LANXESS Steps Up Investment in China: Rhein Chemie Launches Its Largest Global Investment Project in Five Years in Qingdao

Although Zhang Lei, Head of Sales for the Asia-Pacific Region of LANXESS Rhein Chemie Business Unit and General Manager of Rhein Chemie (Qingdao) Co., Ltd., did not disclose the specific investment amount for this capacity expansion project, he told the Economic Observer that “this is Rhein Chemie’s largest single global investment over the past five years.” LANXESS operates nine subsidiaries and seven R&D centers and production bases across Greater China. The Rhein Chemie Qingdao production base was established in 1995 and commenced operations in July 1999; its total production capacity has now reached 30,000 tons. Zhang Lei has worked at LANXESS for over 30 years and has witnessed the multinational’s investment journey in China. He noted that the Qingdao base is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, during which it has continuously expanded its factory premises and added production lines—doubling the capacity of the Rhein-ener® production line in 2006; investing in a lubricant additives workshop in 2007; adding processing aids capacity in Qingdao in 2011; and commissioning a new Rhein-ener® production line in 2013… Rhein-sand® and Rhein-plast®—among other processing aids—are specialty additives playing a critical role in the manufacturing of tires and industrial rubber products. China is the world’s largest tire producer and manufacturer. In 2024, output of rubber pneumatic tires reached 1.187 billion units, up 9.2% year-on-year—a new historical high. Shandong Province is China’s top tire-producing province, accounting for over half of the nation’s total capacity. The Rhein Chemie Qingdao base supplies specialty chemicals to numerous tire factories across Shandong. “This expansion stems from robust downstream market demand,” Zhang Lei explained. Specialty additives produced at the Qingdao base are primarily used in the tire market. In 2023, China’s automobile production stood at approximately 30 million units; in 2024, it rose to 31 million units; and from January to September 2025, output increased by more than 10% year-on-year. Notably, China’s new-energy electric vehicle (NEV) market continues to grow rapidly. As NEVs are heavier, they place higher demands on tires—including durability and low rolling resistance. This not only necessitates increased output and capacity expansion from Rhein Chemie but also imposes stricter quality requirements. Consequently, LANXESS decided to expand its Qingdao base. However, the current global economy is experiencing a downturn. According to data from the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, the profit margin of the petrochemical industry’s operating revenue declined continuously—from 8.03% in 2021 to 4.85% in 2024—and remained at a low level in the first half of 2025.

China Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Industry Development Scale and Investment Outlook Trend Forecast Report, 2026–2032

3.3.2 China’s Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Production Volume, Market Demand Volume, and Development Trends (2022–2032) 3.3.3 China’s Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Imports and Exports (2022–2032) 3.4 Global Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Sales Volume and Revenue 3.4.1 Global Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Revenue (2022–2032) 3.4.2 Global Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Sales Volume (2022–2032) 3.4.3 Global Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Price Trends (2022–2032) 4 Regional Analysis of Global Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) 4.1 Analysis of Global Major Regions’ Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Market Size: 2022 vs. 2026 vs. 2032 4.1.1 Global Major Regions’ Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Revenue and Market Share (2022–2026) 4.1.2 Forecast of Global Major Regions’ Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Revenue (2026–2032) 4.2 Analysis of Global Major Regions’ Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Sales Volume: 2022 vs. 2026 vs. 2032 4.2.1 Global Major Regions’ Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Sales Volume and Market Share (2022–2026) 4.2.2 Forecast of Global Major Regions’ Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Sales Volume and Market Share (2026–2032) 4.3 Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Sales Volume, Revenue, and Growth Rate in the North American Market (2022–2032) 4.4 Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Sales Volume, Revenue, and Growth Rate in the European Market (2022–2032) 4.5 Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Sales Volume, Revenue, and Growth Rate in the Chinese Market (2022–2032) 4.6 Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Sales Volume, Revenue, and Growth Rate in the Japanese Market (2022–2032) 4.7 Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Sales Volume, Revenue, and Growth Rate in the Southeast Asian Market (2022–2032) 4.8 Brominated Polystyrene (BPS) Sales Volume, Revenue, and Growth Rate in the Indian Market (2022–2032) 5 Analysis of Global Key Manufacturers 5.1 LANXESS 5.1.1 LANXESS Basic Information, BPS Production Bases, Sales Regions, Competitors, and Market Position 5.1.2 LANXESS BPS Product Specifications, Parameters, and Market Applications 5.1.3 LANXESS BPS Sales Volume, Revenue, Pricing, and Gross Margin (2022–2026) 5.1.4 LANXESS Company Profile and Core Businesses 5.1.5 Latest Corporate Developments of LANXESS 5.2 Albemarle 5.2.1 Albemarle Basic Information, BPS Production Bases, Sales Regions, Competitors, and Market Position 5.2.2 Albemarle BPS Product Specifications, Parameters, and Market Applications 5.2.3 Albemarle BPS Sales Volume, Revenue, Pricing, and Gross Margin (2022–2026) 5.2.4 Albemarle Company Profile and Core Businesses 5.2.5 Latest Corporate Developments of Albemarle

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