Citric Acid Supply Chain Full Profile


Citric Acid Supply Chain - Executive Summary

Citric Acid

Direct Use Chemical

C6Hs07

(liquid or solid)

Inputs to Manufacturing Process:	^ % of Total Domestic Consumption

Substrate (corn, other source of glucose)	Attributed to Water Sector:

Less than 5%

Derivative Water Treatment Chemicals:	Understanding Chemical Supply Chains

None	Map of Suppliers & Manufacturers

¦0 Product Family:
Corn Substrate

CAS No.: 77-92-9

H Shelf Life:
24+ Months

— RISK OF SUPPLY DISRUPTION (Assessed in 2022)

RISK RATING: Moderate-Low

.-Low Modera,

RISK DRIVERS

Production of citric acid depends on
fermentation of a substrate, most
commonly corn. Recovery and re-
finement of crude product may uti-
lize one of three methods, one
common method requiring calcium
hydroxide and sulfuric acid. Domes-
tic manufacturing has decreased
over the past 20 years, and demand
is increasingly met through imports.

RISK PARAMETERS

Criticality: High. Essential and
widely used for membrane
cleaning.

Likelihood: Moderate-Low. Sig-
nificant price increases, but no
history of supply disruptions
between 2000 and 2022.

Vulnerability: Moderate-Low.
Domestic manufacturing is lim-
ited and meeting domestic
demand depends on imports.

MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Water T reatment Applications

Membrane cleaning

Other Applications

•	Food and beverages

•	Household detergents and cleaners

•	Pharmaceuticals

•	Cosmetics

DOMESTIC PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION, AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Domestic Manufacturing Locations (2015):
11, distributed throughout the U.S.

International Trade (2019)

Primary Trading Partner (Imports): Thailand

Primary Trading Partner (Exports): Canada

Domestic Consumption (2015):

96 M kg

Domestic Production (32 M kg)
¦ Imports for Consumption (75 M kg)
I Export of Domestic Production (12 M kg)

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Citric Acid Supply Chain - Full Profile

Product Description

Manufactured citric acid (C6H807), an organic acid, is one of the most common additives in food and beverage
products across the world. Citric acid is produced almost exclusively through microbial processes, utilizing a
substrate and strain of mold or yeast.

Use in Water Treatment

Citric acid is used directly in water treatment for membrane cleaning.

Use as a Precursor to Other Water Treatment Chemicals

Citric acid is not used to manufacture other water treatment chemicals.

Other Applications

Citric acid has a wide range of applications, most commonly in food and beverage production as a flavoring,
preservative, and acidulant. It is also commonly used in formulating cleaning agents, pharmaceutical, and
personal care products (NCBI, 2022; USITC, 2022a).

Primary Industrial Consumers

In 2012, the primary use of citric acid is production of a foods and beverages (65%), household detergents and
cleaners (23%), pharmaceuticals (5%), cosmetics (2%), and industrial and other uses (5%) (USITC, 2015).

Manufacturing, Transport, & Storage

Manufacturing Process

The primary method for the commercial manufacture of citric acid is the two-step process of fermentation
followed by recovery and refinement.

Commercial fermentation requires a substrate and a mold or yeast. Corn is the most common substrate used in
the United States. Through the metabolic reactions, the substrate is turned to glucose and fermented into crude
citric acid.

Subsequent recovery and refinement of the citric acid is performed by one of three common methods: the
lime/sulfuric acid method, the solvent extraction method, or the ion exchange method. It is unclear which
method is most common to domestic production. All three methods proceed with a preciptation step, followed
by recovery of a citric acid slurry which is then evaporated, crystalized, and dried (USITC, 2017).

Product Transport

Citric acid, available as a solution or in granular form, is widely transported in container and bulk by truck, rail,
barge, and ship.

Storage and Shelf Life

Citric acid should be stored in a tightly closed container and kept in cool, dry conditions. When stored properly,
citric acid (anhydrous and monohydrate) can have a shelf life of in excess of 24 months (Cargill, 2010; Puritan
Products, 2017).

