PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1925768
PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1925768
Chemical tankers serve the bulk transportation of highly hazardous chemical compounds, often flammable, toxic, or extremely perilous. Their structural design prioritizes safety measures, akin to those in oil tankers, to ensure compliance with stringent safety standards.
Key categories of chemical tankers include organic chemicals, inorganic chemicals, vegetable oils and fats, among others. Organic chemicals constitute a significant class of carbon-based compounds, frequently containing elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and others. Tanker construction involves materials such as stainless steel and coatings, while cargo types dictate classifications into IMO 1, IMO 2, and IMO 3. These tankers vary in size, classified as inland chemical tankers (1,000-4,999 DWT), coastal chemical tankers (5,000-9,999 DWT), and deep-sea chemical tankers (10,000-50,000 DWT), catering to different transport needs and distances.
Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report's Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.
Tariffs are impacting the chemical tankers market by increasing costs of imported steel plates, specialized coatings, navigation systems, and shipbuilding components. Shipbuilders and fleet operators in Asia-Pacific are most affected due to export-oriented tanker construction, while North America and Europe face higher vessel acquisition and maintenance costs. These tariffs are increasing charter rates and delaying fleet expansion. However, they are also encouraging domestic shipbuilding, regional supplier ecosystems, and investments in cost-efficient and compliant tanker designs.
The chemical tankers market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provides chemical tankers market statistics, including chemical tankers industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a chemical tankers market share, detailed chemical tankers market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the chemical tankers industry. This chemical tankers market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.
The chemical tankers market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $38.19 billion in 2025 to $40.72 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to growth of global chemical production, expansion of international trade routes, increasing demand for bulk liquid transport, established maritime safety regulations, availability of coated tanker technologies.
The chemical tankers market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $51.85 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing investments in advanced tanker designs, rising demand for high-purity chemical transport, expansion of specialty chemical markets, growing focus on environmental safety compliance, increasing digitalization of fleet operations. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing demand for specialized chemical transportation, rising adoption of stainless steel chemical tankers, growing focus on safety and regulatory compliance, expansion of global chemical trade routes, enhanced fleet modernization initiatives.
The growth of the chemical industry is expected to drive the growth of the chemical tankers market. Companies in the chemical industry require chemical tankers to transport and move their chemical compounds between locations, generating demand for these vessels. For instance, in February 2025, according to Atradius N.V., a Netherlands-based trade company, US chemical production grew by 2.1% in 2024, with solid growth projected at 3.8% in 2025 and 2.7% in 2026. Therefore, the growth of the chemical industry is fueling the chemical tankers market.
Major companies operating in the chemical tankers market are focusing on service advancements such as chemical tanker pools to optimize fleet utilization and expand service offerings. Chemical tanker pools refer to collaborative arrangements where multiple shipowners combine their vessels into a single fleet, managed collectively to optimize operations, share profits, and enhance market efficiency. For instance, in September 2024, Maersk Tankers, a Denmark-based shipping and logistics company, launched the Maersk Tankers Pool, specializing in managing and operating a variety of tanker vessels with a primary focus on the transportation of chemical and crude oil. The company boasts a diverse fleet that includes J19 stainless steel chemical tankers, as well as Suezmax, Aframax, Panamax, and other vessel classes. Leveraging its extensive experience and expertise in the shipping industry, Mack Tankers delivers efficient and reliable logistics solutions, aiming to maximize returns for its partners.
In March 2024, MOL Chemical Tankers, a Singapore-based shipping company specializing in chemical transportation, acquired Fairfield Chemical Carriers for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition enables MOL Chemical Tankers to strengthen its global chemical shipping network, expand fleet capacity, enhance operational efficiency, and provide more comprehensive logistics solutions to clients in the chemical industry. Fairfield Chemical Carriers is a US-based chemical tanker operator managing a fleet of vessels that transport a wide range of industrial chemicals.
Major companies operating in the chemical tankers market are Stolt-Nielsen Limited, Odfjell SE, MISC Berhad, Bahri, Navig8 Limited, Iino Kaiun Kaisha Ltd, MITSUI O.S.K. LINES, Hansa Tankers, PT Berlian Laju Tanker Tbk, Maersk Tankers, MOL Chemical Tankers, Tanglian Group, Zen Shipping & Ports India Pvt Ltd, Hafnia Ltd, The Seatrans Group, Sovcomflot, Scot Tanker, Rigel Shipping Canada Inc, Ultratank, PanOcean Tanker, Sernacol, Ace Tankers, Fairfield Chemical Carriers, M/T Ternsund Chemical Tanker
Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the chemical tanker market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the market. The regions covered in the chemical tankers market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa
The countries covered in the chemical tankers market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain
The chemical tanker market consists of sales of parcel chemical tankers and dedicated chemical tankers. Values in this market are 'factory gate' values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.
The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).
The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.
Chemical Tankers Market Global Report 2026 from The Business Research Company provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the market.
This report focuses chemical tankers market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the trends which will be shaping the market over the next ten years and beyond.
Where is the largest and fastest growing market for chemical tankers ? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward, including technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer preferences? The chemical tankers market global report from the Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.
The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, total addressable market (TAM), market attractiveness score (MAS), competitive landscape, market shares, company scoring matrix, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography.
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