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Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing in the UK - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Jakir Ahmed Jakir Ahmed London, United Kingdom Last Updated: May 2025 SIC C20.130

Revenue

£3.5bn

2025-26

£3.5bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

£XXX.Xm

Employees

5,074

Businesses

96

Wages

£XXX.Xm

Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing in the UK industry analysis

Over the five years through 2025–26, the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry’s revenue is expected to expand at a compound annual rate of 5.7%, reaching £3.5 billion. It's been a volatile time for manufacturers, with soaring energy prices, import competition from low-cost global producers and rising regulatory costs squeezing profit margins. The industry experienced a sharp rebound in 2021–22 as demand recovered strongly following a pandemic-related downturn, highlighting the sector’s sensitivity to global supply chain shifts. Many producers have pivoted towards high-purity and pharmaceutical-grade products to escape margin pressures in commoditised bulk chemicals like soda ash and caustic soda. However, demand from essential downstream sectors like healthcare, construction and agriculture has kept the industry’s revenue moving upward. In 2025–26, revenue is forecast to rise by 6.2%. However, profit margins remain slightly below the broader manufacturing sector average, reflecting intense international competition and limited pricing power.

Trends and Insights

  • Producers are pivoting to high-value chemicals to counter volatility. Manufacturers are improving revenue stability by focusing on pharmaceutical-grade and speciality products and reducing their exposure to energy price shocks and oversupplied commodity markets.
  • Rising costs threaten competitiveness. The 10% US tariff on UK inorganic chemicals like ethylene and propane will inflate export prices, making them less competitive against domestic US producers. UK manufacturers, already grappling with significantly higher energy costs than their US counterparts, are likely to face further cost pressures.
  • North West England anchors inorganic chemical production through legacy infrastructure. Established facilities in Cheshire and Merseyside, like Tata Chemicals and INEOS sites, benefit from shipping access and skilled labour, reinforcing the region's dominance despite rising energy price pressures.
  • Vertical integration and niche specialisation are reshaping industry competition. Large manufacturers are concentrating supply through vertical integration, while smaller manufacturers survive by specialising in high-purity compounds, raising barriers for new entrants and altering market dynamics.

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  • Market estimates from 2015-2030
  • Critical performance data and rankings
  • Detailed analysis of competitive forces and the external environment
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 5.7 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated £3.5bn in 2025.

Trends and Insights

Producers shift to high-value chemicals to reduce exposure to commodity volatility

  • Some UK inorganic chemical manufacturers are pivoting toward high-purity and speciality products, like pharmaceutical-grade bicarbonate and colloidal silver, to strengthen revenue stability.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing in the UK
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Manufacturers will pivot to pharmaceutical-grade chemicals to shield against exposure to commodity volatility

  • Inorganic chemical manufacturers are shifting towards high-purity and pharmaceutical-grade products to stabilise revenue. Tata Chemicals Europe is investing £60 million in a new pharmaceutical-grade sodium bicarbonate plant in Northwich, aiming to triple its output of high-purity bicarbonate by 2027. The move reflects a wider industry trend of reallocating resources away from volatile commodity markets toward higher-value, more resilient chemical segments.

Biggest companies in the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing in the UK

Company
Market Share (%)
2026
Revenue (£m)
2026
INOVYN ChlorVinyls Ltd
468.4
Fisher Scientific UK Ltd
248.1
Tata Chemicals Europe Ltd
112.5

To view the market share and analysis for all 3 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing in the UK
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Silicon dioxide, Colloidal precious metals and Chlorine and other inorganic basic chemicals. Silicon dioxide is the largest segment of the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing in the UK.

Trends and Insights

Colloidal silver and gold benefit from sustained demand in healthcare and research applications

  • A colloid is any substance made up of particles larger than atoms but too small to be visible to the naked eye. Common examples include colloidal gold and silver, which are used in medical and scientific applications.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Companies in the industry manufacture a wide range of inorganic basic chemicals. These are compounds that typically don’t contain carbon-hydrogen bonds, distinguishing them from organic chemicals. They are often produced in bulk and involve the large-scale conversion of simple raw materials into feedstock. These are then used as intermediate inputs by other manufacturing industries, including other components of the chemical sector.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom include Silicon dioxide, Colloidal precious metals and Chlorine.

Companies

Companies covered in the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom include INOVYN ChlorVinyls Ltd, Fisher Scientific UK Ltd and Tata Chemicals Europe Ltd.

Purchase this report to view all 3 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

Related terms covered in the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom include inorganic basic chemicals, oxide and colloid.

Industry Code

SIC 2007

SIC 20.13 - Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing in the UK

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Producers are pivoting to high-value chemicals to counter volatility. Manufacturers are improving revenue stability by focusing on pharmaceutical-grade and speciality product...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Rising costs threaten competitiveness. The 10% US tariff on UK inorganic chemicals like ethylene and propane will inflate export prices, making them less competitive against ...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets
  • International Trade

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level
  • Total imports, level and trend
  • Total exports, level and trend
  • Trade Balance

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025
  • International trade, including imports by country and exports by country

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
  • Recent trends in import and export volumes, country of origin or destination, and expected future trends

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

North West England anchors inorganic chemical production through legacy infrastructure. Established facilities in Cheshire and Merseyside, like Tata Chemicals and INEOS sites...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Vertical integration and niche specialisation are reshaping industry competition. Large manufacturers are concentrating supply through vertical integration, while smaller man...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Manufacturers pivot to higher-value segments amid volatile commodity markets. Companies like Tata Chemicals and Inovyn are retreating from bulk soda ash production and invest...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
  • Overview of INOVYN ChlorVinyls Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of Fisher Scientific UK Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of Tata Chemicals Europe Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for INOVYN ChlorVinyls Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Fisher Scientific UK Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Tata Chemicals Europe Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Post-Brexit regulations have raised compliance costs and global challenges. UK REACH and related health, safety and environmental rules have increased costs for inorganic che...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Inorganic chemical manufacturers face lower profitability and higher operating costs than the broader sector. Despite stable purchasing advantages upstream, sustained energy ...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Liquidity Ratios (2019-2023)
  • Coverage Ratios (2019-2023)
  • Leverage Ratios  (2019-2023)
  • Operating Ratios (2019-2023)
  • Assets (2019-2023)
  • Liabilities (2019-2023)
  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom in 2025?

The market size of the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom is £3.5bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom in 2025?

There are 96 businesses in the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.4 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom?

The Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom is likely to be impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a moderate share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom?

The Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom is likely to be impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a moderate share of industry revenue.

Has the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom has been growing at a CAGR of 5.7 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom?

The biggest companies operating in the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom are INOVYN ChlorVinyls Ltd, Fisher Scientific UK Ltd and Tata Chemicals Europe Ltd

What does the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom include?

Silicon dioxide and Colloidal precious metals are part of the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom?

The company holding the most market share in the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom is INOVYN ChlorVinyls Ltd.

How competitive is the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom?

The level of competition is moderate and decreasing in the Inorganic Basic Chemical Manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom.

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Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in the UK include:

  • Office for National Statistics
  • Office for Budget Responsibility
  • Bank of England

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

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