chemical · input
Explosive propellant base made from cellulose (cotton/wood pulp) nitrated with concentrated acids. Only two active US facilities: St. Marks Powder (FL, ~100% US military small-arms propellant supply) and Radford AAP (VA, sole domestic military nitrocellulose producer). Few companies willing to build new capacity due to explosion risk and capital requirements.
5
Source countries
6
Companies
1
Goods affected
0
Claims on record
What depends on it
1 essential American goods rely on nitrocellulose smokeless powder (propellant) somewhere upstream in their supply chain.
Where it comes from
Share of global supply, by country.
| Country | Share of supply |
|---|---|
| CNChina | 22% |
| RURussia | 20% |
| USUnited States | 20% |
| FRFrance | 18% |
| DEGermany | 10% |
Who makes it
6 companies produce nitrocellulose smokeless powder (propellant).
General Dynamics-owned smokeless powder manufacturer at St. Marks, FL (Crawfordville area); ~100% of US military small-arms propellant (5.56mm, 7.62mm, 9mm, .50 BMG); in May 2024 suspended civilian propellant shipments to prioritize US military and NATO contracts; wholly dependent on nitrocellulose from Radford AAP
50% owned by Norwegian Ministry of Trade, 50% by Finnish Patria. 4,100+ employees; 27 production sites; 12 countries. Primary NATO small and large caliber ammunition supplier; 5.56/7.62mm NATO since 1990s. Raufoss, Norway is main facility (1896; 1,200 employees). Constructing new ammunition plant in Norway (announced Dec 2024) to meet NATO Ukraine ramp-up demand.
French-Swedish defense company; primary European nitrocellulose and propellant supplier for NATO; facilities in Bergerac (France), Clermont (Belgium), Karlskoga (Sweden); restarted Bergerac nitrocellulose production in March 2024 after years dormant — direct response to EU ammunition shortage for Ukraine
German defense and automotive conglomerate; world's largest artillery shell producer; produces nitrocellulose via Nitrochemie JV (Wimmis CH, Murcia ES, Wellington ZA) with RUAG MRO Holding; acquired Hagedorn-NC (German nitrocellulose producer) April 2025; scaling propellant capacity from 5,000 to 12,000 t/yr by 2027
UK-US defense conglomerate (LSE: BA.); BAE Systems Electronic Systems division in Lexington, Massachusetts is the primary US VOx microbolometer FPA production site (distinct from European BAE Systems operations). Long history since early 1980s in uncooled IR detector development. Lead product: Athena™ 1920 — a 1920×1200 pixel VOx array, 12µm pixel pitch, 60Hz, 70g, targeting security/surveillance/targeting/aerial reconnaissance. MicroIR product line. ITAR-controlled; primarily serves US military programs alongside Teledyne FLIR and Leonardo DRS. Maintains both VOx and amorphous silicon (a-Si) technology routes. One of the three or four "tier-1" US-controlled IR FPA producers alongside Teledyne FLIR and Leonardo DRS.
Nordic defense company (Norwegian/Finnish ownership); produces ammunition and propellants at Raufoss (Norway) and Vihtavuori (Finland); propellant production remains dependent on imported nitrocellulose; Vihtavuori also sells commercial reloading powder (Viht powders)
