# List of largest chemical producers

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. In 2018, sales of the top fifty companies amounted to US$951,000,000,000, an increase of 11.8% compared to the top fifty producers of 2017. The American Chemistry Council estimated that global chemical sales in 2014 rose by 3.7% to US$5,389,000,000,000.
In 2018, Forty-eight of the companies on the list disclosed chemical profits, which totaled US$110,100,000,000, an increase of 1.3% from 2017. The average profit margin for chemical operations for these companies was 9.6%.

## Top fifty producers by sales (2021)

| Rank | Company | Chemical sales in 2021 USD millions | Change from 2020 in percent | Headquarters |
| 1 | BASF | 92,982 | 32.9% | Germany, Ludwigshafen am Rhein |
| 2 | Sinopec | 65,848 | 31.9% | China, Beijing |
| 3 | Dow | 54,968 | 42.6% | United States, Midland, Michigan |
| 4 | SABIC | 43,230 | 50.1% | Saudi Arabia, Riyadh |
| 5 | Formosa Plastics | 43,173 | 47.8% | Taiwan, Taipei |
| 6 | Ineos | 39,937 | 121% | United Kingdom, London |
| 7 | Petrochina | 39,693 | 41.7% | China, Beijing |
| 8 | LyondellBasell Industries | 38,995 | 66.6% | United States, Houston, Texas |
| 9 | LG Chem | 37,257 | 41.8% | South Korea, Seoul |
| 10 | ExxonMobil | 36,858 | 59.6% | United States, Spring, Texas |
| 11 | Mitsubishi Chemical Group | 30,719 | 24.8% | Japan, Tokyo |
| 12 | Hengli Petrochemical | 27,961 | 31.9% | China, Suzhou |
| 13 | Linde | 27,926 | 14.5% | Ireland, Dublin |
| 14 | Air Liquide | 27,148 | 13.4% | France, Paris |
| 15 | Syngenta | 24,900 | 20.9% | Switzerland, Basel |
| 16 | Reliance Industries | 22,583 | 65.6% | India, Mumbai |
| 17 | Wanhua | 22,561 | 98.2% | China, Yantai |
| 18 | Braskem | 19,575 | 80.4% | Brazil, São Paulo |
| 19 | Sumitomo Chemical | 19,176 | 24.7% | Japan, Tokyo and Osaka |
| 20 | Shin-Etsu Chemical | 18,885 | 38.6% | Japan, Tokyo |
| 21 | Covestro | 18,813 | 48.5% | Germany, Leverkusen |
| 22 | Toray Industries | 17,856 | 20.9% | Japan, Tokyo |
| 23 | Evonik Industries | 17,692 | 22.6% | Germany, Essen |
| 24 | Shell | 16,993 | 45.0% | United Kingdom, London |
| 25 | DuPont | 16,653 | 18.4% | United States, Wilmington, Delaware |
| 26 | Yara | 16,617 | 43.4% | Norway, Oslo |
| 27 | Rongsheng Petrochemical | 16,001 | 59.6% | China, Hangzhou |
| 28 | Lotte Chemical | 15,827 | 48.2% | South Korea, Seoul |
| 29 | Mitsui Chemicals | 14,681 | 33.1% | Japan, Tokyo |
| 30 | Indorama Ventures | 14,626 | 41.2% | Thailand, Bangkok |
| 31 | Chevron Phillips Chemical | 14,104 | 67.1% | United States, The Woodlands, Texas |
| 32 | Umicore | 13,567 | 34.4% | Belgium, Brussels |
| 33 | Solvay | 13,527 | 17.7% | Belgium, Brussels |
| 34 | Bayer | 12,743 | 9.7% | Germany, Leverkusen |
| 35 | Mosaic | 12,357 | 42.3% | United States, Plymouth, Minnesota |
| 36 | Nutrien | 11,590 | 62.0% | Canada, Saskatoon |
| 37 | Arkema | 11,261 | 20.7% | France, Colombes |
| 38 | Asahi Kasei | 10,908 | 20.9% | Japan, Tokyo |
| 39 | DSM | 10,888 | 13.5% | Netherlands, Heerlen |
| 39 | Hanwha Solutions | 10,888 | 22.8% | South Korea, Seoul |
| 41 | Eastman Chemical | 10,476 | 23.6% | United States, Kingsport, Tennessee |
| 42 | Johnson Matthey | 10,412 | 2.48% | United Kingdom, London |
| 43 | Air Products | 10,323 | 16.6% | United States, Allentown, Pennsylvania |
| 44 | Eurochem | 14,269 | 22.6% | Switzerland, Zug |
| 45 | Borealis | 10,164 | 26.0% | Austria, Vienna |
| 46 | PTT Global Chemical | 16,521 | 51.7% | Thailand, Bangkok |
| 47 | Sasol | 9,011 | 10.8% | South Africa, Johannesburg |
| 48 | Tongkun Group | 8,996 | 28.5% | China, Tongxiang |
| 49 | Lanxess | 8,940 | 23.8% | Germany, Cologne |
| 50 | Hengyi Petrochemical | 8,858 | 66.8% | China, Hangzhou |

