The oleochemical industry in China has grown rapidly in the last few years. The growth was attributed to the growing demand of the oleochemical derivatives by the many industries in China. The main driving force for this growth is the increase in disposable income of the population and the strong economic growth in China for the past two decades. Production of basic oleochemicals totaled more than 1.6 million tonnes in 2010 and imports from Malaysia was more than 300 000 t in 2011. The industry is moving from producing basic oleochemicals to producing derivatives that have broad usage, excellent product performance, value-added, safe for human use, environmentally compatible and biodegradable.