Chemical industry reports strong '94. (Industry Overview)

It looks like 1994 was a good year for the U.S. chemical industry.

Based on midyear trends, the Chemical Manufacturers Association (Washington, DC) was projecting record numbers in production, sales, exports, and profits.

According to the CMA report, The Chemical Industry: Performance in 1994 and Outlook, first-half profits reached $14.6 billion--almost as large as the $15.4 billion total for all of 1993.

If final figures for the second half of the year are as good as the first, industry profits would exceed $29 billion, topping the 1989 peak of $24.5 billion. Although pharmaceuticals continue to have the largest share of profits, industrial and "other" …