Chemicals and Related Products | United States International Trade Commission

Change from 2015 to 2016:

To view changing data, hover over or touch the animated graphic below.

Table CH.1 Chemicals and related products: U.S. exports and general imports, by selected trading partners, 2012–16

	Million $
						Absolute change,	Percent change,
Item	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2015-16	2015-16
U.S. exports of domestic merchandise:
Canada	36,291	36,335	37,130	34,102	32,550	-1,551	-4.5
China	14,191	14,242	14,426	14,052	13,975	-76	-0.5
Mexico	30,599	31,705	33,481	31,557	30,171	-1,386	-4.4
Ireland	2,192	2,439	2,752	3,237	3,266	29	0.9
Germany	7,473	7,141	7,586	7,540	7,498	-42	-0.6
Japan	12,193	10,743	11,319	10,773	10,830	57	0.5
United Kingdom	8,419	6,835	7,212	8,488	7,417	-1,071	-12.6
Belgium	12,259	13,053	14,709	15,519	13,411	-2,108	-13.6
Switzerland	2,344	2,651	3,040	2,969	2,740	-229	-7.7
South Korea	6,686	6,920	7,198	6,673	6,342	-331	-5.0
All other	84,880	86,271	84,150	79,898	75,677	-4,221	-5.3
Total domestic exports	217,529	218,333	223,002	214,808	203,878	-10,930	-5.1
Re-exports	11,394	13,089	11,952	13,074	14,265	1,191	9.1
Total U.S. exports (domestic and re-exports)	228,922	231,422	234,954	227,882	218,143	-9,739	-4.3
U.S. general imports:
Canada	33,540	33,299	33,518	32,211	29,694	-2,517	-7.8
China	28,022	29,466	31,895	31,005	29,839	-1,166	-3.8
Mexico	9,130	9,652	10,657	10,759	10,616	-143	-1.3
Ireland	24,996	22,384	24,380	28,731	32,280	3,549	12.4
Germany	20,843	21,856	25,186	24,854	23,291	-1,563	-6.3
Japan	12,916	12,660	12,644	11,710	11,525	-185	-1.6
United Kingdom	10,029	8,665	9,418	13,945	11,344	-2,601	-18.7
Belgium	3,884	5,001	6,344	6,247	4,915	-1,332	-21.3
Switzerland	10,005	10,978	12,107	11,939	14,343	2,404	20.1
South Korea	5,555	5,030	5,858	6,225	8,511	2,286	36.7
All other	78,322	77,687	79,534	82,653	83,551	899	1.1
Total general imports	237,243	236,678	251,542	260,278	259,908	-370	-0.1

Source: Compiled from official statistics of the U.S. Department of Commerce. These reflect all official revisions of previously published data up to June 2016 (accessed March 27, 2017).

Note: Import values are based on customs value; export values are based on free along ship value, U.S. port of export. Calculations based on unrounded data. The countries shown are those with the largest total U.S. trade (U.S. general imports plus U.S. domestic exports) in these products in the current year.

Table CH.2 Chemicals and related products: Leading changes in U.S. exports and imports, 2012–16

