The chemicals industry holds a unique position in manufacturing: it not only produces end-products such as plastics, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, but also supplies intermediate products to countless other industries.
Sector data
- 4,221 manufacturers in chemicals and 12,099 in rubber and plastics
- 69,298 employees in chemicals and 181,610 in rubber and plastics
- As of the end of 2013, 581 foreign-capital chemical product manufacturers and 257 foreign-capital plastics and rubber manufacturers
- $1.6 billion of FDI in the chemicals and pharmaceuticals industry between 2009 and 2013, a 13% share of total manufacturing FDI
For the investor
Dependence on imported intermediate goods creates a durable demand pocket for domestic production investment. On the pharmaceutical side, licensing and GMP compliance are decisive factors in valuing a target company.