Lubricants for internal combustion engines - Market and consumption

To put the economic importance of internal combustion engine lubricants into perspective, annual worldwide consumption of lubricants of all categories represents just over 1.1% of global oil consumption, or some 38 or 39 million tonnes. The world's biggest consumer remains the United States, with some 8.5 million tonnes in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including some 4.3 million tonnes, or 49-50% of the total, for motor oils alone. The European Union ranks second, with a total consumption of almost 5 million tonnes, of which 40-42% are motor oils. In France, total annual consumption of lubricants over the same period was between 840,000 and 890,000 tonnes.

This article focuses on the economic and commercial aspects of the French domestic motor oil market.