Hydrochloric acid: Production
Why nobody knows how much hydrochloric acid exists
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 | not published | no global statistics; IMARC and others sell estimates | |
| World output | not published | not published | |
| Capacity utilisation | not applicable (by-product) | In May-June 2026 more than 5 Mt of Chinese chlor-alkali capacity was under maintenance, cutting HCl supply and lifting Chinese prices about 33% (Procurement Resource). | Procurement Resource 2026 |
| Concentration | not published | Supply is spread across hundreds of chlor-alkali and chemical sites; regional markets are local. | indicative |
| New capacity | follows chlor-alkali and isocyanate additions | India's 1.55 Mt of planned caustic additions (GlobalData 2023) and China's 900,000 dmt in 2025 add HCl synthesis capacity; BASF Geismar MDI expansion (delayed to mid-2026) adds US by-product. | GlobalData 2023; Argus Nov 2025 |
Top producing countries
- China: largest producer, in line with 47% of world chlorine
- United States: large by-product supply from isocyanates and vinyls
- Germany and EU: isocyanate by-product (BASF, Covestro)
- India: synthesised at most of the 6.4 Mt caustic capacity
- Japan: not published
Largest producers: global
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olin not published | US | not published | 2025 | Procurement Resource supplier list |
| OxyChem not published | US | not published | 2025 | Procurement Resource supplier list |
| Covestro by-product from MDI/TDI and polycarbonate | Germany | not published | 2025 | Procurement Resource supplier list |
| BASF by-product from isocyanates | Germany | not published | 2025 | Procurement Resource supplier list |
| Dow not published | US | not published | 2025 | Procurement Resource supplier list |
| AGC and Solvay not published | Japan/Belgium | not published | 2025 | Procurement Resource supplier list |
Largest producers: India
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grasim (Aditya Birla Chemicals) synthesis units at chlor-alkali sites | India | not published | FY2025 | not published |
| DCM Shriram Bharuch and Kota | India | not published | FY2025 | not published |
| Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Vadodara and Dahej | India | not published | FY2025 | not published |
| Chemplast Sanmar, Tamilnadu Petroproducts and other chlor-alkali producers all chlor-alkali producers sell HCl | India | not published | FY2025 | not published |
Every Indian chlor-alkali producer sells HCl as a chlorine outlet; capacity data are not published. India imports little because acid is too cheap to ship, but CIF India prices were about $135/t in August 2026.
Position by region
| Region | Position |
|---|---|
| US | Strong outlet in shale well stimulation; FOB price about $150-162/t (Jul-Aug 2026). |
| EU | By-product from isocyanates; weak steel demand; CIF Germany about $116-120/t (Jul-Aug 2026). |
| India | Domestic synthetic and by-product acid; CIF about $134-135/t (Jul-Aug 2026). |
| China | Oversupplied by-product acid; FOB about $27/t (Aug 2026). |
| Japan | CIF about $61/t (Aug 2026). |
| Middle East | Small, tied to vinyls complexes; not published. |