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Chemical Production Regional Index

U.S. Chemical Production Softened

“U.S. chemical production contracted in April, with a 0.1% decrease from March,” said David Lan, ACC’s Director of Economics and Statistics. “Production declined in most regions of the country except the Gulf Coast.”

“Following a gain in March (0.7%), global production continued to rise by 0.7% in April 2025,” Lan added. Production increased in Europe and Asia but declined in North America, South America, and Russia.
 

Key findings:

  • U.S. Production Declined: Chemical output in the U.S. decreased in April as U.S. manufacturing activity cooled and capacity utilization edged down. In the U.S., production varied by segment, but considerable weakness was seen in the production of consumer chemicals (detergents, cleaning products, etc.), inorganics (chlorine, caustic soda, industrial gases, etc.), and other specialties (adhesives, sealants, etc.).
  • China Production Driven by Exports: China’s April output continued to grow as companies tried to front-load before tariffs took effect. Exports of manufactured goods to other regions also helped offset some of the negative impact, as China’s exports reached a record high.
  • European Production Cooled: Following last month’s rebound, output remained positive but cooled as producers tried to ship before tariffs took effect. That said, weak domestic demand and trade-related uncertainties may impact production going forward.
  • South America Maintains Momentum: South American production continued to decline this month (-1.1%), but output rose by 5.6% year-over-year as the regional economy continued to improve. Brazil’s production increased by 13.7% year-over-year.

Additional Data