List of largest chemical producers
![](../I/m/Ludwigshafen_Friedrich-Engelhorn-Hochhaus_20100709.jpg)
Chemical & Engineering News publishes an annual list of the world's largest chemical producers by sales, excluding formulated products such as pharmaceutical drugs and coatings.[1] In 2013, sales of the top fifty companies amounted to US$980.5 billion, an increase of 1.7% over the top fifty producers of 2012.[2] The American Chemistry Council estimated that global chemical sales in 2013 rose by 4.02%.[3]
BASF was the world's largest chemical producer for the eighth year in a row, while Sinopec occupied the second spot on the list for the first time.[2] More than half of the companies on the list were headquartered in the United States (eleven), Japan (nine) or Germany (six); twenty countries in total were represented.
Forty-seven of the companies on the list disclosed chemical profits, which totaled US$93.8 billion, an increase of 3.7% from 2012. The average profit margin for these companies was 10.3%, the highest level reported since 2011.[2]
The top fifty producers in 2013 by sales
Rank | Company | Chemical sales in 2013 USD millions[A] |
Change from 2012 | Headquarters |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | BASF | 78,615 | −4.6% | ![]() |
2 | Sinopec | 60,829 | 5.0 | ![]() |
3 | Dow Chemical | 57,080 | 0.5 | ![]() |
4 | SABIC | 43,589 | 3.1 | ![]() |
5 | Royal Dutch Shell | 42,279[B] | −7.6 | ![]() |
6 | ExxonMobil | 39,048 | 0.8 | ![]() |
7 | Formosa Plastics | 37,671[C] | 5.9 | ![]() |
8 | LyondellBasell | 33,405 | 1.7 | ![]() |
9 | DuPont | 31,044[B] | 2.7 | ![]() |
10 | Ineos | 26,861 | −10.8 | ![]() |
11 | Mitsubishi Chemical | 26,685 | 14.8 | ![]() |
12 | Bayer | 26,636 | 0.9 | ![]() |
13 | LG Chem | 21,142 | −0.5 | ![]() |
14 | AkzoNobel | 19,376 | −5.2 | ![]() |
15 | Air Liquide | 19,153 | −0.8 | ![]() |
16 | Braskem | 18,994 | 15.4 | ![]() |
17 | Mitsui Chemicals | 18,916 | 11.5 | ![]() |
18 | The Linde Group | 18,554 | 11.0 | ![]() |
19 | Sumitomo Chemical | 18,116 | 16.3 | ![]() |
20 | Reliance Industries | 17,778 | 10.4 | ![]() |
21 | Evonik Industries | 17,097 | −3.7 | ![]() |
22 | Toray Industries | 16,665 | 17.9 | ![]() |
23 | Lotte Chemical | 15,017 | 3.4 | ![]() |
24 | Yara International | 14,472 | 0.6 | ![]() |
25 | PPG Industries | 14,044 | −0.9 | ![]() |
26 | Solvay | 13,768 | −19.2 | ![]() |
27 | Chevron Phillips Chemical | 13,147 | −1.2 | ![]() |
28 | DSM | 12,773 | 5.3 | ![]() |
29 | Shin-Etsu Chemical | 11,945[B] | 13.7 | ![]() |
30 | Praxair | 11,925 | 6.2 | ![]() |
31 | SK Innovation | 11,640 | 1.4 | ![]() |
32 | Asahi Kasei | 11,199 | 15.3 | ![]() |
33 | Huntsman | 11,079 | −1.0 | ![]() |
34 | Lanxess | 11,023 | −8.7 | ![]() |
35 | Borealis | 10,815 | 7.9 | ![]() |
36 | Syngenta | 10,793 | 5.7 | ![]() |
37 | Sasol | 10,225 | 11.9 | ![]() |
38 | Mosaic | 9,974 | −10.2 | ![]() |
39 | PTT Global Chemical | 9,959 | 6.2 | ![]() |
40 | Air Products & Chemicals | 9,729 | 5.8 | ![]() |
41 | Eastman Chemical | 9,350 | 15.4 | ![]() |
42 | Arkema | 8,098 | −4.6 | ![]() |
43 | Tosoh | 7,913[B] | 15.5 | ![]() |
44 | Styrolution | 7,703 | −3.3 | ![]() |
45 | DIC | 7,606 | 5.5 | ![]() |
46 | Total | 7,570[D] | 0.0 | ![]() |
47 | Indorama Ventures | 7,464 | 8.7 | ![]() |
48 | Eni | 7,397 | −7.3 | ![]() |
49 | PotashCorp | 7,305 | −7.8 | ![]() |
50 | Alpek | 7,059 | −6.3 | ![]() |
- A.^ Some figures converted at 2013 average exchange rates of US$1.00 = R$2.157, CN¥6.15, €0.753, ₹58.51, ¥97.6, ₩1,094.67 , kr 5.8772, SAR 3.75, CHF0.9269, NT$29.68, and ฿30.696.[2]
- B.^ Sales include a significant amount of non-chemical products.[2]
- C.^ Estimate by Chemical and Engineering News.[2]
- D.^ Figure includes only specialty chemicals.[2]
The largest companies before 2013
Since Chemical & Engineering News began keeping records in 1989, BASF has been the world's largest chemical producer by annual sales more frequently than any other company. The other companies that have headed the list are Dow Chemical, Hoechst (which merged with Rhône-Poulenc in 1999 and is now a subsidiary of Sanofi), ICI (acquired by AkzoNobel in 2008) and Bayer.
