Chemicals in Mexico Mapped Whitespaces Report¶
Potential Whitespaces¶
The following table summarizes the identified potential whitespaces in the Mexican chemical industry, including their key market signals and calculated potential addressable market by 2035.
| # | Whitespace | Market Signals Identified | Potential Addressable Market (Annual by 2035) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bio-based and Biodegradable Performance Chemicals | - Increasing global OEM pressure for sustainable content (e.g., automotive USMCA rules). - Growing consumer preference for sustainable products. - ESG considerations pivotal in procurement. - Explicit demand for low-VOC solvents, bio-based polymers. - Limited local production of advanced bio-based feedstocks. - Early moves by some players towards bio-based feedstocks. - Emergence of bioplastics startups. - Low domestic R&D spend hindering rapid development. |
US $1.7 billion to US $6.0 billion |
| 2 | Advanced Chemical Recycling Infrastructure and Feedstock Production | - Automotive OEMs mandating 25% recycled content by 2027 (USMCA). - Consumer goods companies setting recycled content targets. - Desire for circular economy and reduced landfilling. - Need for high-quality recycled feedstocks. - Nascent chemical recycling infrastructure in Mexico. - Limited capacity for complex plastic waste. - Emergence of startups exploring advanced recycling. - Petrochemical companies exploring circular economy initiatives globally. |
US $0.65 billion to US $3.3 billion |
| 3 | Localized Specialty Chemical Formulation and Application Development Services for SMEs | - 60% of specialty chemicals imported due to lack of local equivalents. - SMEs require rapid co-development of region-specific formulations. - End-users rely on imported formulations and foreign technical centers. - Distributors increasingly bundling technical advisory/lab services. - Low domestic R&D spend (<1% of sales). - Weak academia-industry links. - Few public-private labs for chemical application development. - Major distributors starting to offer formulation labs. |
US $1.0 billion to US $4.3 billion |
| 4 | Integrated Digital Compliance and Supply Chain Transparency Solutions for Regulated Chemicals | - SMEs spend ~6% of turnover on compliance administration. - Unclear, shifting criteria at borders cause delays/fines. - Growing need for traceability (quality control, ESG, anti-counterfeit). - Anticipation of stricter regulations (LGGISQ, ReNaSQ). - 70% of SMEs rely on phone/email for ordering. - Fragmented current digital solutions. - Distributors beginning to provide digital SDS libraries. - Rising adoption of AI/digital tech in Mexican manufacturing. |
US $6 million to US $55 million |
| 5 | "Chemicals-as-a-Service" Models for High-Value, Low-Volume Applications | - Niche industries require high-purity/performance chemicals in small, irregular quantities. - Inefficient inventory management for low-volume, high-cost chemicals. - Users prioritize performance, reliability, minimized handling risks. - Need for flexible ordering/packaging for smaller quantities. - Traditional chemical sales are volume-based. - Limited offerings for flexible, on-demand supply with lifecycle management. - Distributors investing in repackaging for smaller formats. - "Servitization" growing in other B2B industries. |
US $0.17 billion to US $1.2 billion |
| 6 | Advanced Water Treatment Solutions and Services for Industrial Reuse and Scarcity Mitigation | - Increasing water scarcity in industrial regions. - Stricter wastewater discharge regulations. - Growing industrial activity increasing water demand/wastewater. - Need for cost-effective, efficient water treatment chemicals/tech for reuse. - Basic water treatment chemicals available. - Gap in advanced, integrated solutions (specialized chemicals, process optimization, remote monitoring). - Global specialty chemical companies offer advanced portfolios, but local application expertise/service models may be less developed. |
US $0.5 billion to US $2.0 billion |
References¶
- ANIQ. Anuario Estadístico de la Industria Química – Comercio Exterior.
https://www.aniq.org.mx/Home/Anuario/10 - ANIQ. Directorio La Industria Química en México - Empresas Distribuidoras.
https://www.aniq.org.mx/Home/Directorio - ANIQ. PANORAMA NACIONAL DE LA INDUSTRIA QUÍMICA. 06 May 2024.
https://www.aniq.org.mx/Home/Noticia/138 - Brenntag. Distribución de productos químicos en México.
https://www.brenntag.com/en-mx/ - DRIM International. Panorama Nacional de la Industria Química.
https://driminternational.com/panorama-nacional-de-la-industria-quimica/ - Guía de la Industria Química. Análisis de la Industria Química en México.
https://www.industriaquimica.mx/analisis-industria-quimica-mexico - Idesa Petroquímica - Inicio.
https://www.idesa.com.mx/petroquimica - Inegi. La industria química. Censos Económicos 2019. 2021.
- MBA3. Industria Química: Año de Retos.
https://mba3.com/industria-quimica-ano-de-retos/ - Milenio. Industria química perfila duplicar su tamaño: Camexa. 26 Nov 2024.
https://www.milenio.com/negocios/industria-quimica-perfila-duplicar-tamano-camexa - Mordor Intelligence. Mexico Agrochemicals Market Report.
https://www.mordorintelligence.com/es/industry-reports/mexico-agrochemicals-market - Publications IADB. La cadena de valor de productos químicos en México.
https://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/сию/La-cadena-de-valor-de-productos-quimicos-en-Mexico.pdf - quimica.es. 253 Empresas de química de México.
https://www.quimica.es/empresas/mexico/quimica.html - Química Delta. Distribuidora de Productos Químicos en México.
https://quimicadelta.com/ - Tecnotanques. La industria química, base de la reactivación económica en México 2021. 11 Jan 2021.
https://www.tecnotanques.com/blog/industria-quimica-base-de-la-reactivacion-economica-en-mexico-2021/ - Univar Solutions. Distribuidor de productos químicos e ingredientes de México.
https://www.univarsolutions.com/es/locations/latin-america/mexico/ - Value Chain Report on the Chemicals Industry in Mexico (Provided Context Document).
- Chemicals in Mexico Current and Future Opportunities Analysis (Provided Context Document).
- Chemicals in Mexico Ongoing Changes Signals Analysis (Provided Context Document).
- Chemicals in Mexico Current Pains Analysis (Provided Context Document).
- Chemicals in Mexico Consumption Trends Analysis (Provided Context Document).
- Chemicals in Mexico Niche and Emerging Markets Analysis (Provided Context Document).