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Report
Acetic Acid - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2026 - 2031)
Market Report I 2026-02-09 I 120 Pages I Mordor Intelligence
Acetic Acid Market Analysis
Acetic Acid market size in 2026 is estimated at 20.48 Million tons, growing from 2025 value of 19.58 Million tons with 2031 projections showing 25.62 Million tons, growing at 4.58% CAGR over 2026-2031. Robust demand across vinyl acetate monomer, purified terephthalic acid, and emerging battery-grade electrolytes anchors growth. Scale-based cost efficiency, rising sustainability mandates, and downstream integration strengthen producer margins. Asia-Pacific dominance persists as polyester, adhesive, and solvent consumption remains high. Investment in low-carbon production technologies and carbon-capture projects is accelerating as regulatory scrutiny tightens, further shaping competitive dynamics in the acetic acid market.
Global Acetic Acid Market Trends and Insights
Increasing Demand for Vinyl Acetate Monomer
Water-based adhesive and coating formulations rely on vinyl acetate monomer for superior bonding strength and flexibility. These attributes meet stricter environmental rules on solvent emissions, especially in construction and automotive production. Asia-Pacific accounts for more than 60% of global VAM consumption, encouraging integrated acetyl chain investments near demand hubs. Celanese started a new vinyl acetate ethylene unit in Nanjing that adds 70,000 tons of capacity, illustrating the proximity advantage.
Rising Consumption of Purified Terephthalic Acid
Polyester growth in textiles and packaging drives higher purified terephthalic acid volumes, sustaining acetic acid usage as solvent and reaction medium. Sinopec's single-train PTA plant in Jiangsu, with 3 million tons annual capacity, shows the scale now typical in Asia-Pacific production. Larger units improve acetic acid utilization efficiency yet keep total demand rising. Regional supply imbalances, such as India's premium PTA pricing, allow flexible suppliers to capture arbitrage gains.
Carbonylation-Related CO?/VOC Emission Regulations
North American and European regulators now target emissions from carbonylation reactors and distillation steps. The EPA's control guidelines and Canada's Environmental Protection Act both tighten emission thresholds. Compliance requires investments in carbon capture and advanced scrubbers, favoring larger producers with available capital. Celanese's Clear Lake retrofit captures CO? for methanol synthesis, setting a benchmark for integrated abatement.
Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:
Expansion of Acetate-Ester Solvents in High-Solids CoatingsEmerging Use in Li-Ion Battery Electrolyte AdditivesAnti-Dumping Actions Against Chinese Exports
For complete list of drivers and restraints, kindly check the Table Of Contents.
Segment Analysis
Vinyl acetate monomer held 27.25% acetic acid market share in 2025 as construction and automotive sectors favored water-based adhesives. Polyvinyl acetate and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers secure growth by replacing solvent-borne systems that fail new emission norms. Celanese and INEOS leverage backward integration to keep costs low and service captive downstream units.
Purified terephthalic acid, growing at a 4.95% CAGR, benefits from polyester expansion in apparel and bottle resin. Ethyl acetate maintains steady use in pharmaceutical and coating solvents, while acetic anhydride demonstrates resilience in pharmaceutical acetylation despite cigarette filter decline. Derivative demand patterns reflect producer strategies that capture value along the acetyl chain. Integrated operators convert commodity acetic acid volumes into higher-margin downstream products, protecting earnings during feedstock price swings.
The Acetic Acid Report is Segmented by Derivative (Vinyl Acetate Monomer, Purified Terephthalic Acid, Ethyl Acetate, and More), Production Route (Methanol Carbonylation, Acetaldehyde Oxidation, and More), Application (Plastics and Polymers, Food and Beverage, Adhesives Paints and Coatings, Textile, Medical, and Other Applications), and Geography (Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle-East and Africa).
Geography Analysis
Asia-Pacific dominated with 68.10% acetic acid market share in 2025 and is forecast to grow at 5.05% CAGR through 2031. China alone controls about 55% of global capacity, granting scale economies and regional pricing influence. The region's large polyester and adhesive industries stabilize volume demand even during external economic swings.
North America exhibits mature consumption yet notable investment in low-carbon production. Celanese's 1.3 million ton Clear Lake upgrade integrates carbon capture and feedstock security to ensure competitiveness. Regulatory focus on emission reduction promotes bio-based projects across the United States and Canada, potentially shifting a portion of import volumes to domestic supply.
