The American Chemistry Council Unveils New Statistical Indicators

Arlington, VA - The American Chemistry Council (ACC), the trade association for the world's leading companies engaged in the business of chemistry, today unveiled two new statistical indicators – the Chemical Production Regional Index (CPRI) and the ChemFactor – to provide greater visibility into the industry's production levels across America as well as detail its contributions to the products people use, enjoy and benefit from every day.

"Chemistry is an essential American industry and a major contributor to the economy, accounting for ten cents out of every dollar in U.S. exports," commented Jack Gerard, President and CEO of the American Chemistry Council. "In addition, chemistry makes possible the products we use every day in our homes and at work – from life-saving medicines to fireresistant fabrics, advanced cell phones and computers, and high-performance fuel systems."

About the Indicators:

• Chemical Production Regional Index (CPRI)
  The CPRI is a monthly indicator measuring the production levels of the U.S. chemical industry in seven critical regions that are home to the country's largest producers. Updated on the 28th of each month, the CPRI provides a window into the aggregate monthly output of the industry, broken out by regions covering the Northeast, Mid- Atlantic, Southeast, Ohio Valley, Midwest, Gulf Coast and West Coast.

• ChemFactor
  ChemFactor is an economic "touch" indicator measuring the percentage that certain goods and items are composed of chemistry and chemistry-derived products. For instance, with 100% of paint production based on chemistry and chemistry-derived products, paint has a ChemFactor of 100. The ChemFactor scores also indicate those industries that are the largest purchasers of chemistry products and dependent on chemistry-led innovations to spur further development. Additional ChemFactor scores include prescription drugs (100), soap (100), tires (62), pantyhose (55) and paper (26).

The CPRI and ChemFactor were designed and developed by noted economist, Martha Moore of Moore Economics. "The CPRI is an index whose time has come," says Moore. "For too long, economists and market watchers lacked the necessary tools to chart and measure regional chemical industry production."

SOURCE: American Chemistry Council