Germany and the United States Drive Global Chemical Exports

Chemical production has increased steadily throughout the world over the past decade. Historically a concentrated market, Germany has overtaken the United States as the world’s top chemical exporter. Well known companies like BASF and Bayer have been central to Germany’s success and $225 billion of chemical products were exported in 2011. In 2001, this figure was just $77.4 billion. This represents a 192 percent increase.

The United States is also a powerful player in the global chemical industry and comes second, having exported $206.9 billion worth of chemical products in 2011. Chemical production is China has increased dramatically in recent years, inline with the country’s meteoric economic rise. Chemical exports from China increased from $19.4 billion in 2000 to $114.7 billion in 2011, an incredible rise of 491 percent.

The top ten countries globally represent about 60 percent of the chemical industry’s total export value.