	Million $
						Absolute change,	Percent change,
USITC code and industry/commodity group	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2015-16	2015-16
U.S. domestic exports:
Increases:
CH001 Major primary olefins	621	660	415	518	685	167	32.2
CH020 Essential oils and other flavoring materials	2,356	2,519	2,563	2,632	2,753	120	4.6
CH009 Chlor-alkali chemicals	2,397	2,347	2,267	2,255	2,370	115	5.1
CH003 Primary aromatics	1,064	739	624	353	391	39	11.0
CH002 Other olefins	629	518	621	542	559	17	3.1
CH015 Natural tanning and dyeing materials	88	83	94	74	86	11	15.4
CH008 Inorganic acids	849	890	759	668	677	8	1.2
Decreases:
CH019 Medicinal chemicals	48,575	48,464	51,972	55,492	52,511	-2,981	-5.4
CH006 Certain organic chemicals	19,643	19,690	18,984	16,370	15,073	-1,298	-7.9
CH005 Organic specialty chemicals	9,202	8,722	8,691	8,224	7,218	-1,005	-12.2
CH030 Other plastics in primary forms	15,779	16,232	16,701	15,467	14,589	-877	-5.7
CH007 Miscellaneous inorganic chemicals	13,430	13,090	13,964	13,410	12,641	-769	-5.7
CH010 Fertilizers	4,992	4,501	4,185	4,016	3,346	-670	-16.7
CH032 Tires and tubes	5,885	5,481	5,466	4,771	4,137	-633	-13.3
CH004 Organic commodity chemicals	6,528	7,253	6,244	4,245	3,750	-495	-11.7
CH033 Miscellaneous plastic products	23,856	24,658	26,003	25,730	25,282	-448	-1.7
CH017 Pesticide products and formulations	4,787	5,416	5,666	5,309	4,872	-438	-8.2
CH025 Polyethylene resins in primary forms	7,380	7,782	7,880	7,695	7,325	-370	-4.8
CH034 Miscellaneous rubber products	3,892	3,955	4,202	4,009	3,740	-269	-6.7
CH023 Miscellaneous chemicals and specialties	6,854	7,040	6,892	6,717	6,473	-244	-3.6
CH031 Synthetic rubber	4,671	4,051	3,976	3,393	3,243	-150	-4.4
CH022 Soaps, detergents, and surface-active agents	5,817	5,929	6,201	5,849	5,731	-118	-2.0
CH011 Paints, inks, and related items, and certain components thereof	7,555	7,177	7,239	6,813	6,699	-114	-1.7
CH021 Perfumes, cosmetics, and toiletries	7,499	7,905	8,186	8,320	8,241	-79	-0.9
CH026 Polypropylene resins in primary forms	3,126	3,183	3,168	2,598	2,524	-73	-2.8
CH029 Saturated polyester resins	1,376	1,418	1,463	1,403	1,331	-72	-5.1
CH013 Synthetic dyes and azoic couplers	390	450	525	576	509	-66	-11.5
CH027 Polyvinyl chloride resins in primary forms	3,403	3,375	3,241	2,761	2,697	-64	-2.3
CH028 Styrene polymers in primary forms	1,437	1,419	1,426	1,285	1,241	-45	-3.5
CH024 Explosives, propellant powders, and related items	766	750	780	787	753	-34	-4.3
CH012 Synthetic organic pigments	375	336	340	320	295	-25	-8.0
CH018 Adhesives and glues	1,395	1,410	1,438	1,441	1,418	-23	-1.6
CH035 Gelatin	100	110	100	82	60	-22	-26.5
CH036 Natural rubber	87	67	69	60	47	-13	-22.3
CH014 Synthetic tanning agents	23	24	25	21	11	-10	-47.8
CH016 Photographic chemicals and preparations	700	691	635	602	601	-1	-0.2
U.S. general imports:
Increases:
CH019 Medicinal chemicals	89,365	85,436	93,442	109,717	113,142	3,425	3.1
CH005 Organic specialty chemicals	11,661	12,785	13,662	11,923	14,613	2,690	22.6
CH023 Miscellaneous chemicals and specialties	4,818	5,945	5,676	5,874	7,065	1,191	20.3
CH033 Miscellaneous plastic products	27,713	29,259	31,202	32,355	33,044	689	2.1
CH021 Perfumes, cosmetics, and toiletries	6,891	7,627	8,167	8,298	8,867	568	6.8
CH026 Polypropylene resins in primary forms	363	414	522	556	761	205	36.8
CH018 Adhesives and glues	356	385	401	413	439	26	6.2
CH015 Natural tanning and dyeing materials	185	182	167	164	186	22	13.5
CH029 Saturated polyester resins	1,391	1,454	1,637	1,418	1,421	3	0.2
CH014 Synthetic tanning agents	9	10	16	11	14	3	27.0
Decreases:
CH010 Fertilizers	13,218	12,050	11,335	10,926	7,219	-3,708	-33.9
CH007 Miscellaneous inorganic chemicals	10,185	9,288	9,844	9,386	8,173	-1,212	-12.9
CH032 Tires and tubes	14,835	14,758	15,018	14,561	13,652	-909	-6.2
CH006 Certain organic chemicals	10,715	10,970	11,667	10,415	9,521	-894	-8.6
CH003 Primary aromatics	1,844	2,238	2,698	1,689	1,178	-510	-30.2
CH025 Polyethylene resins in primary forms	3,833	4,283	4,807	4,350	4,154	-196	-4.5
CH030 Other plastics in primary forms	5,507	5,599	6,342	6,104	5,910	-194	-3.2
CH034 Miscellaneous rubber products	5,854	5,983	6,458	6,445	6,253	-192	-3.0
CH036 Natural rubber	3,382	2,559	1,955	1,499	1,308	-191	-12.7
CH001 Major primary olefins	2,151	1,633	1,458	805	649	-156	-19.4
CH031 Synthetic rubber	2,605	2,213	2,383	1,942	1,791	-151	-7.8
CH017 Pesticide products and formulations	3,371	3,641	3,799	3,547	3,405	-142	-4.0
CH011 Paints, inks, and related items, and certain components thereof	3,382	3,498	3,725	3,529	3,430	-99	-2.8
CH008 Inorganic acids	721	664	711	676	583	-93	-13.7
CH004 Organic commodity chemicals	1,910	2,383	2,583	1,916	1,826	-89	-4.7
CH020 Essential oils and other flavoring materials	3,195	3,447	3,649	4,003	3,913	-89	-2.2
CH028 Styrene polymers in primary forms	1,161	1,179	1,311	1,184	1,110	-74	-6.2
CH013 Synthetic dyes and azoic couplers	412	398	441	453	395	-58	-12.8
CH009 Chlor-alkali chemicals	405	428	382	346	288	-57	-16.6
CH002 Other olefins	699	694	640	512	456	-55	-10.8
CH035 Gelatin	288	332	290	281	241	-40	-14.1
CH024 Explosives, propellant powders, and related items	628	632	731	766	738	-28	-3.7
CH012 Synthetic organic pigments	539	540	569	507	483	-23	-4.6
CH016 Photographic chemicals and preparations	705	725	689	724	711	-12	-1.7
CH022 Soaps, detergents, and surface-active agents	2,493	2,612	2,717	2,591	2,579	-12	-0.4
CH027 Polyvinyl chloride resins in primary forms	452	433	447	395	388	-7	-1.7

Source: Compiled from official statistics of the U.S. Department of Commerce. These reflect all official revisions of previously published data up to June 2016 (accessed March 27, 2017).

Note: Import values are based on customs value; export values are based on free along ship value, U.S. port of export. Calculations based on unrounded data.