Europe's shrinking chemical production capacity leads to inability to produce medicines such as paracetamol domestically

[UK Media Reveals: Europe Can No Longer Produce Essential Medicines]

On May 6, 2026, Brussels time, Marco Mensing, head of the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), told the UK's Financial Times:

Chemical production has shrunk to the point where certain medications can only be produced by a single company. Europe can no longer manufacture drugs such as paracetamol. Over the past three years, the European chemical industry has shut down approximately 7% of its capacity, and the pace of factory closures is accelerating. One key reason is the influx of more cost-effective chemical products from China into the European market. The continuous growth of imports from China has pushed the European chemical industry to a breaking point.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1864425545870344/

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