An empty beaker in a science lab
Chemicals Industry
The chemicals industry is one of the United States' largest manufacturing industries and also one of the top exporting sectors of U.S. manufacturing.

SelectUSA Chemicals Industry

Industry Overview

The chemicals industry is one of United States’ largest manufacturing industries, serving both a sizable domestic market and an expanding global market. The industry includes subsectors such as agricultural chemicals, basic chemicals, specialty chemicals, and consumer products.  

The industry converts raw materials into more than 70,000 diverse products, supporting the production of almost all commercial and household goods, and is essential to economic growth. In 2024, the chemical industry accounted for roughly 20 percent of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP.

In addition to its significant contribution to manufacturing GDP, the industry’s impact extends to the workforce, supporting jobs across the nation. According to SelectUSA’s Cluster Mapping dashboard, SelectUSA’s interactive, and data-driven tool designed for investors, companies, and economic development organizations to identify industry concentrations across the United States at the state and county level, the downstream chemical products industry cluster employs more than 280,000 individuals. California, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas have a high employment share and a high concentration of employees compared to the nation as a whole in the downstream chemical products industry cluster. Meanwhile, the upstream chemical products industry cluster employs more than 190,000 individuals. California, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Texas have a high employment share and a high concentration of employees compared to the nation as a whole in the upstream chemical products industry cluster.

The industry’s influence extends beyond employment, serving as a major catalyst for innovation in products and technologies. The chemicals industry accounted for the largest share of domestic manufacturing research and development (R&D) conducted by U.S. businesses. In 2024, the chemicals industry in the United States invested $14.8 billion in R&D. Chemical companies typically allocated 2 to 3 percent of their annual sales to R&D, though some invested as much as 8 to 9 percent to drive innovation and technological advancement.  

The industry also plays a major role in international trade. Chemicals rank as one of the top exporting industries in the United States. In 2024, U.S. chemical exports were valued at $323 billion, accounting for about 16 percent of total U.S. exports. Overall, the U.S. chemicals industry remains a critical driver of innovation, economic growth, and global competitiveness

world map icon
Additional Information

Explore the impact of foreign direct investment on U.S. jobs, exports, and innovation in the chemicals industry.

More Information →
document icon
Investor Guide

The Investor Guide is a high-level view of everything from taxes to immigration and workforce to business structures.

See Investor Guide →
chart icon
SelectUSA Stats

SelectUSA has created several dashboards to help analyze key FDI data from a variety of sources.

See Dashboards →
Company meeting
Industry Associations
A comprehensive list of associations in the chemicals industry.
See Industry Associations
two hands holding a lightbulb
Incentives
Browse this state incentives database developed by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER).
See Incentives
Person holding phone and computer
Contact Us
Request information and data tailored to your business needs.
Contact Us

×

Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

Privacy Program | Information Quality Guidelines | Accessibility