EPA 817-F-22-021 | December 2022

vvEPA

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Citric Acid Supply Chain - Full Profile

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic Production

Production data was collected from the 2016 EPA Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Data Reporting
(CDR) for the year 20151, while trade data was collected from the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC)
Dataweb, as characterized in Table 1. Both production and trade data are specific to citric acid.

Table 1. Citric Acid Production and Trade Data Sources

Production and Trade Data

Category

Data Source

Identifier

Description

Domestic Production

2016 TSCA Chemical Data Reporting

CAS No.: 77-92-9

Citric Acid

Imports and Exports

U.S. International Trade Commission

HS Code: 2918.14

Citric Acid

Total U.S. domestic manufacturing of citric acid reported under the CDR was approximately 32 million kilograms
(M kg) in 2015; however, several leading manufacturers claimed confidential business information and did not
report production volumes to EPA (EPA, 2016). The number of domestic manufacturing locations shown in
Figure 1 represents operating facilities as of 2015. Supply of NSF/ANSI Standard 60 certified citric acid for use in
drinking water treatment is widely available (NSF International, 2021). For a more current listing of
manufacturing locations and supplier locations, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's)
Chemical Locator Tool (EPA, 2022a).

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Domestic Supply and Manufacturing of Citric Acid
O 44 NSF-60 Certified Suppliers (NSF International, 2021)

^ 11 Domestic Manufacturing Locations (EPA Chemical Data Reporting, 2016)

,2.

Figure 1. Domestic Supply and Manufacturing of Citric Acid

1 Although 2019 CDR data is available, reporting is less complete when compared to 2015 data due to an increase in the number of
companies claiming confidential business information (CBI). In both instances, CBI may account for a significant volume of citric acid
produced that is not reflected in CDR reporting.

SERA

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Citric Acid Supply Chain - Full Profile

Domestic Consumption

U.S. consumption of citric acid in 2015 is estimated at 96 M kg. This includes production of 32 M kg, import of 75
M kg, minus export of 12 M kg (EPA, 2016; USITC, 2022a), as shown in Figure 2.

Domestic Consumption (2015):

96 M kg

¦	Domestic Production (32 M kg)

¦	Imports for Consumption (75 M kg)

¦	Export of Domestic Production (12 M kg)

Figure 2. Domestic Production and Consumption of Citric Acid in 2019

Trade & Tariffs

Worldwide Trade

Worldwide import and export data for citric acid are reported through the World Bank's World Integrated Trade
Solutions (WITS) software, as a category specific to citric acid. In 2021, the U.S. ranked tenth worldwide in total
exports and second in total imports. In 2021, China ranked first worldwide in total exports while Germany
ranked first in total imports (WITS, 2022), as shown in Table 2.

Table 2. WITS Worldwide Export and Import of Citric Acid in 2021

2021 Worldwide Trade
Citric Acid (HS Code 2918.14)

Top 5 Worldwide Exporters

Top 5 Worldwide Importers

China

1,067 M kg

Germany

147 M kg

Belgium

114 M kg

United States

113 M kg

Thailand

106 M kg

India

102 M kg

Germany

34 M kg

Mexico

77 M kg

Netherlands

33 M kg

Poland

59 M kg

Domestic Imports and Exports

Domestic import and export data are reported by USITC in categories specific to citric acid. Figure 3 summarizes
imports for consumption2 and domestic exports3 of citric acid between 2015 and 2020. During this period, the
overall quantity of exports and imports remained relatively steady, with imports for consumption consistently
exceeding domestic exports. Over this five-year period, Canada was the primary recipients of domestic exports
while Thailand was the primary source of imports for consumption (USITC, 2022a).

2	Imports for consumption are a subset of general imports, representing the total amount cleared through customs and entering
consumption channels, not anticipated to be reshipped to foreign points, but may include some reexports.

3	Domestic exports are a subset of total exports, representing export of domestic merchandise which are produced or manufactured in
the U.S. and commodities of foreign origin which have been changed in the U.S.

3

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Citric Acid Supply Chain - Full Profile

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Figure 3. USITC Domestic Import and Export of Citric Acid between 2015 and 2020

Tariffs

There is a 6% general duty, and a 25% additional duty on imports from China (USITC, 2022b), as summarized in
Table 3.

