Acrylonitrile Contributes Billions to the U.S. Economy
- With production in the U.S. of approximately 3 billion pounds annually, acrylonitrile contributes billions to the U.S. GDP. The manufacture of acrylonitrile isomer alone is generally worth $5-10 billion annually depending on production levels and current price. The value of various AN polymers and copolymers and the products made from those polymers is worth many time more.
- Acrylonitrile has contributed billions to the U.S. trade balance. Historically several billion pounds or more of AN is export annual from the U.S. This adds billions of dollars annually to the U.S. trade balance, especially with Asian countries that are the largest users of acrylonitrile and acrylonitrile-based polymers.
- Acylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and other AN polymers have grown considerably in the past decade. It is estimated that global demand for ABS, in particular, will increase by 4-5% per year. The strongest growth is in Asia (5-8%/year), propelled largely by China. U.S. AN production is critical to ensuring that this demand is met with a constant and reliable source of high-quality AN monomer. Alternatively, supply limitations can have significant negative impacts to the polymer and general manufacturing industries that rely on these products.
