
From 2019 to 2020, the combined total for exported organic and inorganic chemicals fell in value by -6.4%.
The world’s 5 biggest exporters of organic and inorganic chemicals combined are China, United States, Ireland, Germany and Switzerland. Collectively, these leading countries generated 44.2% of all chemicals exported during 2020.
Exported inorganic chemicals were valued at $118.2 billion during 2020 (23.8% of the global total) while worldwide organic chemical shipments raked in much more cash at $379.2 billion (76.2%).
For research purposes, the respective 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefixes are 28 for inorganic chemicals and 29 for organic chemicals.
Chemical Exports by Country
Top 15
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of chemicals during 2020 encompassing both organic and inorganic chemicals:
- China: US$72.2 billion (14.5% of total exported chemicals)
- United States: $45.1 billion (9.1%)
- Ireland: $41.5 billion (8.4%)
- Germany: $35.1 billion (7.1%)
- Switzerland: $26.1 billion (5.2%)
- Belgium: $23.5 billion (4.7%)
- Japan: $21.7 billion (4.4%)
- South Korea: $20.7 billion (4.2%)
- Netherlands: $19.2 billion (3.9%)
- India: $19 billion (3.8%)
- United Kingdom: $15.5 billion (3.1%)
- France: $13.5 billion (2.7%)
- Singapore: $12.1 billion (2.4%)
- Saudi Arabia: $12 billion (2.4%)
- Italy: $9.5 billion (1.9%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 77.7% of globally exported chemicals in 2020.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing chemicals exporters since 2016 were: India (up 52.4%), Ireland (up 46.5%), Saudi Arabia (up 41.6%) and the United Kingdom (up 40.1%).
Five top countries posted declines in their exported chemicals sales over that 5-year timespan, namely: Singapore (down -22.9%), South Korea (down -3.7%), Belgium (down -1.1%), United States (down -0.4%) and France (down -0.3%).
Organic
The following list showcases the top 15 exporters of organic chemicals in 2020.
- China: US$57 billion (15% of exported organic chemicals)
- Ireland: $40.7 billion (10.7%)
- United States: $34 billion (9%)
- Switzerland: $25.5 billion (6.7%)
- Germany: $24.6 billion (6.5%)
- Belgium: $20.7 billion (5.4%)
- India: $17.4 billion (4.6%)
- South Korea: $15.4 billion (4.1%)
- Japan: $14.9 billion (3.9%)
- Netherlands: $14.9 billion (3.9%)
- United Kingdom: $12.7 billion (3.4%)
- Singapore: $11.5 billion (3%)
- France: $10.4 billion (2.7%)
- Saudi Arabia: $9.7 billion (2.6%)
- Italy: $7.8 billion (2.1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 83.6% of globally exported organic chemicals in 2020.
Among the above countries, the growth exporters of organic chemicals since 2016 were: China (up 35.1%), Switzerland (up 15.7%), Ireland (up 14.2%) and the United Kingdom (up 0.5%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported organic chemicals sales were led by: South Korea (down -26.8%), Saudi Arabia (down -23.4%), Japan (down -16.5%), United States (down -13.6%) and the Netherlands (down -11.3%).
Inorganic
The following list highlights the leading 15 exporters of inorganic chemicals in 2020.
- China: US$15.2 billion (12.9% of exported inorganic chemicals)
- United States: $11.1 billion (9.4%)
- Germany: $10.5 billion (8.9%)
- Japan: $6.8 billion (5.8%)
- South Korea: $5.3 billion (4.5%)
- Australia: $5.2 billion (4.4%)
- Netherlands: $4.3 billion (3.6%)
- Canada: $3.4 billion (2.9%)
- Brazil: $3.4 billion (2.9%)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: $3.14 billion (2.7%)
- France: $3.14 billion (2.7%)
- Belgium: $2.8 billion (2.4%)
- United Kingdom: $2.74 billion (2.3%)
- Russia: $2.67 billion (2.3%)
- Kazakhstan: $2.34 billion (2%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 69.4% of global inorganic chemicals exports in 2020.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing inorganic chemicals exporters since 2016 were: China (up 23.7%), United Kingdom (up 23%), Japan (up 8.9%) and Germany (up 7.1%).
Those countries that posted declines in their export sales of inorganic chemicals were led by: Russia (down -22.7%), Democratic Republic of the Congo (down -20.1%), Australia (down -17.7%), France (down -13.6%) and Brazil (down -11.9%).
Companies
According to Chemical & Engineering News, the following companies are major players in global chemical sales.
- BASF (Germany)
- Dow Chemical (United States)
- Sinopec (China)
- SABIC (Saudi Arabia)
- ExxonMobil (United States)
- Formosa Plastics (Taiwan)
- LyondellBasell Industries (United States)
- DuPont (United States)
- Ineos (Switzerland)
- Bayer (Germany)
See also Lithium Ion Batteries Exports by Country, Uranium Exports by Country and Top Importers of Laptop Computers Ranked by Dollar Value
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on August 3, 2021
Chemical & Engineering News, Volume 93 Issue 30, pp. 14-26. Accessed on August 3, 2021
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on August 3, 2021
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 3, 2021
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 3, 2021