Value of global chemical shipments by segment 2019

In 2019, shipments of basic chemicals worldwide were worth a total of 2.18 trillion U.S. dollars. Thus, basic chemicals were the largest chemical segment.

Global chemical shipments

In 2019, basic chemicals including inorganics, bulk petrochemical and intermediates, and plant resins made up the majority of global chemical shipments, totaling nearly 2.2 trillion U.S. dollars. Agricultural chemicals generated 458 billion U.S. dollars in shipment value in the same year. The chemical industry infiltrates many sectors and national economies. Chemical production and usage are important for employment, trade, and economic growth. However, impacts on environmental and human health must also be considered. Many governments around the world have established guidelines or legislature to determine how to manage the transportation and storage of hazardous chemicals. Chemical management programs and international conventions and institutions also exist to properly manage the growing volume of chemicals worldwide.

Chemical shipments by key world regions

In 2009, Asia accounted for about 41 percent of the world’s chemical industry’s market share and has increased to 54.2 percent in 2018. During that time, Europe and NAFTA’s share of the industry had decreased to some 23.9 percent and 17.5 percent, respectively, in 2018. The global chemical industry has grown in the past decade from 1.34 trillion U.S. dollars in shipments in 2000 to 3.94 trillion U.S. dollars in 2019. In the United States, chemical shipments were valued at 797.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2019, including chemicals and pharmaceuticals.