Acetone Market

How big is the Acetone Market in 2026?

The global acetone market is valued at USD 8.2 billion in 2026, compared with USD 7.71 billion in 2025, and is forecast to reach USD 15.3 billion by 2036, expanding at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2026 to 2036.

Acetone with purity below 99.5% accounts for 61.7% of the global market by grade in 2026. Solvents represent 36.4% of application demand while pharmaceuticals contribute 21.9% by end use. These figures indicate that the market's largest commercial volumes remain concentrated in grades where pricing and supply reliability strongly influence purchasing decisions. However, the economics governing acetone availability have become increasingly difficult for suppliers to manage. European phenol demand has declined by approximately 30% since 2019 following reductions in downstream manufacturing capacity. Acetone producers have consequently faced pressure to adjust operating rates despite continued demand from solvent customers. European phenol production facilities operated at approximately 60% to 70% of capacity during 2025, yet acetone spot prices continued to decline. This indicates that production reductions were insufficient to restore the regional supply-demand balance. The situation changed during parts of 2026 as production disruptions and tighter availability supported higher acetone prices without an equivalent improvement in underlying consumption. This creates a difficult purchasing environment for industrial solvent users. Buyers securing material during periods of excess supply may obtain favorable prices but cannot assume that those conditions will continue. Pharmaceutical customers face a different exposure because qualified supply arrangements can limit their ability to change suppliers when availability deteriorates. FMI expects purchasing decisions to become increasingly sensitive to supplier operating stability and regional inventory availability. The 61.7% share held by lower-purity grades also makes this segment particularly exposed to competition between domestic manufacturers and imported material.

India's investment in an integrated phenol chain creates a different commercial opening. Deepak's approved project includes 185,000 tonnes a year of acetone capacity alongside phenol and isopropyl alcohol, with the new phenol and acetone capacities ultimately intended to support polycarbonate production. The investment connects new acetone output with customers further down the same chemical chain. FMI's view is that this integration supports consumption while giving the producer more control over where it sells material. Independent solvent buyers continue to compete for the merchant volume available from those plants.

Key Market Trends & Insights

• Price is only one part of a competitive acetone offer. In the USITC purchaser survey, 15 respondents placed price among their three main buying criteria, 12 named availability and 10 named quality. A lower quote therefore has to come with material that the customer can obtain and use.
• Inventory changes the speed of a replacement purchase. US producers sold 99.6% of commercial shipments from inventory, with an average 15-day lead time, against 60 days for importer-held foreign stock in the USITC survey. An established domestic stock position can matter when a customer needs to cover a short interruption.
• A pharmaceutical specification can separate otherwise similar solvent offers. Moeve's acetone-pharma technical sheet lists a typical purity of 99.7%, while its product page states compliance with the current European Pharmacopoeia. The documented specification helps the supplier compete for customers whose approved process requires that pharmaceutical grade.

Regional Highlights

• In East Asia, Taiwan Mitsui Chemicals began selling biomass-attributed acetone under an ISCC PLUS mass-balance system in January 2025. The certified attribution gives customers a sourcing option alongside conventional material without creating a separate chemical application.
• In North America, US producers identified Canada and Mexico as major acetone export destinations in the USITC investigation. Regional distribution therefore serves neighbouring customers as well as domestic solvent and chemical users.

Table 1 Acetone Market Size and Forecast in USD billion from 2025 to 2036

Market size and forecast	Value
Market size in 2025	USD 7.71 billion
Estimated market size in 2026	USD 8.2 billion
Projected market size by 2036	USD 15.3 billion
CAGR from 2026 to 2036	6.4%
Added revenue from 2026 to 2036	USD 7.1 billion

Source: Future Market Insights, Acetone Market Report, 2026-2036.

Analyst Perspective

“Acetone demand from solvent users and downstream conversion is forecast to grow at 6.4% a year. Suppliers with an approved grade and local stock are best placed to win the volume that plant closures displace.”

