Acetic acid: Production
How China came to own half the world's capacity
How China came to own half the world's capacity What this tab covers Who makes it and how much: world capacity and output, utilisation, the top producing countries and companies globally and in India, concentration, new capacity coming, and each region's position.| Measure | Figure | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| World capacity | world about 22-26 Mt (indicative); China 10.55 Mt in 2022, expected 11.75 Mt in 2023 | Mysteel citing OilChem (Jul 2023); world figure indicative | |
| World output | about 17-19 Mt (indicative) | derived (indicative) | |
| Capacity utilisation | not published; Chinese profits were rare in H1 2023 as new capacity arrived | China's capacity grew 3.9% a year in 2011-2022, with 7.9 Mt of projects listed for 2023-2027. | Mysteel citing OilChem (2023) |
| Concentration | China about half of capacity; Celanese and INEOS the two largest firms by net capacity | After buying BP's acetyls business in 2020, INEOS became the second-largest producer behind Celanese (ResourceWise). Company shares not published. | ResourceWise (2020); OilChem (2023) |
| New capacity | 9.92 Mt in Asia in 2025-2030; 0.35 Mt in the Middle East; 0.28 Mt in Africa | China 5.8 Mt (six projects incl. Jieyang 1.5 Mt 2027; Zhejiang Petrochemical, Shenghong and Sichuan Ruibo 1.0 Mt each); India 3.6 Mt (Reliance Jamnagar 3.0 Mt, 2030); Indonesia 0.52 Mt; Iran and Oman; Egypt.; Mysteel reported 2.8 Mt/yr of new Chinese capacity scheduled for H2 2026 (Jun 2026). | GlobalData via Offshore Technology (2025); Mysteel, Jun 2026 |
Top producing countries
- China: 10.55 Mt capacity (2022), roughly half of world
- United States: Celanese Clear Lake 1.6 Mt; Eastman Texas City 0.6 Mt and Kingsport about 0.2 Mt
- South Korea: INEOS-Lotte Ulsan 0.7 Mt
- Singapore and Malaysia: Celanese Jurong 0.6 Mt; INEOS-Petronas Kerteh 0.55 Mt
- United Kingdom: INEOS Hull 0.5 Mt
- Taiwan: Mai Liao 0.3 Mt (Formosa JV)
Largest producers: global
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celanese largest producer; AO Plus technology; later capacity not verified | US | 3.4 Mt acetic acid capacity (Clear Lake 1.6, Nanjing 1.2, Singapore 0.6) | 2020 | ResourceWise (Jun 2020) |
| INEOS Acetyls $5 billion deal for BP aromatics and acetyls; Cativa technology | UK | 2.65 Mt net position acquired from BP incl. JVs and Eastman offtake | 2020 | ResourceWise (Jun 2020) |
| Eastman | US | 0.8 Mt (Texas City 0.6, Kingsport about 0.2) | 2020 | ResourceWise (2020) |
| Hualu-Hengsheng Chemical coal-based | China | not published | 2023 | Mysteel (2023): 0.8 Mt Jinzhou project due Aug 2023 |
| Jiangsu Shenghong / Zhejiang Petrochemical / Hengli integrated refining-chemical groups | China | not published | 2023-2025 | Mysteel (2023): 1.0, 1.0 and 0.4 Mt projects |
| Guangdong Shengyuanda / Juzhengyuan (Jieyang) test production reported in 2026 | China | 1.5 Mt a year single line | 2026-2027 | Procurement Resource (2026); GlobalData via Offshore Technology |
Largest producers: India
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals (GNFC) main domestic producer | India | not published | 2026 | GNFC quoted as domestic price setter at $0.426/kg in March 2026 (ALCHEMPro); capacity not verified |
| Reliance Industries (Jamnagar, planned) operator Reliance O2C | India | 3 Mt a year planned | 2030 | GlobalData via Offshore Technology |
India is a large acetic acid consumer for PTA, ethyl acetate, acetic anhydride and pharma, but GNFC is the only notable producer reached in sources, so most supply is imported from China and Southeast Asia (volumes not verified). Reliance's 3 Mt plan and 0.6 Mt of other Indian projects (3.6 Mt total, GlobalData) would turn India into a net exporter if built.
Position by region
| Region | Position |
|---|---|
| US | Celanese and Eastman on Gulf Coast gas and methanol; exporter to Latin America and Europe (indicative). |
| EU | INEOS Hull is the main producer; Europe imports and its FOB price ran at $0.61-0.70/kg in March-April 2026 (ALCHEMPro). |
| India | Import-dependent; prices whipsawed from $0.41/kg CFR (Mar 2026) to about $0.70/kg (Apr) and back to $0.60/kg (ALCHEMPro). |
| China | About half of world capacity and still adding; coal-based CO and methanol keep costs low and push exports. Exports rose 33% to 776.5 kt in Jan-Jul 2026 while utilisation averaged about 79% (GACC and OilChem via Mysteel, Aug 2026). |
| Japan | Imports and small domestic output (indicative). |
| Middle East | Small projects in Iran and Oman (GlobalData); SABIC ethane-oxidation experience. |