2026年美化工业或继续疲软

Group 1 - The American Chemistry Council (ACC) forecasts that the growth of chemical production and industrial sectors in the U.S. will remain weak until 2026, with a projected increase of only 0.7% in 2025 and a further decline to 0.3% in 2026 [1] - Economic uncertainties have eased somewhat, but factors such as trade fluctuations and high interest rates continue to pose constraints. The growth momentum in the manufacturing sector is expected to wane due to changes in tariff policies and high customer inventory levels [1] - A recovery turning point is anticipated in mid-2026, with a gradual recovery process in the second half of the year supported by industrial capacity expansion plans and the lagging effects of interest rate cuts [1] Group 2 - The performance of sub-markets is notably divergent, with specialty chemicals benefiting from an 8.4% growth in the coatings category, leading to an overall increase of 4.3% in 2025, although a decline of 0.2% is expected in 2026 [1] - Basic chemicals are projected to see a slight increase of 0.1% in 2025, while inorganic chemicals and plastic resin production declines offset some growth. A rebound to 1.2% growth is expected in 2026, despite a downturn in synthetic rubber and artificial fiber production [1] - Agricultural chemicals and consumer chemicals remain under pressure, with expected declines of 1.0% and 1.5% respectively in 2026, following a 2.7% increase in agricultural chemical production and a 2.2% decrease in consumer chemical production in 2025 [1] Group 3 - The end-use market shows mixed performance, with 11 out of 20 tracked markets experiencing a decline in consumption. The apparel sector sees a drop of 3%, while the semiconductor and electronics sectors lead with a 12% increase [2] - Artificial intelligence (AI) is identified as a core growth driver, boosting U.S. corporate investment growth to 4.1% in 2025, which directly stimulates demand for chemical-related products such as semiconductor materials and data center cooling systems [2] - However, non-AI sectors are affected by high interest rates and rising raw material prices, leading to a reduction in investment plans, with corporate investment growth expected to fall to 2.6% in 2026 [2]