nonwoven textile trade Archives

Technical advancements in nonwoven processing and fabric finishing have prompted leading companies to expand their penetration in the global staples PP nonwovens market. Nonwovens have become one of the most prevalently used textile products in an ocean of end-use industries, including feminine hygiene, baby diapers, wipes, automotive, medical, industrial, and geotextiles.

As the demand for polypropylene nonwovens soars for wet filtration in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, PP spun-bonded fabrics have become immensely popular in geotextiles, diaper linings, and agriculture. Spunbonded nonwovens have gained ground for the outer layer of a range of medical masks which are breathable and can protect the inner layer maintaining the mask integrity.

Geotextile makers are profoundly favoring staple PP nonwoven owing to greater flexibility, latitude, and higher tear resistance under impact load. Globally, staples PP nonwovens market size is estimated to grow at a considerable rate by 2026.

Traction for meltblown PP nonwovens has become noticeable in manufacturing products in the automotive, medical, personal hygiene, and electrical and electronics sectors. Pressing use of polypropylene nonwoven fabric made from chemical or thermal web bonding has mustered up the confidence of meltblown nonwovens manufacturers.

Amidst the COVID-19 fallout, staple PP nonwoven fabric in surgical masks with high bacterial filtration efficiency has surged in traction. Not to mention, the middle layer of surgical gowns made of meltblown polypropylene has gained impetus among the masses.

Medical industry players have exhibited increased traction for nonwovens for superior efficiency, better protection, increased performance, and less potential for cross-contamination. Nonwoven textiles will continue to play a pivotal role in the manufacturing of medical products, including dressings, surgical pads, implantable textiles, and filtration materials.

The emergence of nonwovens has triggered the development of a cost-effective alternative and can minimize the problem of cross-contamination immensely. Staples PP nonwovens are expected to be the material of choice for several wound care and surgical applications.

ExxonMobil joined hands with the Nonwoven Institute (NWI) in May 2020 to help rev up face mask production for front lines amidst the pandemic. Reportedly, NWI is supplying the meltblown and spunbond nonwoven fabrics to medical masks’ manufacturers. ExxonMobil is said to have donated around 146,00 pounds of PP and PP-based performance polymers to NWI.

SABAIC teamed up with Fibertex Personal Care in October 2020 to come up with nonwovens using recycled plastics. They claim it to be what they call the world’s first nonwovens range based on recycled plastic in the hygiene market. SABAIC’s circular polypropylene is all set to be used to make the new nonwovens, while they assert the new material could be used as a drop-in solution for keeping up with consumer safety and purity.

The automotive sector has become one of the major revenue-generating hubs following the trend for lightweight cars with aesthetics and improved comfort. Prevalence of staples PP nonwovens in the construction and design of transportation means, including trains, airplanes, boats, satellites, and spacecraft has augured well for the industry size expansion.

Expanding penetration of PP nonwovens in car components, including fuel filters, air filters, doors, seats, and trims has triggered growth in the landscape. It is worth noting that the footfall of nonwoven fabrics will remain pronounced to meet the demand for non-flammable textiles.

Nonwovens that improve acoustical performance and boost weight reduction are likely to remain in the mix, with the use of polypropylene nonwovens fostering sound absorption at lower frequencies to reduce weight, cost, and interior noise levels.

Industry players are expected to infuse funds in North America staples PP nonwovens industry following the roll-out of PP nonwoven surgical masks to combat coronavirus. The medical sector is touted to be one of the major recipients of PP nonwovens. With the footprint of nonwovens in automotive sectors in the U.S. become more palpable than ever before, stakeholders project a bullish outlook in the region.

Asia Pacific is expected to be a major consumer of nonwovens in the wake of the growing popularity of meltblown and spun-bonded fabrics in hygiene, medical and furniture applications. A notable uptick in the birthrates in emerging economies in the region has accentuated the demand for diapers and hygiene products, auguring well for leading companies vying to bolster their footholds in APAC.

Considering the trend for staples PP nonwovens among end-markets, new entrants are likely to be witnessed in the next five years. The presence of advanced healthcare systems in North America, Europe, and APAC will be a growth-stimulator, while stakeholders will potentially emphasize sustainability and innovation-focused trends.

IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘Asia – Nonwoven Textiles – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

The revenue of the nonwoven textile market in Asia amounted to $16.1B in 2018, increasing by 3.9% against the previous year.

Consumption By Country in Asia

In value terms, China ($7.8B) led the market, alone. The second position in the ranking was occupied by Japan ($1.4B). It was followed by Indonesia.

The countries with the highest levels of nonwoven textile per capita consumption in 2018 were Saudi Arabia (4.28 square meters per person), South Korea (4.21 square meters per person) and Japan (3.37 square meters per person).

