PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1927261
PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1927261
The specialty pulp and paper chemicals are substances utilized in the production of chemical pulp and to improve the quality and performance of paper. They serve as essential raw materials in the paper manufacturing process.
The primary product categories of specialty pulp and paper chemicals include basic chemicals, functional chemicals, bleaching chemicals, and process chemicals. Basic chemicals are crucial and essential substances that contribute significantly to economic development while enhancing the characteristics of specialty paper and pulp. These chemicals find applications in packaging, labeling, printing, and other sectors, and are distributed through various sales channels, including direct or institutional sales and indirect sales.
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 specialty pulp and paper chemicals market by increasing costs of imported chemical intermediates, additives, and processing agents. Manufacturers in North America and Europe are most affected due to reliance on imported specialty chemicals, while Asia-Pacific faces export-related pricing pressure. These tariffs are raising operational costs and affecting profit margins. However, they are also encouraging domestic chemical production, alternative sourcing strategies, and innovation in bio-based paper chemicals.
The specialty pulp & paper chemicals market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provides specialty pulp & paper chemicals market statistics, including specialty pulp & paper chemicals industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a specialty pulp & paper chemicals market share, detailed specialty pulp & paper chemicals market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the specialty pulp & paper chemicals industry. This specialty pulp & paper chemicals 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 specialty pulp & paper chemicals market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $25.79 billion in 2025 to $27.73 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to expansion of paper and packaging industries, increasing demand for high-quality printing materials, growth of labeling and packaging applications, rising focus on paper strength enhancement, availability of specialty chemical formulations.
The specialty pulp & paper chemicals market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $37.39 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.8%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing shift toward sustainable packaging, rising adoption of water-based chemicals, expansion of specialty paper applications, growing investments in process optimization, increasing regulatory pressure on chemical usage. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing use of functional paper additives, rising demand for eco-friendly paper chemicals, growing adoption of high-performance coating additives, expansion of specialty packaging applications, enhanced focus on process efficiency.
The increasing consumption of recycled paper is expected to drive the growth of the specialty pulp and paper chemicals market going forward. Recycled paper refers to paper that is reprocessed into new paper products. Specialty pulp and paper chemicals support paper production by enhancing whiteness and removing lignin. For example, in September 2024, a report published by the UK government noted that in 2022, 62.4% of packaging waste in the UK was recycled, rising to 64.8% in 2023. That year, recycling accounted for 8.2 million tonnes of the total 12.7 million tonnes of packaging waste generated, with the largest portion coming from paper and cardboard, totaling 5.4 million tonnes. Therefore, the growing use of recycled paper is boosting the specialty pulp and paper chemicals market.
Major companies in the specialty pulp and paper chemicals market are prioritizing investments in production lines for next-generation specialty pulps to enhance product quality, improve sustainability, reduce environmental impact, and address the evolving market demands for innovative and eco-friendly paper products. Investments in pulp mills are directed towards adopting advanced technologies to produce these next-generation specialty pulps, a move expected to boost the mill's competitiveness and environmental performance while also creating and preserving jobs in British Columbia. For example, in September 2024, Kruger Inc., a Canada-based company, announced a substantial investment of $32.4 million in its Kamloops Pulp Mill. This funding will facilitate the installation of a new pressure diffusion washer with AI-based controls, making it the first of its kind in Canada. The investment will secure 340 existing jobs at the Kamloops mill and create an additional four new positions, while also projected to indirectly support around 1,000 jobs throughout the local biomass value chain.
In February 2023, Solenis LLC, a U.S.-based specialty chemicals manufacturer, acquired the paper process chemicals business of Kolb Distribution Ltd., a Switzerland-based company. This strategic acquisition enables Solenis to broaden its product offering and establishes a long-term supply agreement for process chemistries.
Major companies operating in the specialty pulp & paper chemicals market are AkzoNobel NV, Ashland Global Holdings Inc., BASF SE, Buckman Laboratories International Inc., Evonik Industries AG, Kemira Oyj, SNF Floerger, The Dow Chemical Company, Nalco Holding Company, Imerys, DowDuPont, Solenis, Ecolab, Huntsman Corporation, Clariant, Wacker Chemie AG, Georgia-Pacific Chemicals LLC, Omya International AG, Buckeye Technologies Inc., Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc., Borregaard ASA
Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the specialty pulp and paper chemicals market in 2025. Europe is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the specialty pulp and paper chemicals market share during the forecast period. The regions covered in the specialty pulp & paper chemicals market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa
The countries covered in the specialty pulp & paper chemicals market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain
The specialty pulp and paper chemicals market consists of sales of coating chemicals, bleaching & RCF chemicals. 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.
Specialty Pulp & Paper Chemicals 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 specialty pulp & paper chemicals 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 specialty pulp & paper chemicals ? 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 specialty pulp & paper chemicals 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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