Chloroform Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Chloroform Market is projected to expand from 1.04 million Tonnes in 2025 to 1.23 million Tonnes by 2031, reflecting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 2.77%. Chloroform, chemically known as trichloromethane, is a volatile, dense, and colorless liquid organic compound primarily used as a solvent and a critical precursor in the creation of fluoropolymers and refrigerants. The market's growth is fundamentally anchored by strong industrial demand for fluoropolymers like polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which are vital for high-performance applications within the electronics and automotive sectors. Additionally, the continued necessity for chloroform as a feedstock in producing hydrochlorofluorocarbon-22 (HCFC-22), particularly for non-emissive feedstock purposes, sustains production levels.

According to Euro Chlor, total chlorine production by its members hit 8,041 kilotonnes in 2024, providing the essential feedstock for the chloromethanes value chain, which includes chloroform. Although upstream supply remains stable, the market faces significant obstacles due to strict environmental regulations and health concerns associated with the chemical's potential carcinogenicity and toxicity. These regulatory constraints, combined with global mandates from the Montreal Protocol aimed at phasing out ozone-depleting substances, pose a considerable challenge that may limit future market growth.

Market Drivers

The primary force driving the Global Chloroform Market is the escalating demand for fluoropolymers, especially polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which heavily depends on chloroform as a key feedstock. Chloroform is processed into hydrochlorofluorocarbon-22 (HCFC-22), the essential monomer for synthesizing high-performance fluoropolymers used widely in the construction, electronics, and automotive industries due to their superior thermal stability and chemical resistance. This demand is further boosted by the shift toward refrigerants with lower global warming potential (GWP) and specialized blends that utilize chloroform derivatives as crucial intermediates. This upward trend is evidenced by The Chemours Company's 'Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results' from February 2025, which noted that the Thermal & Specialized Solutions segment saw a 7% volume increase in the fourth quarter of 2024, largely driven by robust demand for performance solutions and refrigerant blends.

The growth of the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector also plays a significant role, employing chloroform as a highly effective solvent for extracting and purifying vitamins, alkaloids, and antibiotics. As drug production rises to meet global healthcare needs, especially in emerging markets like China and India, the use of high-purity solvent grades has intensified. The India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) reported in its 'Indian Pharmaceutical Industry Analysis' from July 2024 that the Indian pharmaceutical market grew by 8.8% in June 2024, highlighting increased industrial activity requiring solvent inputs. This momentum is mirrored in the broader chlor-alkali chain, with Olin Corporation reporting in 2025 that sales in their Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment rose by 9% sequentially in the fourth quarter of 2024, signaling a recovery in industrial demand for chlorine derivatives, including chloroform.

Market Challenges

The major obstacle hindering the Global Chloroform Market is the rigid regulatory framework regarding environmental safety and toxicity. Chloroform's classification as a probable carcinogen has led to strict exposure limits, while international mandates under the Montreal Protocol actively seek to phase out ozone-depleting substances. These regulatory pressures directly restrict the market by imposing quotas on the production of hydrochlorofluorocarbon-22 (HCFC-22), for which chloroform is a vital feedstock. Consequently, manufacturers must navigate a landscape of reduced permissible applications and rising compliance costs, which systematically curbs production scalability and discourages investment in capacity expansion.

This restrictive operating environment is quantitatively demonstrated by recent industrial output data. According to the American Chemistry Council, production volumes for basic chemicals in the United States fell by 1.5% in 2024. This decline illustrates the tangible effect of regulatory challenges on the broader chlor-alkali and intermediates sector. As producers manage these accumulating environmental obligations, the industry experiences a forced slowdown in output, effectively stalling the growth momentum of the chloroform value chain despite the stability of upstream material availability.

Market Trends

Global production capacities are structurally shifting and consolidating in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in India and China, positioning these nations as the main export hubs for technical-grade chloroform. This realignment is fueled by the region's strong industrial base and the strategic growth of local chlor-alkali facilities to satisfy global demand, effectively replacing older capacity in Western regions. A clear sign of this supply chain transition is the rising operational output in the Indian sector; Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited's 'Annual Report 2023-24' from August 2024 reported a 12.88% increase in total production volume to 2,046,173 metric tonnes for the fiscal year. This significant rise in output confirms the trend of Asia-Pacific manufacturers securing a larger portion of the global market.

Simultaneously, there is a growing trend toward using deuterated chloroform as a premium solvent in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, driven by increasing pharmaceutical and academic R&D efforts. As structural analysis and quality control of complex organic molecules become critical in drug discovery, the consumption of high-purity isotopic solvents is expanding. This momentum in laboratory-scale chemical research is reflected in the financial results of major life science suppliers; Merck KGaA's 'Quarterly Statement Q3 2024' from November 2024 showed a 2.1% organic sales increase in the Life Science sector to €2.21 billion, led by a recovery in Science & Lab Solutions. This commercial growth highlights the rising importance of advanced analytical reagents, including deuterated chloroform, in supporting global research infrastructure.

Key Players Profiled in the Chloroform Market

• Medical Isotopes, Inc.
• MP Biomedicals, LLC
• Oxford Lab Fine Chem LLP
• Alpha Chemika
• Arihant Chemical
• Solvay S.A.
• Tokuyama Corporation
• Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
• Occidental Petroleum Corporation
• Merck KGaA

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Chloroform Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Chloroform Market, by Grade:

• Technical Grade
• Alcohol Stabilized Grade
• Fluorocarbon Grade

Chloroform Market, by End User:

• Construction
• Agriculture
• Transportation
• Healthcare
• Chemical
• Industrial
• Others

Chloroform Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Chloroform Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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