From 2014 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of nonwoven textile per capita consumption, amongst the main consuming countries, was attained by India, while nonwoven textile per capita consumption for the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Market Forecast to 2019-2030

Driven by increasing demand for nonwoven textile in Asia, the market is expected to continue an upward consumption trend over the next decade. Market performance is forecast to decelerate, expanding with an anticipated CAGR of +1.1% for the period from 2018 to 2030, which is projected to bring the market volume to 5.3B square meters by the end of 2030.

Exports in Asia

In 2018, Asia’s nonwoven textile exports stood at $6.6B (IndexBox estimates). The total export value increased at an average annual rate of +5.5% from 2014 to 2018; however, the trend pattern remained consistent, with somewhat noticeable fluctuations over the period under review. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2018 with an increase of 13% y-o-y. In that year, nonwoven textile exports reached their peak and are likely to continue its growth in the immediate term.

Exports by Country

China represented the key exporter of nonwoven textiles in Asia, with the volume of exports resulting at 1B square meters, which was approx. 53% of total exports in 2018. Turkey (211M square meters) took the second position in the ranking, followed by Taiwan, Chinese (110M square meters). All these countries together held near 17% share of total exports. The following exporters – Thailand (81M square meters), Malaysia (75M square meters), Japan (71M square meters), Israel (71M square meters), Saudi Arabia (70M square meters), South Korea (60M square meters), China, Hong Kong SAR (55M square meters) and India (55M square meters) – together made up 28% of total exports.

Exports from China increased at an average annual rate of +11.9% from 2014 to 2018. At the same time, Saudi Arabia (+24.5%), Turkey (+17.6%), India (+15.6%), Thailand (+12.2%), Malaysia (+7.1%), China, Hong Kong SAR (+6.8%), Japan (+6.1%) and Taiwan, Chinese (+4.3%) displayed positive paces of growth. Moreover, Saudi Arabia emerged as the fastest-growing exporter exported in Asia, with a CAGR of +24.5% from 2014-2018. Israel experienced a relatively flat trend pattern. By contrast, South Korea (-5.4%) illustrated a downward trend over the same period. While the share of China (+19 p.p.), Turkey (+5.2 p.p.), Saudi Arabia (+2.1 p.p.) and Thailand (+1.5 p.p.) increased significantly, the shares of the other countries remained relatively stable throughout the analyzed period.

In value terms, China ($3.1B) remains the largest nonwoven textile supplier in Asia, comprising 46% of total nonwoven textile exports. The second position in the ranking was occupied by Japan ($768M), with a 12% share of total exports. It was followed by Turkey, with a 9% share.

Export Prices by Country

The nonwoven textile export price in Asia stood at $3.4 per square meter in 2018, approximately mirroring the previous year.

There were significant differences in the average prices amongst the major exporting countries. In 2018, the country with the highest price was Japan ($11 per square meter), while Saudi Arabia ($1.5 per square meter) was amongst the lowest.

From 2014 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by Israel, while the other leaders experienced mixed trends in the export price figures.

Imports in Asia

Asia’s nonwoven textile imports amounted to $4.8B (IndexBox estimates) in 2018. The total import value increased at an average annual rate of +3.9% from 2014 to 2018; however, the trend pattern remained relatively stable, with somewhat noticeable fluctuations being recorded over the period under review. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2018 with an increase of 8.8% against the previous year. In that year, nonwoven textile imports reached their peak and are likely to continue its growth in the immediate term.

Imports by Country

In 2018, Japan (268M square meters), distantly followed by China (144M square meters), South Korea (129M square meters), Viet Nam (122M square meters) and India (77M square meters) represented the largest importers of nonwoven textiles, together mixing up 62% of total imports. The following importers – Indonesia (53M square meters), Turkey (49M square meters), Pakistan (42M square meters), Thailand (37M square meters), Saudi Arabia (35M square meters), Malaysia (31M square meters) and Taiwan, Chinese (27M square meters) – together made up 23% of total imports.

From 2014 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of imports, amongst the main importing countries, was attained by Pakistan, while imports for the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

In value terms, China ($905M), Japan ($858M) and Viet Nam ($525M) constituted the countries with the highest levels of imports in 2018, with a combined 47% share of total imports. South Korea, Indonesia, India, Turkey, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Chinese, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan lagged somewhat behind, together accounting for a further 37%.

Import Prices by Country

The nonwoven textile import price in Asia stood at $4.1 per square meter in 2018, approximately mirroring the previous year.

Prices varied noticeably by the country of destination; the country with the highest price was China ($6.3 per square meter), while Pakistan ($1.9 per square meter) was amongst the lowest.

From 2014 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by Indonesia, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Source: IndexBox AI Platform

Spunbonded Fabric to Remain in the Mix for PP Nonwovens Market