chemical · input
Cellulose-derived viscosity/mucoadhesive agents used at 0.2–0.5% in artificial tears. Multiple global suppliers (Dow, Shin-Etsu, Indian/Chinese producers). Not critically concentrated — substitutable across formulations.
12
Source countries
4
Companies
1
Goods affected
0
Claims on record
What depends on it
1 essential American goods rely on hpmc / cmc (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose / carboxymethylcellulose) somewhere upstream in their supply chain.
Where it comes from
Share of global supply, by country.
| Country | Share of supply |
|---|---|
| DEGermany (Federal Republic of Germany) | 26% |
| JPJapan | 14% |
| KRSouth Korea (Republic of Korea) | 13% |
| BEBelgium | 11% |
| CNChina | 8% |
| MXMexico | 6% |
| FIFinland | 6% |
| FRFrance | 4% |
| NLNetherlands | 3% |
| TRTurkey | 3% |
| INIndia | 2% |
| SESweden | 2% |
Who makes it
4 companies produce hpmc / cmc (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose / carboxymethylcellulose).
Specialty chemical company; acquired International Specialty Products (ISP) in 2011 bringing the leading US NMP production capacity; manufactures high-purity NMP for medical, electronics, and battery applications; one of five major Western NMP suppliers serving medical-grade dialysis membrane production alongside BASF, Eastman, LyondellBasell, and Mitsubishi Chemical
Dow Inc. (Midland, Michigan; NYSE: DOW; ~$45B revenue) is a major global EPDM producer through its Performance Elastomers division, producing NORDEL EPDM. NORDEL is manufactured primarily at Dow's Freeport, Texas complex (one of the largest integrated chemical sites in North America) and at European facilities. NORDEL EPDM is used in automotive weatherstripping, roofing, wire insulation, and plumbing seals. Dow is estimated to hold ~15-18% of global EPDM capacity. The NORDEL brand has been a benchmark EPDM product since the 1960s (originally DuPont, transferred to Dow in 2019 DuPont-Dow merger split). Dow's integrated Freeport site gives it ethylene and propylene feedstock advantages for EPDM production cost.
Largest global sodium chlorate (NaClO3) supplier; also provides ECF ClO2 bleaching technology (Eka brand) to pulp mills; 13 production sites across North America, Scandinavia, and other regions; critical chemical supply chain node for tissue pulp bleaching.
Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. (Tokyo; TSE: 4063; ~¥2.3 trillion revenue) is Japan's second-largest EUV photoresist supplier, holding approximately 20-25% of the EUV photoresist market through its SEPR (Shin-Etsu Polymer Resist) product line. Primary EUV resist production at Niigata and Gunma facilities in Japan. The same parent company is the world's largest polyvinyl chloride (PVC) producer, the world's largest silicon wafer producer (through Shin-Etsu Silicones/SEH), and a major hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) pharmaceutical excipient manufacturer. Shin-Etsu's photoresist was among the materials covered by Japan's July 2019 export controls targeting South Korea, as fluorinated polyimide — a resist ancillary material — was one of the three restricted chemicals.
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