In this article, we rank the Top 20 Chemical companies as per their market Capitalization. The global chemical companies are the backbone of the world economy as it helps to create more than 70,000 products that touch almost every aspect of human lives.
In 2002 the global chemical industry was valued at 1.8 trillion US dollars and by 2020 it was generating 41+ trillion USD chemical sales annually.
The American chemical society is home to some of the largest chemical producers and they alone comprise 15% of the US economic sector.
With an average chemical sales growth of 13.65%, the chemical companies have been growing from strength to strength in recent years. The emergence of new players in the global chemical industry has helped it to grow at a fast pace.
Table of Contents
The Top 15 Chemical Companies in 2021 as per Market Capitalization includes
1. Linde plc, Ireland
- Origin Country: German-American and Ireland
- Founder: Carl von Linde
- Founded: 1879
- Headquarters: Dublin, Ireland
- Employees: 74,207 (the fiscal year 2020)
- Revenue (TTM): $ 27.75 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021
- Net Income (TTM): $ 2.91 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021
- Market Cap: $ 156.76 billion (2021)
- Brand value: $ 2,679 million (2021)
Linde Plc is the largest chemical company in the world of industrial gases, based on revenues and market share. Its chemical arm is involved in the distribution and manufacturing of atmospheric gases.
The key player in the chemical industry offers products to chemical companies like water treatment, electronics, aerospace, steelmaking, food, refining, beverage carbonation, healthcare and manufacturing. Linde plc has a ranking of 444th and 178th on the Fortune Global 500 list and Forbes Global 2000 list of chemical companies respectively.
ICIS Chemical Business has awarded Linde plc the ICIS Innovation Awards 2019 for the Dryref syngas process innovation in steam reforming.
2. Air Liquide S.A. France
- Origin Country: France
- Founder: Paul Delorme
- Founded: 1902
- Headquarters: Paris, France
- Revenue (TTM): $ 25.03 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021
- Net Income (TTM): $ 2.97 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021
- Market Cap: $ 81.68 billion (2021)
- Brand value: $ 2,095 million (2021)
Air Liquide is one of the largest chemical company manufacturers and the second-largest supplier in the world of industrial chemical gas by revenue. Unlimited access has helped it to spread its operations in nearly 80 countries.
The multinational brand supplies industrial gas and services to electronic and chemical manufacturers and the medical industry. Air Liquide has a highly sophisticated R&D department that is focused on bioresources, analysis and hydrogen gas production.
3. BASF, Germany
- Origin Country: Germany
- Founder: Friedrich Engelhorn
- Founded: 6th April 1865
- Headquarters: Ludwigshafen, Germany
- Chemical Sales: 59.3 billion Euros ( 31st December 2019)
- Revenue (TTM): $ 75.5 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021
- Market Cap: $ 76.12 billion (2021)
- Brand value: $ 7,285 million (2021)
BASF SE is renowned multinational chemical companies and the largest chemical producers in the world. It has spread its presence in 80 countries with help of joint ventures and subsidiaries. It operates 390 production sites and six integrated production sites.
BASF supplies products to its clients and customers in various chemical companies in 190 countries. The chemical industry product portfolio includes industrial gas, inorganic chemicals, raw materials, basic petrochemicals, glues, resins, amines and solvents. It supplies products to chemical companies like automotive, pharmaceutical, textile and construction.
ICIS Chemical Business has placed BASF at the top position in its annual ICIS Top 100 Chemical Companies listing based on 2019 chemical sales
4. DuPont de Nemours, Inc. US
- Origin Country: United States of America
- Founded: 1st September 2017
- Headquarters: Wilmington, Delaware, USA
- Revenue (TTM): $ 20.703 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021 with an up of 4.73% year-over-year
- Net Income (TTM): $ 3.059 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021 with a 578.22% decline year-over-year
- Chemical Sales: 85.97 billion USD (2020)
- Market Cap: $ 72.83 billion (2021)
- Brand value: $ 1,995 million (2021)
DowDupont was created from the merger of the two largest companies E I du Pont de Nemours and Dow Chemical. This chemical companies merger was estimated with a value of 130 billion USD. Within 18 months DowDupont was split into three companies Corteva that focused on agriculture, Dow Inc. on advanced materials science and DuPont on speciality products
The American chemical society member DuPont was ranked at 35th position as the largest public corporations in the United States in the list of 2019 Fortune 500.
The product portfolio of the new DuPont includes Teflon, Zytel, Tyvek, Rayon and Orlon etc.
