The following content is sponsored by the American Chemistry Council and is written by its president and CEO, Chris Jahn.
For years, Washington has talked about rebuilding American manufacturing and lowering costs for families. But talk alone won’t get the job done. The reality is simple: America cannot stay competitive, affordable, or secure if it allows unfair imports to undercut one of its most essential industries.
The chemical industry is one of America’s greatest economic engines. It powers affordability. It powers manufacturing. It powers American competitiveness. And today, it is increasingly exposed to global market distortions created by unfair foreign competition—especially from countries where governments, not the free market, drive production.
From the electronics Americans rely on, to the fertilizers that help keep food prices stable, to the energy and medical technologies that fuel modern life—chemistry sits at the center of it all. Nearly one‑quarter of U.S. GDP depends on industries that rely on chemistry. When the chemical industry is strong, costs stay low. When it is undermined by unfair practices, Americans feel it at the grocery store, at the gas pump, and throughout the economy.
Right now, global chemical markets are being thrown out of balance. China’s chemical capacity has expanded rapidly and is projected to approach nearly half of global chemical production by 2030. This surge isn’t driven by efficiency or innovation. It’s driven by heavy government subsidies, state-back investments, artificially cheap energy, and government policies that push companies to keep producing regardless of demand. The result is a flood of underpriced exports that displaces market‑based producers in the United States and other open economies.
This is not a hypothetical threat—it is already happening. Excess capacity transmitted through third countries is flooding global markets with artificially low‑priced products, while at the same time restricting access to key raw material inputs needed by American manufacturers. These dynamics undermine U.S. investment, reduce utilization rates at domestic facilities, and make it harder for U.S. workers and manufacturers to compete on a level playing field.
At the same time, chemical value chains are complex and deeply interconnected. Many U.S. facilities rely on imported raw materials and intermediates that are not produced domestically, even as they add value, innovate, and export finished products to the world. That means one-size-fits all trade actions risk doing more harm than good—raising costs on American producers, disrupting supply chains, and increasing prices for families.
The stakes go far beyond economics. Chemistry is foundational to national security, defense production, semiconductors, healthcare, agriculture, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing. If global chemical supply chains become dominated by non‑market actors, the United States risks losing strategic resilience across multiple critical sectors. A nation that cannot secure reliable access to essential chemical inputs cannot secure its industrial future.
And it’s not as if America lacks strength. The U.S. chemical industry is a true America First success story. It exports $156 billion in American‑made products each year, supports more than 545,000 high‑skilled jobs, and remains one of the few major manufacturing sectors with a trade surplus. Over the past decade, it has invested over $300 billion in domestic production—driven by energy abundance, innovation, and market‑based competition.
But that leadership is at risk if excess capacity and unfair trade practices continue unchecked.
When chemistry becomes more difficult to obtain, everything becomes more expensive. Shortages and price distortions ripple across the economy—raising costs for manufacturers and consumers alike, from building materials and medical supplies to food production and electronics.
So what should America do?
First, policymakers should pursue targeted, data‑driven trade enforcement that focuses on specific value chains and documented market distortions—particularly where structural excess capacity from non‑market economies is causing real harm. Precision matters.
Second, trade policy must protect access to critical raw materials and intermediates that sustain domestic production and exports. Preserving supply chain reliability is essential to keeping prices down and American factories running.
Third, the United States should expand chemical sectoral agreements that promote regulatory cooperation, trade facilitation, and alignment with trusted partners. The USMCA chemical annex offers a proven model—one that strengthens competitiveness while addressing unfair practices without disrupting integrated North American value chains.
Finally, strengthening American chemistry should be recognized as an essential pillar of an America First economic strategy. Addressing excess capacity, restoring fair competition, and supporting investment in domestic value chains will help keep costs low, jobs at home, and America secure.
A strong America starts with strong American chemistry—and strong American chemistry requires a level playing field grounded in fairness, smart enforcement, and market‑based rules.
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