Malaysia Chemicals Sector Report 2026-2027

Malaysia possesses significant reserves of crude oil and natural gas. The government founded Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) in 1974 as the national oil corporation and the owner and steward of the country's hydrocarbon reserves. Petronas has since developed transport infrastructure for the oil and gas industry, facilitating the growth of the petrochemical sector. Malaysia is also a global-scale producer of oleochemicals. Malaysia allocates approximately 5.7mn hectares of agricultural land to oil palm plantations, ensuring a steady supply of palm oil and palm kernel oil for the country's oleochemical facilities. Despite these advantages, Malaysia remains primarily a producer of commodity chemicals, with only limited output of speciality chemicals. Thus, Malaysia continues to be a net importer of chemicals, given that industrial end-users remain reliant on imported speciality chemicals.

This report provides a complete and detailed analysis of the "Chemicals" sector for Malaysia. EMIS Insights presents in-depth business intelligence in a standard format across countries and regions, providing a balanced mix between analysis and data.

What this report allows you to do:

• Understand the key elements at play in the "Chemicals" sector in Malaysia
• Crystallise the forces both driving and restraining this sector in Malaysia
• Ascertain Malaysia’s position in the global sector
• Build a complete perspective on sector trade, investment and employment
• Understand the competitive landscape and who the major players are
• View M&A activity and major deals
• Gain an understanding of the regulatory environment for the sector in Malaysia.
• Build a clear picture of trends, output and consumption for specific sub-sectors