIES
As of December 31, inventories consisted of the following:
| in million € | 2008 | 2007 |
| Raw materials and purchased components | 289 | 209 |
| Work in process | 180 | 129 |
| Finished goods | 713 | 579 |
| less reserves | 55 | 42 |
| Inventories, net | 1,127 | 875 |
The companies of the Fresenius Group are obliged to purchase approximately € 1,940 million of raw materials and purchased components under fixed terms, of which € 344 million was committed at December 31, 2008 for 2009. The terms of these agreements run one to ten years. Advance payments from customers of € 83 million (2007: € 6 million) have been offset against inventories.
Inventories as of December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007 included approximately € 25 million and approximately € 21 million, respectively, of the product Erythropoietin (EPO), which is supplied by a single source supplier in the United States. Delays, stoppages, or interruptions in the supply of EPO could adversely affect the operating results of Fresenius Medical Care. In October 2006, Fresenius Medical Care entered into a five-year exclusive sourcing and supply agreement with its EPO supplier. Revenues from EPO accounted for approximately 7% and 8% of total sales of the Fresenius Group in 2008 and 2007, respectively.