- Nikhil Kaitwade, Principal Consultant, FMI

How is the Acetone Market segmented?

• By Grade: Below 99.5% purity and 99.5% purity or above.
• By Application: Solvents, methyl methacrylate, bisphenol A, methyl isobutyl ketone and others.
• By End Use: Pharmaceuticals, paints and coatings, agricultural chemicals, polymer and resin processing, and cosmetics and personal care.
• By Region: North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, East Asia, South Asia and Pacific, and Middle East and Africa.

Why does acetone below 99.5% purity lead by grade?

Acetone below 99.5% purity holds 61.7% of the market by grade in 2026.

The commercial case for this grade rests on the breadth of industrial solvent and chemical-processing demand. Acetone serves coatings, resin processing, agricultural chemicals and cosmetics as well as chemical conversion, and Moeve lists the dissolution of oils, resins, gums and waxes among its solvent functions. A user whose approved process can accept the lower-purity category has less reason to pay for a tighter specification solely because it is available.

That choice remains specific to the customer's process. In the USITC survey, six purchasers rated purity and benzene content very important, while 16 rated compliance with industry quality standards very important. The surveyed US customers therefore attach commercial value to an approved specification alongside solvent performance. FMI's assessment places the below-99.5% category first across the grade breakdown, while higher-purity purchases serve processes that require tighter control or a documented specialist specification.

Table 2 Acetone Market Grade Share Comparison in 2026

Leading Share	2026 market share
Below 99.5% purity	61.7%
All Other Segments Combined Share	38.3%

Source: Future Market Insights, Acetone Market Report, 2026-2036.

Why are solvents the largest application?

Solvents account for 36.4% of acetone application revenue in 2026.

Solvent sales reach several industries rather than depending on one downstream chemical plant. Coatings and resin users buy acetone for dissolution and processing, while pharmaceutical and analytical operations use it in extraction or purification. This broad customer base supports the solvent category even when individual conversion markets move in different directions.

The breadth does not remove cyclical exposure. Nine of 17 US purchasers in the USITC survey described acetone demand as cyclical and identified construction and automotive coatings among the causes. A supplier serving these customers therefore faces changes in paint and coating output as well as movements in chemical feedstock demand. FMI finds that the solvent lead is best explained by repeat consumption across these uses, with approved grade, stock and delivery arrangements affecting which producer wins the order. A broad distribution network allows a producer to serve these different order cycles from the same solvent business.

Table 3 Acetone Market Application Share Comparison in 2026

Leading Share	2026 market share
Solvents	36.4%
All Other Segments Combined Share	63.6%

Source: Future Market Insights, Acetone Market Report, 2026-2036.

What supports pharmaceuticals as the leading end use?

Pharmaceuticals account for 21.9% of acetone end use in 2026.

Pharmaceutical consumption is supported by repeated synthesis, extraction and purification work in which the solvent must fit an approved manufacturing process. Moeve offers an acetone grade that complies with the current European Pharmacopoeia. A specialist specification gives the supplier access to manufacturing processes in which documented conformity affects which material the customer can approve.

Qualification can make an established supplier difficult to replace. Seven US purchasers in the USITC survey reported supplier-approval periods of 30 to 180 days, and one described pharmaceutical approval as longer than approval for its other acetone business. Those surveyed purchasers face a period of testing and approval before a new supply relationship can produce regular orders. ICH Q3C places acetone among Class 3 residual solvents in medicines. The residual-solvent framework makes control of the finished manufacturing process part of the customer's specification. FMI finds that documented conformity and repeatable supply support the leading end-use position.

Table 4 Acetone Market End Use Share Comparison in 2026

Leading Share	2026 market share
Pharmaceuticals	21.9%
All Other Segments Combined Share	78.1%

Source: Future Market Insights, Acetone Market Report, 2026-2036.