## Top fifty producers by sales (2018)

| Rank | Company | Chemical sales in 2018 USD millions | Change from 2017 in percent | Headquarters |
| 1 | DowDuPont | 85,977 | 37.6 | Midland, Michigan, US |
| 2 | BASF | 74,066 | 2.4 | Ludwigshafen, Germany |
| 3 | Sinopec | 69,210 | 22.4 | Beijing, China |
| 4 | Sabic | 42,120 | 12 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| 5 | Ineos | 36,970 | 2.1 | London, UK |
| 6 | Formosa Plastics | 36,891 | 13.8 | Taipei, Taiwan |
| 7 | ExxonMobil Chemical | 32,443 | 13.1 | Irving, Texas, US |
| 8 | LyondellBasell Industries | 30,783 | 8.7 | Houston, Texas US/ Rotterdam, Netherlands |
| 9 | Mitsubishi Chemical | 28,747 | 7.1 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 10 | DuPont | 25,935 | 37.6 | Wilmington, Delaware, US |
| 11 | LG Chem | 25,637 | 9.7 | Seoul, South Korea |
| 12 | Reliance Industries | 25,167 | 37.3 | Mumbai, India |
| 13 | PetroChina | 24,849 | n/a | Beijing, China |
| 14 | Air Liquide | 24,322 | 2.8 | Paris, France |
| 15 | Toray Industries | 18,651 | 8.7 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 16 | Evonik Industries | 17,755 | 4.2 | Essen, Germany |
| 17 | Covestro | 17,273 | 3.4 | Leverkusen, Germany |
| 18 | Bayer | 16,859 | 49 | Leverkusen, Germany |
| 19 | Sumitomo Chemical | 16,081 | 8.7 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 20 | Braskem | 15,885 | 17.7 | São Paulo, Brazil |
| 21 | Lotte Chemical | 15,051 | 4.2 | Seoul, South Korea |
| 22 | Linde plc | 14,900 | 30.3 | Dublin, Ireland |
| 23 | Shin-Etsu Chemical | 14,439 | 10.6 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 24 | Mitsui Chemicals | 13,432 | 11.6 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 25 | Solvay | 13,353 | 3.7 | Brussels, Belgium |
| 26 | Yara | 12,928 | 13.8 | Oslo, Norway |
| 27 | Chevron Phillips Chemical | 11,310 | 24.8 | The Woodlands, Texas, US |
| 28 | DSM | 10,951 | 7.4 | Heerlen, Netherlands |
| 29 | Indorama | 10,747 | 21.2 | Jakarta, Indonesia |
| 30 | Asahi Kasei | 10,654 | 8.1 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 31 | Arkema | 10,418 | 5.9 | Colombes, France |
| 32 | Syngenta | 10,413 | 12.6 | Basel, Switzerland |
| 33 | Eastman Chemical | 10,151 | 6.3 | Kingsport, Tennessee, US |
| 34 | Borealis | 9,852 | 10.2 | Vienna, Austria |
| 35 | SK Innovation | 9,719 | 14.4 | Seoul, South Korea |
| 36 | Mosaic | 9,587 | 29.4 | Tampa, Florida, US |
| 37 | Huntsman | 9,379 | 12.2 | The Woodlands, Texas, US |
| 38 | Wanhua Chemical | 9,172 | 14.1 | Yantai, China |
| 39 | PTT Global Chemical | 8,969 | 15.7 | Bangkok, Thailand |
| 40 | Ecolab | 8,964 | 11 | Saint Paul, Minnesota, US |
| 41 | Air Products & Chemicals | 8,930 | 9.1 | Allentown, Pennsylvania, US |
| 42 | Westlake Chemical | 8,635 | 7.4 | Houston, US |
| 43 | Lanxess | 8,505 | -25.5 | Cologne, Germany |
| 44 | Nutrien | 8,130 | 75.9 | Saskatoon, Canada |
| 45 | Umicore | 8,113 | 27.1 | Brussels, Belgium |
| 46 | Sasol | 8,110 | 4.2 | Sandton, South Africa |
| 47 | Tosoh | 7,803 | 4.7 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 48 | Johnson Matthey | 7,579 | 16.1 | London, UK |
| 49 | DIC | 7,296 | 2 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 50 | Hanwha Chemical | 7,273 | 3.3 | Seoul, South Korea |
| 51 | Celanese | 7,155 | 16.5 | Irving, Texas, US |
    A.$^^$ Some figures converted at 2018 average exchange rates of US$1.00 = R$3.6513 Brazilian, CN¥ 6.609, €0.8462, ₹67.16, ¥110.1, ₩1,099.29, ر.س 3.75, R 13.2255, CHF 0.9784, NT$30.129, and ฿32.303.
    B.$^^$ Estimate by Chemical and Engineering News.
    C.$^^$ Sales include a significant amount of non-chemical products.
    D.$^^$ Chemical sales less administrative expenses and cost of sales.

