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Seale & Associates advises specialty, industrial and petrochemical companies on cross-border M&A between the United States and Mexico. The firm has advised transactions including Reacciones Químicas, PromaPlast and Andes Chemical, and publishes a quarterly chemicals valuation update.

Seale & Associates professionals have extensive experience across various verticals within the Chemicals market. Our team has successfully worked with a wide range of public and private clients, on a variety of complex transactions which require a seasoned financial advisor and a customized process.

The chemical industry faces a dynamic environment driven by sustainability, technological innovation, and supply chain transformation. With a focus on specialized products and greener practices, it continues to adapt to global challenges and strengthen its competitiveness.

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Representative Areas of Expertise

  • Agricultural Chemicals
  • Basic Chemicals
  • Petrochemicals (plastics, synthetic fibers, rubber)
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Specialty Chemicals

Representative experience

Seale Advised Reacciones Químicas on the Acquisition of the Specialty Resins Business from Huntsman — tombstone
ManufacturingChemicalsPaints & Coatings
Seale Advised Reacciones Químicas on the Acquisition of Resinas BYRSA — tombstone
ManufacturingChemicalsPaints & Coatings
Seale Advised PromaPlast on the Sale of their Business to IMCD — tombstone
Chemicals
Seale Advised Andes Chemicals on the Sale of their Business to IMCD — tombstone
Chemicals
Seale Advised Oxbow on the Sale of Oxbow Activated Carbon — tombstone
Chemicals
Seale Advised Oxbow Carbon on the Sale of Oxbow Sulphur to H.J. Baker & Bro — tombstone
ManufacturingChemicals
Seale Advised Oxbow Carbon on the Sale of Oxbow Fertilizer to Bruce Oakley — tombstone
ManufacturingChemicalsFertilizer
Seale Advised Sicelub on the Sale of their Business to Colfax Corporation — tombstone
ManufacturingChemicalsEnergy
Seale Advised Cosmocel Química on its Sale to ICL Performance Products — tombstone
ManufacturingChemicalsFertilizer
Seale Advised Celanese on the Divestiture of its Pampa Facility — tombstone
ChemicalsEnergy

Mexico’s structural chemicals deficit is the M&A thesis

Mexico runs a large structural trade deficit in chemicals. Between January and September 2025 the deficit reached US$21.4 billion, meaning the country imports most of the chemicals it consumes (ANIQ).
That deficit is the nearshoring case with numbers behind it: import substitution and regional capacity are commercial opportunities, not slogans.
Petrochemicals are the real bottleneck. Production fell 17.85% year over year in 2024 and roughly 70% of Coatzacoalcos assets sat idle for lack of ethane.
Capital is responding. Advario and Braskem Idesa opened the Terminal Química Puerto México, a US$500 million investment that raises production capacity by 25%.
The clusters are concentrated: the Altamira-Tampico-Madero corridor hosts more than 40 companies and roughly 30% of petrochemical production.
All 30 transactions in this industry

Seale & Associates has advised on the following transactions in this sector.

Advisors in this industry

Connect with our experts for guidance. We welcome the opportunity to learn about your strategic goals and explore how we can drive your success.

The bankers who have led the most transactions in this industry.

Sergio García del Bosque19 transactions Brett Carmel12 transactions Felipe Bueno9 transactions James Seale6 transactions Carlos Hernández4 transactions Robert Whitney4 transactions Alejandro Montemayor3 transactions

Industry reports

Chemicals Industry Q2 2026Valuation UpdateDownload Chemicals Industry Q1 2026Valuation UpdateDownload Chemicals Industry Q4 2025Valuation UpdateDownload Chemicals Industry Q3 2025Valuation UpdateDownload Chemicals Industry Q2 2025Valuation UpdateDownload Chemicals Industry Q1 2025Valuation UpdateDownload Chemicals Industry Q4 2024Valuation UpdateDownload Chemicals Industry Q3 2024Valuation UpdateDownload Chemicals Industry Q2 2024Valuation UpdateDownload Chemicals Industry Q1 2024Valuation UpdateDownload Chemicals Industry Q4 2023Valuation UpdateDownload Chemicals Industry Q3 2023Valuation UpdateDownload Chemicals Industry Q2 2023Valuation UpdateDownload Chemicals Industry Q1 2023Valuation UpdateDownload

Case Studies

Sicelub case studySicelub Case StudySicelub Divested its Business to ColfaxView Case Study PromaPlast case studyPromaPlast Case StudyPromaPlast Divested its Business to IMCDView Case Study Reacciones Químicas case studyReacciones Químicas Case StudyReacciones Químicas Acquired Resinas ByrsaView Case Study

Strategic Advisory for Chemical Companies

Seale & Associates offers unparalleled expertise in navigating the complexities of Chemical transactions. Whether you’re looking to divest, acquire, or explore strategic partnerships, our team of seasoned advisors delivers customized solutions to help you achieve your business objectives. Contact us.

Frequently asked questions

What EBITDA multiple do specialty chemical companies sell for?

Specialty chemicals trade at a premium to basic and commodity chemicals. Third-party references such as NYU Stern’s Damodaran dataset placed specialty chemicals around 13.4x and basic chemicals around 8.6x in January 2026, though transaction multiples depend on scale, formulation IP and customer mix.

How are coatings and adhesives companies valued?

Coatings and adhesives are typically valued on the durability of formulation know-how, channel position and raw material pass-through ability rather than volume alone.

What is driving chemical M&A between the United States and Mexico?

Mexico’s structural import dependence, cluster concentration in Altamira and Coatzacoalcos, and national policy prioritising the chemical and petrochemical sector are drawing both strategic and financial buyers.

Which chemicals subsectors does Seale cover?

Basic chemicals, petrochemicals, specialty chemicals, paints and coatings, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural chemicals and fertilizers.