What are the key drivers restraints and opportunities?

Repeat solvent use and downstream chemical conversion support consumption, while phenol-chain economics can interrupt supply. The opportunity for an acetone supplier is to provide an approved alternative when the customer's usual producer reduces output or changes its operating plan.

Driver Downstream conversion

Investment in downstream conversion creates an outlet for acetone within integrated chemical groups. Deepak's approved phenol-acetone-IPA complex includes 185,000 tonnes a year of acetone capacity, and its annual report connects the new capacities with further integration into polycarbonate. Such integration supports consumption within the production chain; the volume sold externally depends on the balance between captive use and merchant sales.

Restraint Phenol chain operating economics

Acetone supply can contract because of conditions in the co-product chain. Mitsui and Mitsubishi described excess phenol-related capacity in Asia and weaker domestic demand when they launched their supply study in January 2025. Mitsui subsequently reported the October 2025 closure of its Ichihara phenol plant. Because acetone is co-produced with phenol, a decision made to improve the economics of that chain can remove a local acetone source.

Opportunity Approved backup supply

An already qualified second supplier can win replacement business during a plant interruption. Thirteen of 17 US purchasers in the USITC survey required supplier qualification. Mitsui and Mitsubishi's study covers backup supply during major maintenance or plant trouble, together with shared tanks and transport. FMI finds that this creates a concrete opportunity for suppliers able to combine an acceptable grade with a workable delivery route.

How do trade and quality rules affect purchasing?

Trade measures change the landed cost of particular origins. The US Department of Commerce continued acetone antidumping orders covering Belgium, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea and Spain, effective 2 February 2026. In India, DGTR initiated a separate investigation into acetone from Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand on 19 March 2026. The Indian case remains an investigation, so buyers have to follow its progress when comparing future import offers.

Quality requirements act at a different point in the sale. A pharmaceutical user must qualify the solvent against its manufacturing specification and control residues in the finished medicine. ICH Q3C's Class 3 treatment of acetone and a supplier's pharmacopoeia-conforming product specification address different parts of that process. A supplier offering both a competitive delivered price and appropriate documentation has a stronger commercial position than one relying on price alone.

What limits reliable acetone delivery?

Phenol-chain shutdowns and maintenance can interrupt local acetone supply before a buyer has completed approval of an alternative. Mitsui and Mitsubishi included major maintenance and plant trouble in their January 2025 supply study. INEOS retained Antwerp as a logistics operation while postponing its production restart. The Antwerp arrangement preserves a delivery route while production remains elsewhere. FMI finds that access to such tanks and transport can help a producer retain local customers during a lengthy plant interruption.

Where can suppliers win additional business?

The first opening is replacement supply to customers exposed to one phenol-chain producer. A supplier with the customer's approval can compete for that volume when operating plans change. Mitsui and Mitsubishi's study of backup material and shared logistics identifies a practical route for maintaining deliveries during planned work or plant trouble.

A second opening is an acetone grade for a process with a specific documentation requirement. Moeve's pharmaceutical offer is one example. In India, integration into IPA and polycarbonate creates a different route: Deepak's approved project connects acetone production to downstream conversion. A specialist solvent supplier can compete on documented grade, while an integrated chemical producer can develop demand within its own conversion chain.

Acetone Market by Country (2026 to 2036)

Table 5 Acetone Market Country Growth Forecast from 2026 to 2036

Country	CAGR
China	8.4%
South Korea	7.5%
Japan	6.9%
United States	5.9%
India	5.7%

Source: Future Market Insights, Acetone Market Report, 2026-2036.

China

China's 8.4% forecast CAGR is supported by demand from solvent users and chemical converters, with imports competing against an established local production base. Customs figures reported for the first half of 2025 put acetone imports at 218,200 tonnes, 56.53% above a year earlier. This creates a customer base for overseas suppliers able to match the grade, delivered price and replenishment schedule of Chinese buyers.

