WASHINGTON (July 21, 2017) – The American Chemistry Council (ACC) this week issued its 2017 edition of the Guide to the Business of Chemistry, a detailed economic profile of the chemistry industry and its contributions to the U.S. and world economies.
American chemistry is the world’s second largest producer, providing nearly fifteen percent of the world’s chemicals and representing fourteen percent of all U.S. goods exports. It is also one of America’s largest manufacturing industries, a $768 billion enterprise providing 811,000 high-paying jobs. For every one chemistry industry job, 6.8 others are generated in other sectors of the economy, including construction, transportation, and agriculture, totaling over six million chemistry-dependent jobs.
“American chemistry continues to be the second largest producer, accounting for nearly 15% of the world’s chemical shipments, and is poised for growth over the next decade,” said the publication’s lead author, ACC Chief Economist Kevin Swift. “Surging supplies of natural gas and natural gas liquids from shale have vastly improved the competitiveness of U.S. chemical producers. Looking ahead, this competitive advantage will translate into large production gains as new capacity comes online in the next few years,” added Swift.
Prepared annually by ACC’s Economics and Statistics Department, The Guide to the Business of Chemistry divides the $768 billion business into more than thirty categories of production, ranging from inorganic chemicals to plastic resins; from adhesives and sealants to oilfield chemicals; and from fertilizers to pharmaceuticals and consumer products. Within each segment the report highlights distinct characteristics, including growth dynamics, markets, new developments, and other issues affecting each sector.
Individual sections of the guide cover a variety of topics in detail, including financial performance, U.S. and global trade, innovation, capital investment, employment, environmental, health and safety statistics, energy, and distribution. Charts and graphs help illustrate data and provide comparisons for the past ten years.
The Guide to the Business of Chemistry is available to non-members for $750.00. To order or download an electronic version, click here; or if you would like to order a bound, printed version, click here. Alternatively, orders can be placed by calling the ACC store: (301) 617-7824.