Silicones: Production
Chinese overcapacity and Western plant closures
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 in sources reached; China holds most siloxane monomer capacity (indicative, about 70-80%) | indicative; USGS MCS 2026 via silicon tile for silicon | |
| World output | about 3-3.5 Mt siloxane (2025, indicative) | indicative | |
| Capacity utilisation | Chinese silicone monomer industry expected near 70% (June 2025) | Overcapacity after rapid Chinese expansion; Western upstream capacity is closing (Dow Barry, mid-2026). | SMM, Jun 2025; ERJ, Feb 2026 |
| Concentration | China about 70% of siloxane (indicative); Dow, Wacker, Shin-Etsu, Momentive and Elkem dominate outside China | China's silicon metal dominance (about 78% of silicon content, silicon tile) carries through to siloxane. | indicative; silicon tile |
| New capacity | not published in sources reached | Western upstream capacity is shrinking (Dow Barry closing mid-2026; Dow's European closures target $200 million EBITDA uplift by 2029). Chinese additions have slowed after oversupply (indicative). | ERJ, Jul 2025 and Feb 2026 |
Top producing countries
China 70% · most monomer capacity; Hoshine, Dongyue, Xingfa, Xin'an, Elkem Xinghuo, Wacker-Dow Zhangjiagang (indicative) United States 8% · Dow (Midland, Carrollton), Momentive (Waterford) (indicative) Germany 7% · Wacker (Burghausen, Nünchritz) (indicative) Japan 6% · Shin-Etsu, Dow Toray (indicative) France 4% · Elkem (Roussillon) (indicative) United Kingdom 2% · Dow Barry, closing mid-2026 (ERJ) indicative; ERJ, Jul 2025 and Feb 2026; share indicativeLargest producers: global
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dow (Consumer Solutions) closing Barry, UK basic siloxanes by mid-2026; downstream silicones volume grew for a second year | US | not published | 2025 | ERJ, Feb 2026 |
| Wacker Chemie Burghausen and Nünchritz; JV with Dow in Zhangjiagang (indicative) | Germany | not published | 2025 | not published in sources reached |
| Shin-Etsu Chemical integrated silicones (indicative) | Japan | not published | 2025 | not published in sources reached |
| Momentive Performance Materials (KCC) owned by KCC since 2019 (indicative) | US / South Korea | not published | 2025 | not published in sources reached |
| Elkem (China National Bluestar) integrated silicon metal and silicones in Norway, France and China (indicative) | Norway / China | not published | 2025 | not published in sources reached |
| Hoshine Silicon Industry largest silicon metal maker and a large siloxane producer (indicative) | China | not published | 2025 | not published in sources reached |
| Dongyue Group silicone monomer alongside fluorochemicals (indicative) | China | not published | 2025 | not published in sources reached |
Largest producers: India
No siloxane monomer (direct process) plant in India was found in sources reached. India imports DMC, silicone polymers and finished products, mainly from China; Dow, Wacker, Momentive, Elkem and Shin-Etsu run formulation and sales operations in India (indicative).
Position by region
| Region | Position |
|---|---|
| US | Dow and Momentive integrated; US duties on ferrosilicon and Chinese imports shape costs (silicon tile). |
| EU | Dow Barry closing; Wacker and Elkem remain; EU REACH limits on D4, D5 and D6. |
| India | Import-dependent for siloxane; growing solar, EV and construction demand. |
| China | Most capacity; DMC near cash cost in 2025; 'anti-involution' production discipline lifted DMC more than 23% in Q4 2025 (SunSirs headline). |
| Japan | Shin-Etsu and Dow Toray; high-end electronics grades. |
| Middle East | Little production (indicative). |