Moeve's Shanghai plant has operated since 2015 and produces cumene, phenol and acetone. The company lists quality, environmental and energy-management certifications for the site, as well as ISCC PLUS certification. FMI finds that an integrated producer can use this local production position to compete on chemical availability and documented supply. Imported material remains an alternative when its price and specification fit a converter's requirements.

The main restraint comes from conditions in the phenol chain. Mitsui and Mitsubishi identified new Asian phenol-related capacity, especially in China, as a source of oversupply in their January 2025 supply study. A solvent buyer can benefit from competitive acetone offers during such a period, while producers face pressure on operating margins. Growth at 8.4% expands the consumption opportunity over the forecast period, but the share won by an individual plant depends on its cost and customer mix. Suppliers serving both chemical conversion and solvent distribution have more outlets for material when one downstream market slows.

South Korea

South Korea's 7.5% forecast CAGR is linked to an established chemical supply chain in which local converters buy acetone from domestic producers. ISU Specialty Chemical identified Kumho P&B as an acetone supplier in its 2025 half-year raw-material purchasing disclosures. This relationship places acetone within a continuing industrial supply network and gives domestic producers a base of customers alongside their overseas business.

Export access is the principal commercial constraint. The United States continued antidumping orders on acetone from South Korea and four other origins in February 2026. India initiated a separate investigation covering South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand in March 2026. The US measure affects covered shipments under an existing order, while the Indian case adds uncertainty to future origin selection as the investigation progresses.

FMI finds that the 7.5% outlook is better served by a diversified customer portfolio than by reliance on one export destination. A Korean supplier can develop local converter relationships, qualify solvent grades for additional industrial users and direct export sales towards customers for which its delivered offer remains competitive. The domestic industrial base supports recurring consumption, whereas an origin-specific trade decision can change the economics of an overseas contract more quickly. This gives established producers a reason to balance volume, price and destination rather than pursuing export tonnage alone. Customers benefit from a local supply relationship when the producer can maintain the required grade and delivery schedule through changes in regional operating conditions.

Japan

Japan is forecast to grow at 6.9% from 2026 to 2036 as solvent and chemical customers adapt to a smaller domestic phenol footprint. Mitsui decided in April 2024 to close its 190,000-tonne-a-year Ichihara phenol plant, and its May 2026 presentation records the shutdown in October 2025. The closure removes a source of co-produced acetone and shifts more of the supply task towards remaining sites and distribution arrangements.

Mitsui's January 2025 supply study with Mitsubishi identifies the production network behind that adjustment. Mitsui planned to centre its Japanese phenol chain on the 200,000-tonne Osaka plant, while Mitsubishi operates a 280,000-tonne phenol plant at Ibaraki. These are phenol capacities; their relevance to acetone is the associated co-product supply. The companies' study covers backup material during major maintenance or plant trouble, together with shared tanks and transport.

FMI finds that this makes continuity a clear route to winning Japanese orders. An established solvent customer needs the next approved delivery even when the usual upstream site has closed or entered maintenance. Producers and distributors with access to remaining material, suitable storage and dependable transport can compete for that requirement. The restraint is weaker phenol-chain economics: the two companies described excess Asian capacity and lower Japanese demand when announcing their study. Growth at 6.9% therefore combines continuing acetone consumption with a changing supply network, creating opportunities for suppliers that can carry customers through the restructuring.

United States

The United States is forecast to grow at 5.9% from 2026 to 2036, supported by a large solvent and chemical customer base. Acetone production reached 241,055 short tons in January to March 2025, 12.1% above the same period a year earlier. USITC data put 2024 domestic capacity at 1.38 million short tons and utilisation at 68.9%. The installed base gives producers room to meet additional orders when demand and operating economics support a higher rate.