Year | Company | Chemical sales USD millions[A] |
Source |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Bayer | 22,694 | [4] |
1989 | BASF | 17,122 | [5] |
1990 | BASF | 18,520 | [1] |
1991 | ICI | 18,127 | [6] |
1992 | BASF | 22,883 | [7] |
1993 | Hoechst | 16,682 | [8] |
1994 | Hoechst | 19,702 | [9] |
1995 | BASF | 22,030 | [10] |
1996 | BASF | 26,519 | [11] |
1997 | BASF | 27,047 | [12] |
1998 | BASF | 27,740 | [13] |
1999 | BASF | 31,250 | [14] |
2000 | BASF | 30,791 | [15] |
2001 | Dow Chemical | 27,805 | [16] |
2002 | Dow Chemical | 27,609 | [17] |
2003 | Dow Chemical | 32,632 | [18] |
2004 | Dow Chemical | 40,161 | [19] |
2005 | Dow Chemical | 46,307 | [20] |
2006 | BASF | 49,516 | [21] |
2007 | BASF | 65,037 | [22] |
2008 | BASF | 70,485 | [23] |
2009 | BASF | 54,817 | [24] |
2010 | BASF | 70,391 | [25] |
2011 | BASF | 85,603 | [26] |
2012 | BASF | 79,760 | [27] |
- A.^ Foreign currencies converted to USD using average exchange rates of that year.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Layman, Patricia L. (5 August 1991). "German Firms Continue To Dominate Global Top 50 Chemical Producers". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Tullo, Alexander H. (28 July 2014). "C&EN’s Global Top 50 Chemical Firms For 2014". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society). Retrieved 22 August 2014.
- ↑ Davis, Nigel (8 September 2014). "ICIS Top 100 Chemical Companies". ICIS (Reed Business Information).
- ↑ Aftalion, Fred (1991). History of the international chemical industry. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 375. ISBN 0-81-228207-8.
- ↑ Layman, Patricia; Storck, William (5 November 1990). "Europe dominates global chemical sales". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society). Retrieved 22 August 2014.
- ↑ Layman, Patricia L. (7 September 1992). "Shifts in Rankings, Losses Mark Global Top 50 list". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Layman, Patricia L. (26 July 1993). "Sales Up, Profitability Suffers For Global Top 50 Chemical Makers". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Layman, Patricia L. (25 July 1994). "Global Top 50 Chemical Producers Troubled By Low Prices, Slow Economies". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Layman, Patricia L. (24 July 1995). "Global Top 50 Chemical Producers Show Rise In Profits And Sales". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Layman, Patricia L. (22 July 1996). "Global Top 50 Chemical Producers Shift Rankings During Profitable 1995". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Layman, Patricia L. (21 July 1997). "Slowdown for global top 50". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Layman, Patricia (20 July 1998). "Global top 50 chemical producers". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Layman, Patricia L. (26 July 1999). "BASF still tops global top 50". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Short, Patricia L. (24 July 2000). "Global top 50: BASF retains apex". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Short, Patricia L. (23 July 2001). "Global top 50". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Short, Patricia L. (29 July 2002). "Global top 50". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Short, Patricia L. (28 July 2003). "Global top 50". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Short, Patricia L. (19 July 2004). "Global top 50". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Tullo, Alexander H. (16 May 2005). "Global top 50". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Short, Patricia L. (24 July 2006). "Global top 50". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Short, Patricia L. (6 August 2007). "'Top 50' correction". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Short, Patricia L. (28 July 2008). "Global top 50". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Tullo, Alexander H. (3 August 2009). "Global top 50". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Tullo, Alexander H. (26 July 2010). "Global top 50". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Tullo, Alexander H. (25 July 2011). "Global top 50". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Tullo, Alexander H. (30 July 2012). "Global top 50". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).
- ↑ Tullo, Alexander H. (29 July 2013). "Global top 50". Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society).