The Chemical Sector is an integral component of the U.S. economy that manufactures, stores, uses, and transports potentially dangerous chemicals upon which a wide range of other critical infrastructure sectors rely. Securing these chemicals against growing and evolving threats requires vigilance from both the private and public sector.
The Department of Homeland Security—identified as the Chemical Sector-Specific Agency (SSA) in Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 21—leads the Chemical Sector’s public-private partnership and works with companies to develop tools and resources that enhance the sector’s security and resilience.
The Chemical Sector—composed of several hundred thousand U.S. chemical facilities in a complex, global supply chain—converts various raw materials into more than 70,000 diverse products that are essential to modern life. Based on the end product produced, the sector can be divided into five main segments, each of which has distinct characteristics, growth dynamics, markets, new developments, and issues:
Basic chemicals
Specialty chemicals
Agricultural chemicals
Pharmaceuticals
Consumer products