5. Shin-Etsu Chemicals, Japan
- Origin Country: Japan
- Founded: 16th September 1926
- Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
- Revenue (TTM): $ 14.071 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021 with a 0.91% decline from 2020
- Net Income (TTM): $ 2.761 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021 with a 4.43 % decline from 2020
- Market Cap: $ 70.63 billion (2021)
Shin-Etsu Chemical Co Ltd is the largest chemical production company in its home country Japan and has the largest market share for semiconductor silicon, polyvinyl chloride and photomask substrates
The publicly traded company is positioned at 9th position in the list of Forbes Global 2000. It has set up manufacturing locations in 14 countries to produce chemical products.
6. Air Products and Chemicals, US
- Origin Country: United States of America
- Founder: Leonard P Pool
- Founded: 1940
- Headquarters: Pennsylvania, US
- Employees: 19,275 (2020)
- Revenue (TTM): $ 9.263 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021 with a 3.71% increase in year-over-year
- Net Income (TTM): $ 1.888 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021 with a 2.89% decline year-over-year
- Market Cap: $ 66.3 billion (2021)
- Total Assets: 25.169 billion USD for 2020
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. is a part of the American chemical society. It is one of the largest chemical production company with a registered trademark and deals in industrial chemicals and natural gas for industrial use.
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has the distinction of being the third-largest employer in the Lehigh Valley region. It produces LNG, refinery hydrogen, epoxy additives, adhesives and gas cabinets for chemical companies dealing in food, healthcare, energy, technology and industrial markets
7. Ecolab, US
- Origin Country: United States of America
- Founder: Merritt J Osborn
- Founded: 1923
- Headquarters: St Paul, Minnesota, US
- Revenue (TTM): $ 11.655 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021 with a 3.5% decline year-over-year
- Net Income (TTM): $ -1.295 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021 with a 183.77% decline year-over-year
- Market Cap: $ 61.56 billion (2021)
- Total Assets: 20.869 billion USD (2019)
The American chemical society member Ecolab Inc. is associated with the chemical industry, food safety and water management. Placed at 7th position as the top chemical companies it develops technology that helps chemical companies in the private and public market for water purification
Ecolab has operations in 170+ countries and serves its global customers with help of 50,000+ employees. The company offers consulting services to food retailers, hospitals, restaurants and food and beverage manufacturing organizations.
8. LG Chem, South Korea
- Origin Country: South Korea
- Founded: 1947
- Reincorporated: 2001
- Headquarters: Seoul, South Korea
- Parent Company: LG Corporation
- Revenue (TTM): $ 29.37 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021
- Net Income (TTM): $ 1.2 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021
- Market Cap: $ 56.04 billion (2021)
- Brand value: $ 3,602 million (2021)
LG Chem Ltd is the largest chemical companies in South Korea and eighth-largest based on a market cap in the world. It is a B2B organization with 29 business enterprises in 15 countries and eight factories in their home country.
LG Chem Ltd is associated with the chemical industry and deals in areas like energy solutions, IT and electronic materials and basic materials and chemicals.
9. Dow Chemical, US
- Origin Country: United States of America
- Founder: Herbert Henry Dow
- Founded: 1897
- Headquarters: Midland, Michigan, US
- Revenue (TTM): $ 40.65 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021
- Net Income (TTM): $ 1.97 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021
- Market Cap: $ 51.95 billion (2021)
- Brand value: $ 3,729 million (2021)
The Dow Chemical Company is a member of The American chemical society and acts as a subsidiary of its parent company Dow Inc. It boasts of being amongst the top three largest producers of chemical in the world.
Dow Chemical is a B2B company and has spread its presence to 160 countries. It manufactures agricultural products, chemicals and plastics.
ICIS Chemical Business has placed Dow Chemical at the third position in its ICIS Top 100 Chemical Companies listing based on 2019 annual sales
10. Wanhua Chemical Group, China
- Origin Country: China
- Founder: Wanhua Group Corporation
- Founded: 16th December 1998
- Headquarters: Yantai, China
- Employees: 15,392 (2019)
- Revenue (TTM): $ 31.312 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021
- Net Income (TTM): $ 2.38 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021
- Market Cap: $ 50.9 billion (2021)
Wanhua Chemical Group is a publicly-traded company whose shares are traded at the Shanghai Stock Exchange since January 2001. It has the distinction of being one of the largest producers of chemicals in the world and is placed at 10th position in the list of top chemical companies.
Since the year 2019, Wanhua Chemical Group has become the largest producer in the world of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), the largest producer in China of toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and the second-largest producer in the world of aliphatic diisocyanate (ADI)
11. PPG Industries, US
- Origin Country: United States of America
- Co-founders: John Pitcairn Jr and John Baptiste Ford
- Founded: 1883
- Headquarters: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
- Revenue (TTM): $ 14.338 billion for the year 31st March 2021 with a 3.77% decline year-over-year
- Net Income (TTM): $ 1.194 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021 with a 1.7% increase in year-over-year
- Market Cap: $ 42.55 billion (2021)
PPG Industries is a part of the American chemical society and has operations in 70+ countries. It has been a regular in the Fortune 500 chemical companies list and has been the largest company of coatings in the world for several years.