Coatings connect the forecast to customer activity. Nine of 17 US purchasers in the USITC survey described acetone demand as cyclical and identified construction and automotive coatings among the causes. Growth in those uses increases repeat solvent purchases, while a slowdown can reduce the volume ordered from an otherwise unchanged production network. A supplier serving several industrial uses can spread its exposure across different customer order cycles.

The domestic supply position is reinforced by a trade measure affecting selected origins. The Department of Commerce continued acetone antidumping orders covering five countries in February 2026. FMI finds that US producers can compete for customers comparing the landed cost of covered imports with local offers. AdvanSix also reported tighter global acetone supply and demand in its first-quarter 2026 results. For producers, the commercial opportunity is to convert available capacity into repeat orders through reliable grade and delivery performance. For industrial buyers, the presence of local capacity provides an alternative alongside imports as coatings and chemical demand develops through the forecast period.

India

India's 5.7% forecast CAGR is supported by investment that connects acetone production with downstream chemical conversion. Deepak's approved complex includes annual capacities of 300,000 tonnes of phenol, 185,000 tonnes of acetone and 100,000 tonnes of IPA. Its annual report links the new phenol and acetone capacities with further integration into polycarbonate. The planned production chain therefore develops an outlet within the group as well as a potential source of merchant material.

That structure gives Indian suppliers two commercial routes. Integrated producers can develop consumption through their own conversion activities, while merchant suppliers and distributors serve independent solvent and chemical users. A local acetone offer can compete with an imported cargo on grade, delivery and the customer's replenishment needs. FMI finds that the advantage is strongest where the producer can move material into a regular customer relationship rather than relying on occasional spot purchases.

Trade policy adds another factor to origin selection. DGTR initiated an acetone investigation covering Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand on 19 March 2026. Buyers comparing future imports have to follow the investigation's progress alongside available domestic offers. The case remains at the investigation stage, while Deepak's new capacity remains an approved project in the cited annual report. Growth at 5.7% is supported by downstream consumption and the development of a more integrated domestic chemical base. Independent converters benefit as the range of local supply options expands, and producers gain an opportunity to qualify additional grades and delivery arrangements with those customers.

Who are the notable companies in the Acetone Market?

INEOS Phenol, Mitsui Chemicals, Mitsubishi Chemical and Moeve Chemicals occupy different positions in the acetone supply chain. INEOS combines operating production at Gladbeck with a continuing Antwerp logistics role, while Mitsui and Mitsubishi have examined backup supply and shared logistics in Japan. Their competitive position depends partly on the phenol chain, because acetone availability changes with the operation of the associated plants.

Moeve supplies phenol and acetone from a production network in Spain and China and also offers a pharmaceutical grade conforming to the European Pharmacopoeia. That specialist specification serves customers with different qualification requirements from conventional industrial buyers. Deepak's approved investment links additional acetone production with IPA and polycarbonate integration in India, while AdvanSix serves chemical-intermediate customers in the United States and reported tighter global acetone supply and demand in its first-quarter 2026 results.

FMI finds that competition runs between integrated production, regional distribution and the ability to supply an approved grade. Producers retain customers when their operating plant, tank access and product specification support the next delivery. Integration gives another route to demand by connecting acetone with the group's own downstream conversion business.

Key Developments in the Acetone Market

• On 17 June 2026, INEOS postponed the previously planned late-2027 restart of its Antwerp phenol plant, confirmed that Gladbeck would continue production beyond 2027, and retained Antwerp's logistics role for local customers.