Europe prioritizes circular economy principles and stringent lifecycle assessments. Producers with verified low-carbon footprints gain procurement preference among automotive and packaging customers. Emerging Middle East and Africa capacity aims to leverage competitive feedstock costs, yet infrastructure and regulatory frameworks remain in development. Latin America experiences steady acetic acid market growth tied to polyester bottle resin and food preservative applications, but scale is limited compared with Asia-Pacific production.
List of Companies Covered in this Report:
Celanese Corporation Daicel Corporation Eastman Chemical Company Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited INEOS Jiangsu SOPO (Group) Co., Ltd. Kingboard Holdings Ltd. LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V. Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation PetroChina Company Limited SABIC Sekab Shandong Hualu Hengsheng Group Co., Ltd. Shanghai Huayi Fine Chemical Co., Ltd Sipchem Company Tanfac Industries Ltd Wacker Chemie AG Yankuang Energy Group Company Limited
Additional Benefits:
The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
3 months of analyst support
1 Introduction
1.1 Study Assumptions and Market Definition
1.2 Scope of the Study
2 Research Methodology
3 Executive Summary
4 Market Landscape
4.1 Market Overview
4.2 Market Drivers
4.2.1 Increasing Demand for Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM)
4.2.2 Rising Consumption of Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA)
4.2.3 Expansion of Acetate-Ester Solvents in High-Solids Coatings
4.2.4 Bio-Based Acetic Acid Adoption Under Net-Zero Mandates
4.2.5 Emerging Use in Li-Ion Battery Electrolyte Additives
4.3 Market Restraints
4.3.1 Volatile Methanol Feedstock Pricing
4.3.2 Carbonylation-Related CO?/VOC Emission Regulations
4.3.3 Anti-Dumping Actions Against Chinese Exports
4.4 Value Chain Analysis
4.5 Porter's Five Forces
4.5.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers
4.5.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers
4.5.3 Threat of New Entrants
4.5.4 Threat of Substitutes
4.5.5 Degree of Competition
5 Market Size and Growth Forecasts (Volume)
5.1 By Derivative
5.1.1 Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM)
5.1.2 Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA)
5.1.3 Ethyl Acetate
5.1.4 Acetic Anhydride
5.1.5 Other Derivatives
5.2 By Production Route
5.2.1 Methanol Carbonylation
5.2.2 Acetaldehyde Oxidation
5.2.3 Ethylene Oxidation
5.2.4 Bio-based Fermentation
5.3 By Application
5.3.1 Plastics and Polymers
5.3.2 Food and Beverage
5.3.3 Adhesives, Paints and Coatings
5.3.4 Textile
5.3.5 Medical
5.3.6 Other Applications
5.4 By Geography
5.4.1 Asia-Pacific
5.4.1.1 China
5.4.1.2 India
5.4.1.3 Japan
5.4.1.4 South Korea
5.4.1.5 Rest of Asia-Pacific
5.4.2 North America
5.4.2.1 United States
5.4.2.2 Canada
5.4.2.3 Mexico
5.4.3 Europe
5.4.3.1 Germany
5.4.3.2 United Kingdom
5.4.3.3 Italy
5.4.3.4 France
5.4.3.5 Rest of Europe
5.4.4 South America
5.4.4.1 Brazil
5.4.4.2 Argentina
5.4.4.3 Rest of South America
5.4.5 Middle-East and Africa
5.4.5.1 Saudi Arabia
5.4.5.2 South Africa
5.4.5.3 Rest of Middle-East and Africa
6 Competitive Landscape
6.1 Market Concentration
6.2 Strategic Moves
6.3 Market Share(%)/ Ranking Analysis
6.4 Company Profiles (includes Global Overview, Market Overview, Core Segments, Financials, Strategic Information, Market Rank/Share, Products and Services, Recent Developments)
6.4.1 Celanese Corporation
6.4.2 Daicel Corporation
6.4.3 Eastman Chemical Company
6.4.4 Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited
6.4.5 INEOS
6.4.6 Jiangsu SOPO (Group) Co., Ltd.
6.4.7 Kingboard Holdings Ltd.
6.4.8 LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V.
6.4.9 Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation
6.4.10 PetroChina Company Limited
6.4.11 SABIC
6.4.12 Sekab
6.4.13 Shandong Hualu Hengsheng Group Co., Ltd.
6.4.14 Shanghai Huayi Fine Chemical Co., Ltd
6.4.15 Sipchem Company
6.4.16 Tanfac Industries Ltd
6.4.17 Wacker Chemie AG
6.4.18 Yankuang Energy Group Company Limited
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