化学品船指专门运载有毒、易燃和腐蚀性强的液体化学品的液货船只，运输产品也包括石油化学产品、煤焦油、碳水化合物的衍生物等等。化学品船一般与成品油船类似，但设置有温控系统和透气系统。特殊的化学品船还会设置有隔离空舱、惰性气体保护系统、不锈钢板舱壁等。由于化学品船所运载的货物的特殊性，为了防止或降低船体在遭受破坏时可能造成的破坏，不仅根据运载品危险程度和环境破坏程度规定了货舱的位置，而且将货舱大小分为三级。Ⅰ级为危害最大，货舱必须小于1250立方米，Ⅱ级次之，需小于3000立方米，而Ⅲ级则对货舱大小无明确限制。

A chemical tanker is a type of tanker ship designed to transport chemicals in bulk. As defined in MARPOL Annex II, chemical tanker means a ship constructed or adapted for carrying in bulk any liquid product listed in chapter 17 of the International Bulk Chemical Code. As well as industrial chemicals and clean petroleum products, such ships also often carry other types of sensitive cargo which require a high standard of tank cleaning, such as palm oil, vegetable oils, tallow, caustic soda, and methanol.