EPA reported no US production in 2019
EPA's 2019 report shows imports and no US production of L-ascorbic acid; companies kept the 2023 volumes confidential.
- Source: EPA Chemical Data Reporting, reporting year 2019, CAS 50-81-7 (2026-04-20)
L-Ascorbic acid
Drug ingredientCAS 50-81-7
This drug ingredient has classified U.S. production volumes. EPA withholds the number as confidential business information.
US productionCBI
Confidential Business Information. The EPA withholds this volume because publishing it could reveal the reporting company's trade secrets.
Import value, 2024$190M
Top sourceChina 73%
At least one company claimed its 2023 production or import volume for this chemical as confidential, so EPA withholds it.
Why supply is unknownProduction is reported production, not a complete census of factories. US production volume is confidential. Production reporting year: 2023. Import value and source-country shares describe a shared customs category, not a separate chemical measurement.
L-Ascorbic acid · US import value by year
2013: $141M · Peak 2018: $264M · 2024: $190M · 2025: $225M
The wound-healing vitamin
NIH says vitamin C is required for collagen, and collagen plays a vital role in wound healing.
- Vitamin C - Health Professional Fact Sheet· 2025-08-01
A 73% source country
ACID's narrow HS mapping puts China at 73% of US ascorbic-acid import origin. Ingredient reporting shows price risk around that same supply concentration.
- Source: ACID Census HS 293627 import-origin mapping for CAS 50-81-7 (2026-04-20)
- Vitamin C prices triple in a year's time· 2017-11-06
Where It Comes From
Customs basis: HS 293627 · narrow
EPA reports by year
- 2023
- US production Confidential · Imports Confidential
- 2019
- US production Zero · Imports 570.4K lb
These shares come from HS customs code 293627, which covers 6 tracked chemicals in total. They estimate the category's origin mix, not this chemical specifically.
Source Countries
Country of origin for US imports, from Census customs data (2024).
CN 73%ChinaGB 20%United KingdomIN 2%IndiaDE 1%GermanyKR 1%South Korea
- Japan
- Canada
- Israel
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Poland
- Hong Kong
- Denmark
- Australia
- Slovakia
- Ukraine
- Spain
- Mexico
- Belgium
- Latvia
- Italy
- Ecuador
- Georgia
- Malaysia
Domestic parents -- activity not disclosed (3)
EPA records name a US company for this chemical but do not disclose whether the company made it here or imported it.
Ambyth Chemical
Brenntag Global Marketing
Harcros Chemicals
EPA-registered importers (8)
Companies that report making or importing this chemical to the EPA. Registration is US-centric and does not indicate import origin.
Brenntag
Entegris
Hydrite Chemical
Jost Chemical
Kic Chemicals
Show all 8
Kik International
Tilley Distribution Middle River
Wintersun International
Why It Matters
Sectors
HealthFoodCore Chemicals
Downstream Uses
Appears in 167 drug and cosmetic product listings (FDA).
- •Tri-Vite Drops with Fluoride
- •Vitmin C
- •Glutathione
- •Dialyvite
- •Quflora Pediatric
- •GUNA Arthro Relief
- •PNV-DHA
- •Glucoreg
Show all 167
- •Electrolyte Plus
- •Telomere - DNA
- •Integra Plus
- •Floriva
- •Allergies
- •Multivitamin with Fluoride
- •Flotrex
- •Davimet-M
- •Prenatryl
- •Ventrixyl Fe
- •D3 Organ Support
- •Matervia
- •Vita Soluball
- •Vitafol One
- •Vitafol Fe Plus
- •Aflora
- •Super vitamin C serum
- •GUNA-Sinus NOSE
- •Bio Cytotox Phase
- •Bio Co-Enzyme Phase
- •Occuloplex G
- •Mitochondria PRO
- •Concept OB
- •M-Natal Plus
- •Vitrexate
- •Venexa
- •C-Balance Liquescence 3022
- •Prenate Restore
- •Prenate Pixie
- •CitriDrops
- •AnubisMed
- •Vitamin C Liquescence
- •IAHA Whitening Serum
- •Floravita Mini
- •Folartex
- •Virexa
- •Folixia
- •Nutralyn
- •PNV-Omega
- •N-17
- •Vitranol Fe
- •Pretrate
- •Folitin-Z
- •Vitamin C 15 %
- •Cellular Oxygenator Drops 2095
- •Ascor
- •Prenate Enhance
- •Dialyvite 5000
- •Dialyvite 3000
- •GUNA-Digest
- •GUNA-Rhino NOSE
- •Bio Tonsilla Phase
- •Metox
- •Prenatal Vitamins Plus Low Iron
- •D-105
- •Prenatrix
- •Multitam
- •Livita Children
- •A11 Enviro-Protect
- •C07 Strong Ligaments AND Joints
- •Vita-Rx Diabetic Vitamin
- •Cobalefol
- •Prenate Elite
- •Prenate Mini
- •Vitamin C Oil
- •dark knuckles eraser pen
- •Srripo 20% Vitamin C Serum
- •STYE EYE Relief Serum
- •Feelshion Dark Spot Remover Serum
- •Noavia Retinol Moisturizer
- •Yvtyvt DARK SPOT
- •Gestyra
