The current development in the USA, dominated by cheap shale gas, will make a significant impact on the production of basic chemicals. In this context, the paper addresses the question of whether the share of renewable resources for chemical production can be increased or whether the number of bio-based products and processes will tend to progressively decrease. Answers are obtained by selecting a number of basic chemicals and comparing the existing production processes, based on petrochemicals, with alternatives based on renewable or alternative fossil resources (e.g., methane and lower alkanes).