Key Players in the Acetone Market

• INEOS Phenol
• Mitsui Chemicals
• Mitsubishi Chemical
• Moeve Chemicals
• AdvanSix
• Deepak Phenolics
• Kumho P&B Chemicals

Acetone Market Report Scope

Table 6 Report Scope for the Acetone Market

Coverage field	Report scope
Market definition	Commercial acetone supplied as a solvent or chemical intermediate
Revenue boundary	Acetone sales; downstream IPA, MMA, BPA, medicines and finished-resin revenue excluded
Quantitative units	USD billion
Reference year	2025
Base year	2026
Forecast period	2026 to 2036
Grade coverage	Below 99.5% purity; 99.5% purity or above
Application coverage	Solvents, MMA, BPA, MIBK and other applications
End-use coverage	Pharmaceuticals, coatings, agricultural chemicals, polymer and resin processing, cosmetics and personal care
Geographic coverage	Seven regions; detailed country profiles for China, South Korea, Japan, United States and India

Acetone Market Research Methodology

The market assessment combines FMI's market and segment outlook with secondary research from producer disclosures, official trade material, the USITC purchaser survey and product specifications. Market values, segment shares and country growth rates are checked for consistent years, units and scope. Company projects are reviewed at their stated status, and evidence about phenol capacity is distinguished from acetone capacity. Survey results retain their sample and geographic limits when used to explain commercial behaviour.

Acetone Market by Segments

Acetone Market segmented by Grade:

• Below 99.5% purity
• 99.5% purity or above

Acetone Market segmented by Application:

• Solvents
• Methyl methacrylate
• Bisphenol A
• Methyl isobutyl ketone
• Others

Acetone Market segmented by End Use:

• Pharmaceuticals
• Paints and coatings
• Agricultural chemicals
• Polymer and resin processing
• Cosmetics and personal care

Acetone Market by Region

• North America
  • United States
  • Canada
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Argentina
  • Chile
• Western Europe
  • Germany
  • France
  • United Kingdom
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Benelux
  • Nordics
• Eastern Europe
  • Poland
  • Czech Republic
  • Romania
  • Hungary
• East Asia
  • China
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Taiwan
• South Asia and Pacific
  • India
  • Singapore
  • Other ASEAN countries
  • Australia and New Zealand
• Middle East and Africa
  • GCC Countries
  • South Africa
  • Türkiye
  • Israel

Research Sources and Bibliography

• [1] INEOS Phenol. Restart of INEOS Phenol plant in Antwerp in 2027 postponed. 17 June 2026.
• [2] Mitsui Chemicals and Mitsubishi Chemical. Joint study into stable supply of phenol-related products. 17 January 2025.
• [3] Moeve Chemicals. Shanghai chemical plant. Accessed 31 October 2026.
• [4] Deepak Nitrite. Annual Integrated Report 2024 to 2025, Phenol 2 project. July 2025.
• [5] ISU Specialty Chemical. Half-year report for January to June 2025, raw-material purchasing disclosures. Korea Exchange, 14 August 2025.
• [6] United States International Trade Commission. Acetone from Belgium, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea and Spain. Publication 5694, 2026.
• [7] United States Department of Commerce. Continuation of antidumping duty orders on acetone from five countries. Federal Register, 6 February 2026, effective 2 February 2026.
• [8] Mitsui Chemicals. ISCC PLUS certification in Taiwan and biomass-based acetone sales. 16 January 2025.
• [9] European Medicines Agency. ICH Q3C R9 guideline on residual solvents, Step 5. April 2024.
• [10] Moeve Chemicals. Acetone product range; Acetone Pharma product page and technical sheet. Accessed 31 October 2026.
• [11] AdvanSix. First-quarter 2026 financial results. SEC exhibit 99, May 2026.
• [12] Mitsui Chemicals. Financial Summary Results for FY2025 and Outlook for FY2026, printed page 5. 13 May 2026.
• [13] Directorate General of Trade Remedies, India. Acetone anti-dumping investigation, file 6/11/2026-DGTR, SETU case AD/OI/011/2026. Initiation notification, 19 March 2026.
• [14] Mysteel. China adds acetone imports by 56.53% year on year in H1 2025, reporting General Administration of Customs data. 23 July 2025.
• [15] Mitsui Chemicals. Decision to close the phenol plant at Ichihara Works. 4 April 2024.