## Largest companies since 1988

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, DowDuPont (which broke up into Dow, a new DuPont, and Corteva Agriscience in 2019), 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 |
| 1988 | Bayer | 22,694 |
| 1989 | BASF | 17,122 |
| 1990 | BASF | 18,520 |
| 1991 | ICI | 18,127 |
| 1992 | BASF | 22,883 |
| 1993 | Hoechst | 16,682 |
| 1994 | Hoechst | 19,702 |
| 1995 | BASF | 22,030 |
| 1996 | BASF | 26,519 |
| 1997 | BASF | 27,047 |
| 1998 | BASF | 27,740 |
| 1999 | BASF | 31,250 |
| 2000 | BASF | 30,791 |
| 2001 | Dow Chemical | 27,805 |
| 2002 | Dow Chemical | 27,609 |
| 2003 | Dow Chemical | 32,632 |
| 2004 | Dow Chemical | 40,161 |
| 2005 | Dow Chemical | 46,307 |
| 2006 | BASF | 49,516 |
| 2007 | BASF | 65,037 |
| 2008 | BASF | 70,485 |
| 2009 | BASF | 54,817 |
| 2010 | BASF | 70,391 |
| 2011 | BASF | 85,603 |
| 2012 | BASF | 79,760 |
| 2013 | BASF | 78,615 |
| 2014 | BASF | 78,698 |
| 2015 | BASF | 63,749 |
| 2016 | BASF | 60,653 |
| 2017 | BASF | 69,195 |
| 2018 | DowDuPont | 85,977 |
| 2019 | BASF | 66,400 |
| 2020 | BASF | 67,500 |
| 2021 | BASF | 92,982 |
    A.$^^$ Foreign currencies converted to USD using average exchange rates of that year.