One of the largest companies PPG is associated with the chemical industry and deals in speciality materials, coatings and paints including basic and industrial chemicals. The company has been a primary sponsor of the CART Indy car series and also the primary sponsor of John Force Racing.
12. Givaudan, Switzerland
- Origin Country: Switzerland
- Founded: 1895
- Headquarters: Vernier, Switzerland
- Employees: 15,852 (2020)
- Full Chemical Sales: CHF 6.3 billion (2020)
- Fragrance & Beauty Annual Sales: CHF 2,924 million
- Overall Market Share: 25%
- EBITDA: CHF 1,397 million (2020)
- Net Income (TTM): CHF 743 million (2020)
- Market Cap: $ 40.82 billion (2021)
Givaudan is one of the world’s largest chemical company and also the world’s largest chemical manufacturing company of flavour and fragrances. It is the 30th biggest listed chemical companies in Switzerland based on market cap. The chemical company has spread its presence to Asia Pacific, Africa, Latin America, North America, Middle East and Europe.
Givaudan develops flavours and scents which are used by the food and beverage industry and by household goods manufacturers. The raw materials and products are also used for perfumes, personal care and grooming. The company uses ScentTrek technology and creates customized fragrances to increase production capacity. It then sells this personal data to clients under confidential agreements.
13. LyondellBasell Industries, US
- Origin Country: Dutch-domiciled with British and American roots
- Founded: 2007
- Headquarters: Houston in the US along with London in UK and Rotterdam in the Netherlands
- Revenue (TTM): $ 29.34 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021
- Net Income (TTM): $ 2.35 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021
- Market Cap: $ 37.31 billion (2021)
- Brand value: $ 2,282 million (2021)
LyondellBasell Industries is the largest licensor in the world of polypropylene and polyethylene technologies. As of 2016, the chemical industry company is the third-largest independent manufacturer of chemicals in the United States.
LyondellBasell Industries is a multinational company that produces oxyfuels, polyolefins, propylene and ethylene glycol besides polypropylene and polyethylene. The company is a part of the American chemical society and has manufacturing facilities in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. It was named as the World’s Most Admired Companies in 2018 in Fortune Magazine
ICIS Chemical Business has placed LyondellBasell Industries at the fourth position in its annual ICIS Top 100 Chemical Companies listing based on 2019 annual sales
14. Nutrien, Canada
- Origin Country: Canada
- Founded: 2018
- Headquarters: Saskatoon, Canada
- Employees: 23,100 (2020)
- Revenue (TTM): $ 21.368 billion for the year ending 31st March 2021 with a 3.91% increase in year-over-year
- Net Income (TTM): $ 621 million for the year ending 31st March 2021 with a 32.21% decline year-over-year
- Market Cap: $ 34.19 billion (2021)
- Total Assets: 47.192 billion USD for the fiscal year 2020
Nutrien is a publicly-traded company that has spread its presence in the worldwide market through 1500 retail outlets. It is one of the world’s largest chemical producers that deals exclusively in fertilizers.
Nutrien is the largest chemical producers in the world of potash and the third-largest of nitrogen fertilizers. The company is listed in the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange. Some of its main competitors in the world are The Mosaic Company and CF Industries Holdings Inc.
15. Nippon Paint Holdings, Japan
- Origin Country: Japan
- Founder: Jujiro Motegi
- Founded: 14th March 1881
- Headquarters: Osaka, Japan
- Revenue (TTM): $ 7.342 billion (31st December 2020)
- Net Income (TTM): $ 419.691 million (31st December 2020)
- Market Cap: $ 33.15 billion (2021)
Nippon Paint Holdings was the fourth-largest paint manufacturing company in the world in 2020 based on revenues. It is associated with the chemical industry and deals in products like fine chemicals, coatings and paints.
Nippon Paint Holdings along with subsidiaries have spread their presence in Japan, India, Vietnam, China, South Korea, Malaysia and the United States etc. The company is ranked at 15th position in the list of top chemical companies of the world
Some other companies which are part of the top chemical companies in the world but have not been mentioned above are
- Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Japan
- ExxonMobil Chemical, USA
- Formosa Plastics Corporation, China
- INEOS, British
- SABIC (Saudi Arabia Basic Industries Corporation), Saudi Arabia
- Sinopec, China
Conclusion
Global chemical companies provide a livelihood to innumerable people like chemists, engineers, lab technicians, work staff etc. It manufactures materials in gaseous, liquid, and solid forms. Some prime examples are soaps, detergents, plastics, toiletries, acetic acid, food ingredients, synthetic rubber, cosmetics and perfumes that are directly purchased by the common masses. High demand for more and more chemical products will help the major player in chemical companies to generate more profits with time
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