The German chemical company BASF said on Thursday that its first-quarter net income dropped to €1.37 billion ($1.47 billion) from last year’s €1.56 billion – a 12.4% decline. Earnings per share were €1.53, lower than €1.75 in the prior year. Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) dropped 5.6% year-over-year to €2.66 billion, and EBITDA before special items amounted to €2.71 billion, down 5.3% from last year. The EBITDA margin before special items was 15.4%, up from 14.3% in the prior-year quarter. Sales in the first quarter amounted to €17.55 billion, 12.2% low…