Nonwovens industry market outlook analysis: growth trends and investment opportunities

As an emerging field in the textile and apparel industry, the nonwoven fabric industry has realized rapid development globally in recent years. The following is a detailed forecast analysis of the market outlook for the nonwovens industry:

 1. Global Market Status and Trends
- Production growth: in 2020, global nonwoven production rose rapidly to 14.56 million tons due to the epidemic. Although the output fell back to 13.81 million tons in 2021, the total global nonwoven fabric production rebounded to about 14.24 million tons in 2022, with sales of about $58.75 billion, representing year-on-year growth of 3.11% and 8.29%, respectively.
- Market Concentration: The competition pattern of the global nonwoven fabrics market is relatively decentralized, but some enterprises, such as Berry Global, Freudenberg and Ahlstrom, have gradually formed strong market competitiveness through mergers and acquisitions.

 2. China Market Status and Trends
- Production and Demand: China's nonwoven production reached 8.205 million tons in 2021 and further increased to approximately 8.282 million tons in 2022, representing a year-on-year growth of 0.94%. Demand grew from 3.091 million tons in 2012 to 7.177 million tons in 2022, registering a CAGR of 8.8% during the period.
- Import and export situation: China's nonwoven products are mainly exported, with the export volume of 1.208 million tons in 2022, a year-on-year decrease of 11.9%, and the import volume of 103,000 tons, a year-on-year decrease of 23.7%.

 3. Technology and Innovation
- **Product Innovation**: Technological innovation and product diversification in the nonwoven industry are important means for enterprises to enhance competitiveness. Nonwoven products with special functions can meet the diversified needs of consumers and enhance the market influence of enterprises.

 4. Market Prospect Forecast
- Growth trend: It is expected that China's nonwoven production will maintain a growth trend and the R&D process will accelerate. With the improvement of people's living standards and the change of consumption concepts, the demand for nonwoven applications in the fields of medical and health care, household products, garments, automobile interiors, and environmental protection will continue to maintain a growing trend.
- Market Scale: In 2023, the market scale of China's nonwoven fabric industry reached 128.525 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 5.7%, and the future market outlook is very promising.

 5. Investment and Risk
- Investment Direction: Fixed asset investment in China's nonwovens industry dropped 63% year-on-year in 2021, but high-end geosynthetics and high-performance filtration materials are still the focus of industry investment.
- Risks and Challenges: Enterprises need to pay close attention to market changes and risk challenges, and strengthen technology R&D and brand building to adapt to the changing market environment.

 6. Industry Competition Pattern
- Enterprise competition: China's nonwoven fabrics market is highly competitive, with many players in the market. Listed leading enterprises such as Jinchun, Xinlong Holding, Yanjiang, and Nobang have high market share and influence in the industry.

To summarize, the nonwoven fabric industry has shown steady growth in both the global and Chinese markets, especially in the fields of healthcare and personal protection, where demand is growing rapidly. With the advancement of technological innovation and product diversification, the nonwoven fabric industry is expected to continue to maintain its growth momentum in the coming years. However, companies also need to be aware of market risks and competitive challenges in order to achieve sustainable development.