The American Chemistry Council's Specialty Chemicals Market Volume Index ended the first quarter of 2016 on a soft note, slipping 0.1 percent on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis in March after a revised 0.1 percent drop in February. Weakness in oilfield chemicals and mining chemicals, among other segments, weighed on overall volumes.
The business of American chemistry expanded 3.6 percent in 2015 despite global headwinds that included a strong appreciation of the U.S. dollar and a weakness in several key global markets.
