The chemical industry comprises companies that manufacture and/or distributes chemicals, including basic, intermediate, and specialty chemicals, petrochemicals, plastic resins and materials used in synthetic fibers, and paints and coatings.

Aruvian Research analyzes the Chemical Industry in the United States in a PEST Framework Analysis. A PEST analysis is concerned with the environmental influences on a business. The acronym stands for the Political, Economic, Social and Technological issues that could affect the strategic development of a business. Identifying PEST influences is a useful way of summarizing the external environment in which a business operates.