Domestic enterprises’ overseas production capacity deployment is yielding results, helping them avoid tariffs and expand into global markets.
Release time:
2025-12-29
According to the "2024 China Eco-Friendly Packaging Consumer Market Research Report" released by iResearch, China's pulp-molded tableware consumer market exhibits a pronounced regional concentration. The combined market share of the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic zone accounts for 65.7% of the national total, representing a year-on-year increase of 26.1% and making these three regions the core growth engines driving the industry’s development.
To respond to changes in the international trade environment and expand its global market share, China’s leading pulp-molded packaging enterprise has successfully implemented its strategy of establishing overseas production capacity. The first phase of its Thai project—a 35,000-ton-per-year sugarcane-bagasse tableware facility—officially began operations in early 2025 and has already started ramping up shipments to the U.S. The launch of this project has effectively mitigated the impact of U.S.-China trade tariff disputes and “double anti-dumping investigations” on the company’s export business, laying a solid foundation for its global market expansion. In recent years, the U.S. has imposed additional tariffs on pulp-molded packaging products exported from China, significantly increasing companies’ export costs and undermining their competitiveness in overseas markets. Against this backdrop, domestic enterprises have chosen to set up factories in Thailand, leveraging the region’s abundant raw material resources and favorable tariff conditions to tap into international markets. The Thai base uses locally abundant sugarcane bagasse as its primary raw material, which not only reduces procurement and transportation costs but also enables the company to overcome key technical challenges—such as fluorine-free high-temperature resistance—through technological innovation. The pulp-molded tableware produced at this facility boasts exceptional biodegradability, fully decomposing within 180 days in natural environments and fully complying with environmental standards set by developed countries and regions such as the European Union and the United States. The product range primarily includes disposable pulp bowls, plates, and food containers, custom-designed to meet the specific needs of overseas catering markets and supermarket retail channels. According to relevant officials, the Thai base is currently experiencing robust order volumes; the first batch of exports to the U.S. has been smoothly delivered, and the products have received high praise from overseas customers. Building on the strong start of the Thai base, the company is now preparing for the second phase of its project, which will have an annual capacity of 65,000 tons and is expected to begin operations in 2026. Once completed, the company’s total overseas production capacity will reach 100,000 tons, further enhancing its global market share. Data shows that as of the end of 2022, the company held a 20% market share in China’s pulp-molded catering ware sector and is one of the country’s leading exporters of pulp-molded products. This expansion of overseas production capacity will further consolidate its global market position and help the company achieve its strategic goal of becoming a “globally leading provider of eco-friendly packaging solutions.” Meanwhile, the successful operation of the Thai base has provided valuable lessons and best practices for other Chinese pulp-molded packaging enterprises looking to go global, thereby promoting the industry’s globalization.
