Globally, the chemical output declined by 1.8% in the first three quarters of 2020 compared to the same period of 2019, Cefic says in its latest data. 

 

Meanwhile, output in China was 0.7% above the previous year’s level (Jan-Sep 2019). “The weak trend of key customer sectors globally slowed the growth of chemicals in all countries. Japan (-10.4%) and India (-9.4%) were most affected than the others,” Cefic says in its latest data. 

 

USA and the EU27 reported similar negative changes of about 4.5% during the same period. Apart from China, production levels in all producing countries still below their long-term averages and below the pre-crisis levels. “China is still an exception; output has already experienced the V-shape and production level in September was the highest one since ever. In September 2020, production index booked the fifth consecutive increase, and output level was the highest one since ever,” the report reads. 

 

The chemical output in the EU27 dropped by 4.4% from January to September 2020 compared to the previous year’s level (Jan-Sept 2019), and the EU27 manufacturing output was down 10.6% compared to the same period of last year, both following the COVID-19 outbreak in Europe. The EU27 chemical exports outside the EU27 area is €6.6 billion below the previous year’s level (Jan-Aug 2019, -5.5%).

 

Within EU, the data shows that among the largest European countries, France and Italy are most impacted by the crisis compared to the other European countries. Their productions were at least 10% below the previous year’s level, followed by Spain, Belgium and Portugal with a drop of about 4.0%.