- •Dialyvite with Zinc
- •TriStart DHA
- •Immuno Fortifier
- •Adaptagen
- •Osteoplex
- •Mast Cell Pro
- •Multitol-M
- •Davimet with Iron
- •Vitrexyl plus Iron
- •Ribotin-E
- •Livita Adults
- •Ascorbic Acid
- •Prenate Essential
- •Anubis Barcelona Protective Line
- •Dark Eye Anti Ageing Roller Pen
- •AOA0 Snail Ginseng Cream
- •Silicone SCAR Cream
- •Lunavira
- •Folaten
- •GUNA-Matrix
- •GUNA-CELL
- •PNV-Select
- •Metab
- •Bio Lymph Phase
- •Detox III
- •CitraNatal 90 DHA
- •Vitrexate FE
- •Ventrixyl
- •Vitramyn
- •Davimet
- •Tricon
- •Vitafol Ultra
- •St. Paul Brands Verestor
- •Omeosport
- •Egg Allergen Mix
- •Sinus Tonic
- •Multi-Phenolic
- •Integra F
- •N-16
- •Prenatol-M
- •Davimet with Fluoride
- •Foliflex
- •Pain Formula Drops 2046
- •Mucolytic Drainage Liquescence 3017
- •Prenatal Plus Vitamins
- •Prenate DHA
- •Niferex
- •Cellular Oxygenator
- •Strovite One Caplets
- •Qidila Whitening Skin Lightening Cream
- •Embriva
- •Lumavex
- •Vitamin C Serum
- •Matronex
- •GUNA Sinus PLUS
- •Male Stimulant
- •Recovatone
- •Pediatric Infuvite Multiple Vitamins
- •Multi-Vitamin Drops with Fluoride and Iron
- •Finazol
- •Vitrexyl
- •Vitranol
- •Zintrexyl-C
- •Skin Renewing Serum
- •Melao Whitening Sunscreen
- •Yvtyvt Dark Spot Remover Serum
- •Dialyvite Supreme D
- •JBA Verestor Mega Fiber Powder
- •Se-Natal 19
- •GUNA-Arthro
- •Immune Support
- •Concept DHA
- •Food Additives
- •Vitamin C 10 %
- •MetDetox
- •Progena Immugen
- •Pyrogenium Combination 9239
- •Pain Formula
- •JBA Collagen-Electrolyte Mocktail
- •Metabolism
- •Ferralet 90
- •Multivitamin
- •Diatrol
- •Prometa
- •Venexa FE
- •Anti-Hives Drops 2004
- •Chromagen
FDA Shortage Status
Whether any manufacturer currently reports this drug as in shortage on the FDA Drug Shortages database. "Active Shortage" means at least one presentation has status "current."
No FDA shortage records
Industrial Uses
- •Intermediate in All Other Basic Inorganic Chemical ManufacturingProcessing—incorporation into formulation, mixture, or reaction product
Vendor Pricing
$18.00/gTargetMol Chemicals
CountryChina (registered: United States)
Pack$36.00 / 2 g
Purity99.8%
Vendors5 available
Prices reflect listed pack sizes. Small research packs run far above bulk rates.
4 more vendors
| Vendor | Country Supplier country. Where available, shows shipping origin. When the supplier ships from a different country than where they are registered, both are shown. Most suppliers show registration country only. | $/g | Pack | Purity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specs | Netherlands | $68.97 | 10 g | 90% |
| Vitas M Chemical Limited | Hong Kong | $81.60 | 5 g | 90% |
| Labotest KG | Germany | $217.80 | 5000 mg | 90% |
| Princeton BioMolecular Research (SC) | United States | $2900.00 | 100 mg | 90% |
Chemical Identity
CAS50-81-7
PubChem CID54670067
DTXSIDDTXSID5020106
FormulaC6H8O6
Mol. Weight176.12 g/mol
SMILESC(C(C1C(=C(C(=O)O1)O)O)O)O
Data Sources
- EPA CompTox (DSSTox) · DTXSID5020106Retrieved 2026-04-06
- PubChem · compound 54670067Retrieved 2026-04-06
- EPA Chemical Data ReportingReporting year: 2023 · Retrieved 2026-10-04
- EPA Chemical Data ReportingReporting year: 2023 · Retrieved 2026-10-04
- US Census international tradeReporting year: 2024 · Retrieved 2026-10-04
Brief citations
L-Ascorbic acid (CAS 50-81-7) https://chemicalindependence.com/chemical/50-81-7/ EPA CompTox (DSSTox): DTXSID5020106. Retrieved 2026-04-06. https://comptox.epa.gov/dashboard/chemical/details/DTXSID5020106 PubChem: 54670067. Retrieved 2026-04-06. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/54670067 EPA Chemical Data Reporting: 50-81-7. Reporting year: 2023. https://www.epa.gov/chemical-data-reporting EPA Chemical Data Reporting: CAS 50-81-7. Reporting year: 2023. https://www.epa.gov/chemical-data-reporting US Census international trade: HS 293627 for CAS 50-81-7. Reporting year: 2024. https://usatrade.census.gov/ EPA Chemical Data Reporting, reporting year 2019, CAS 50-81-7. Reporting date: 2026-04-20. Source: epa_cdr Vitamin C - Health Professional Fact Sheet. Reporting date: 2025-08-01. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/ ACID Census HS 293627 import-origin mapping for CAS 50-81-7. Reporting date: 2026-04-20. Source: census Vitamin C prices triple in a year's time. Reporting date: 2017-11-06. https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/10836-vitamin-c-prices-triple-in-a-year-s-time