Distribution of biaxially oriented polyester film

my country's BOPET film industry began in the 1980s with the importation of production lines from abroad. While my country is currently a major producer of BOPET film, it is not yet a global powerhouse; domestic products are generally concentrated in low-to-mid-end applications, whereas many higher-specification products-such as optical-grade films-still rely on imports.

As of 2024, my country's total BOPET film production capacity reached 6.9496 million tons. This expansion involved 23 new production lines across 11 companies, adding a combined capacity of 805,000 tons; specifically, three new market entrants added 305,000 tons of capacity, while eight existing enterprises added 500,000 tons. Production volume rose to 4.5935 million tons in 2024, with demand standing at 4.1535 million tons. Imports totaled 270,000 tons, while exports increased to 710,000 tons.

Representative domestic enterprises include: Hangzhou Heshun Technology Co., Ltd., which focuses on the R&D, production, and sales of differentiated and functional BOPET films; Fuwei Films (Shandong) Co., Ltd., a specialized supplier integrating the development, production, and sales of BOPET films; Shuangxing New Materials, a pioneer in domestic BOPET film production that has established an ecosystem covering the entire industry chain from raw material development to finished product manufacturing; and Anhui Qiangrun New Materials Co., Ltd., which launched a production project for functional BOPET films with an annual capacity of 55,000 tons in July 2024.

The BOPET film market entered a state of oversupply in 2022. Particularly during 2023 and 2024, the industry faced persistently negative gross margins and mounting operational pressure. Consequently, companies increasingly resorted to voluntary shutdowns and reduced production loads, causing capacity utilization rates to drop to a five-year low. It is projected that during the 2026 Spring Festival, the shutdown rate for BOPET production facilities will exceed 50%, with operating loads hitting a five-year low. In the future, my country's BOPET film products will evolve towards high added value, high technological content, core competitiveness, and brand development, while also moving in the direction of functionalization and differentiation and continuously expanding into new fields.