Recently, BASF’s newly built world-class integrated production site in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, has become fully operational.
BASF announced its investment to build the Zhanjiang plant in 2018, with construction starting the following year. After nearly eight years, the project has successfully gone into production. The total investment is approximately €8.7 billion (around RMB 69.2 billion), covering an area of 4 square kilometers, making it BASF’s largest overseas investment to date. The Zhanjiang site is BASF’s seventh global Verbund site and ranks as the third-largest facility, after its Ludwigshafen site in Germany and Antwerp site in Belgium.
Regarding the project, BASF CEO Markus Kamieth stated: “This investment demonstrates BASF’s long-term confidence in the world’s largest chemical market. It will also become a key part of our ‘win the road’ strategy. Most products manufactured in Zhanjiang will directly serve Chinese customers, fully reflecting BASF’s global philosophy of ‘producing locally to serve local markets.’”
Currently, the site has successfully commissioned 18 plants with 32 production lines, producing over 70 products. These include basic chemicals, intermediates, and specialty chemicals serving industries such as transportation, consumer goods, electronics, home care, and personal care.
BASF Asia-Pacific Board Member and Chief Technology Officer Stephan Kothrade added: “The Zhanjiang site sets a new benchmark for sustainable chemical production in China and globally.”
According to BASF’s 2025 annual report, the company achieved sales of €59.66 billion in 2025, down 2.9% year-on-year. The Nutrition & Care segment, which includes cosmetic raw materials, recorded sales of €6.51 billion, down 3.3% year-on-year. Within this, Care Chemicals, the core supply segment for cosmetic ingredients, achieved sales of €4.77 billion, up 0.3% year-on-year