Table 3. Domestic Tariff Schedule for Citric Acid in 2021

HS Code

General Duty

Additional Duty-China
(Section 301 Tariff List)

Special Duty

2918.14

6%

25%

Free (A, AU, BH, CL, CO, D, E, IL, JO, KR, MA, OM,
P, PA, PE, S, SG)4

Market History & Risk Evaluation

History of Shortages

Domestic manufacturing has decreased over the past 20 years, and domestic demand is increasingly met
through imports. In 2021, supply of citric acid became tight, due to reliance on imports to meet domestic
demand and logistical and feedstock challenges of imported citric acid. Due to reliance on imports, periodic
increases in price for citric acid have occurred, however there are no notable citric acid domestic supply chain
disruptions impacting the water sector between 2000 and 2022.

Risk Evaluation

The complete risk assessment methodology is described in Understanding Water Treatment Chemical Supply
Chains and the Risk of Disruptions (EPA, 2022b). The risk rating is calculated as the product of the following three
risk parameters:

4 Symbols used to designate the various preference programs and trade agreements. A full list of special trade agreements and
associated acronyms can be found at https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-310?language=en US and the General Notes Section of the
Harmonized Tariff Schedule https://hts.usitc.gov/current

4

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Citric Acid Supply Chain - Full Profile

Risk = Criticality x Likelihood x Vulnerability
Criticality Measure of the importance of a chemical to the water sector

Likelihood Measure of the probability that the chemical will experience a supply disruption in the
future, which is estimated based on past occurrence of supply disruptions

Vulnerability Measure of the market dynamics that make a chemical market more or less resilient to
supply disruptions

The individual parameter rating is based on evaluation of one or more attributes of the chemical or its supply
chain. The ratings and drivers for these three risk parameters are shown below in Table 4.

Table 4. Supply Chain Risk Evaluation for Citric Acid

Risk Parameter Ratings and Drivers

1 Criticality High

Citric acid is widely used for
membrane cleaning.

The water sector has experienced
significant price increases, but has not
experienced citric acid supply chain
disruptions between 2000 and 2022.

Domestic manufacturing is limited and
meeting domestic demand depends
on imports.

Risk Rating: Moderate-Low

0 i

ve-Low Moderaf

f\ \

References

Cargill, Inc, 2010. Citric Acid Technical Data Sheet, retrieved from

https://www.cargill.com/doc/1432075932601/citric-acid-technical-data-sheet.pdf

EPA, 2016. 2016 TSCA Chemical Data Reporting, retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/chemical-data-
reporting/access-cdr-data#2016

EPA, 2022a. Chemical Suppliers and Manufacturers Locator Tool, retrieved from

https://www.epa.gov/waterutilityresponse/chemical-suppliers-and-manufacturers-locator-tool

EPA, 2022b. Understanding Water Treatment Chemical Supply Chains and the Risk of Disruptions, retrieved
from https://www.epa.gov/waterutilityresponse/risk-disruptions-supplv-water-treatment-chemicals

NSF International, 2021. Search for NSF Certified Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals, retrieved from
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/PwsChemicals/

National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), 2022. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 311,
Citric Acid, retrieved from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Citric-acid

Puritan Products, 2017. Product Shelf Life/Expiration Date Policy, retrieved from

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Citric Acid Supply Chain - Full Profile

https://www.puritanproducts.com/

U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), 2015. Publication 4538: Citric Acid and Certain Citrate Salts
from Canada and China, retrieved from https://www.usitc.gov/publications/701 731/pub4538.pdf

U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), 2017. Publication 4710: Citric Acid and Certain Citrate Salts
from Belgium, Colombia, and Thailand, retrieved from
https://www.usitc.gov/publications/701 73 l/pub4710.pdf

U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), 2022a. USITC DataWeb, retrieved from
https://dataweb.usitc.gov/

U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), 2022b. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) Search, retrieved
from https://hts.usitc.gov/

World Integrated Trade Solutions (WITS), 2022. Trade Statistics by Product (HS 6-digit), retrieved from
https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/countrv-byhs6product.aspx?lang=en#void

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