Vitamins: Production
Tonnes by vitamin, and how concentrated each one is
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 | vitamin A about 28-54 kt (source figures conflict, indicative (unverified)); E about 150 kt; C about 200 kt a year | Faxian Gongchang 2026 | |
| World output | not published; China exported 422,765 t of vitamins in 2024 (+17.94%) | Faxian Gongchang 2026 (China Customs) | |
| Capacity utilisation | not published | Nantekang reported 96% utilisation of its isophytol unit; overall capacity exceeds demand in VE and VC (Faxian Gongchang). | Faxian Gongchang 2026 |
| Concentration | China plus Europe over 80% of capacity; BASF alone held 26.7% of vitamin A by Faxian Gongchang's count (unverified) and about 66% of citral | Vitamin A and E are oligopolies of four or five producers; China is expected to pass 70% of VA and 80% of VE by end-2027 (Faxian Gongchang). | Faxian Gongchang 2026 |
| New capacity | NHU Shandong VE oil +20 kt/yr; Garden Bio D3 to 3,600 t and a 5 kt B6 project | China's share of VE expected at 85-90% by 2028 (Faxian Gongchang). | Faxian Gongchang 2026 |
Top producing countries
- China: over 30% of value; over 70% of VE, 85%+ of VC and over 70% of B1 capacity
- Germany (BASF): vitamin A 14.4 kt (stated as 26.7%, unverified), VE oil 20 kt (13.8%), citral about 40 kt (about 66%)
- Switzerland/Netherlands/France (dsm-firmenich): top three in vitamin A and top two in vitamin E
- India: 40-50% of vitamin B12 and 30-40% of folic acid
- France/China (Adisseo): vitamin A and other feed vitamins (indicative)
Largest producers: global
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zhejiang NHU claims world number one in vitamins A and E; net profit RMB 6.764 billion; also methionine | China | 22.25 RMB billion revenue | 2025 | Faxian Gongchang 2026 |
| dsm-firmenich agreed Feb 2026 to sell Animal Nutrition & Health (vitamins, carotenoids, premix) to CVC at about EUR 2.2 billion enterprise value including up to EUR 0.5 billion earn-out, keeping 20% and a long-term vitamin supply deal; EUR 1.9 billion pre-tax impairment in 2025; closing expected end-2026 | Switzerland/Netherlands | not published | 2025 | dsm-firmenich press release, 9 Feb 2026 |
| BASF also 20 kt VE oil and about 40 kt citral; plant hit by 29 July 2024 explosion | Germany | 14.4 kt/yr vitamin A | 2024 | Faxian Gongchang 2026 |
| Zhejiang Medicine life nutrition segment RMB 4.332 billion | China | 8.881 RMB billion revenue | 2025 | Faxian Gongchang 2026 |
| Nantekang (dsm-firmenich JV origin) about 20% of world VE | China | 30 kt/yr vitamin E | 2025 | Faxian Gongchang 2026 |
| Garden Bio 30-40% of vitamin D3; about 70% of NF cholesterol | China | not published | 2025 | Faxian Gongchang 2026 |
| Brother Enterprise 40-60% of vitamin K3; H1 2025 revenue RMB 1.811 billion | China | not published | 2025 | Faxian Gongchang 2026 |
Largest producers: India
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jubilant Ingrevia leading niacin and niacinamide maker (indicative); capacity not verified | India | not published | n/a | indicative |
| Indian B12 and folic acid makers India supplies 40-50% of B12 and 30-40% of folic acid; company names not verified in sources reached | India | not published | 2026 | Faxian Gongchang 2026 |
India is strong in B12 and folic acid and makes niacin and choline, but imports almost all vitamins A, E, C and D3 from China and Europe (indicative). That leaves Indian feed and food fortification exposed to Chinese and BASF supply shocks.
Position by region
| Region | Position |
|---|---|
| US | Main destination for Chinese vitamin A and E exports (Jan-Nov 2024); no domestic A or E synthesis (indicative). |
| EU | BASF and dsm-firmenich plants; dsm-firmenich exiting animal nutrition; strong dependence on China for C, B and D3. |
| India | Import-dependent for A, E, C and D3; a world supplier of B12 and folic acid. |
| China | Dominant and rising in almost every vitamin. |
| Japan | Buyer; limited production (indicative). |
| Middle East | No production found. |