2021 Annual Market Development Report on Polymethyl Methacrylate
Release time:
2021-12-17
Author:
Goncord Oil
Huizheng Information: Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), commonly known as acrylic glass, can be processed into finished products via casting, injection molding, extrusion, thermoforming, and other methods. PMMA production technologies include bulk polymerization, suspension polymerization, and solution polymerization.
Huizheng Information: Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), commonly known as acrylic glass, can be processed into finished products via casting, injection molding, extrusion, thermoforming, and other methods. PMMA production technologies include bulk polymerization, suspension polymerization, and solution polymerization.
Global Supply and Demand Analysis and Forecast for Polymethyl Methacrylate
In 2020, global PMMA production capacity reached 3.127 million tons per year. The vast majority of this capacity is dedicated to producing PMMA resin, with acrylic sheets as the final product. PMMA producers are concentrated primarily in Asia, North America, and Western Europe. Northeast Asia accounts for the largest share of global PMMA capacity. The top five PMMA producers worldwide are Chi Mei, Mitsubishi Rayon (including Lucite), Evonik, Arkema, and Sumitomo Chemical. The advertising industry and the construction sector are the two largest downstream applications of PMMA, while the automotive and home‑appliance sectors rank third and fourth, respectively.
In 2019, the total international trade value of PMMA reached US$1.16 billion, with a total trade volume of 510,000 tonnes. In terms of pricing, the global average export price of PMMA was US$2,276.7 per tonne. China, India, and Malaysia were the world’s major PMMA importers, while South Korea, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia were the leading PMMA exporters.
Global PMMA demand continues to grow rapidly. The construction and advertising sectors remain the primary drivers of PMMA demand. In other application areas, annual demand growth is expected to average 3%–4%, remaining relatively stable. Meanwhile, the construction sector’s share of total demand is being eroded by optical media and other downstream applications. As global economic and population growth slow, products that enhance quality of life—such as automobiles, televisions, and medical devices—are poised for faster growth.
Current Supply and Demand Situation and Forecast for Polymethyl Methacrylate in China
China’s PMMA market exhibits strong demand, and production capacity utilization rates typically remain high. In 2020, China’s PMMA production capacity remained stable, with output increasing by 4.4 percentage points year over year. Both apparent consumption and the domestic self-sufficiency rate of PMMA rose compared to the previous year. Due to technological constraints, most Chinese PMMA producers focus on manufacturing standard-grade products. This has resulted in an oversupply of low-end grades and a shortage of high-end offerings, leaving demand largely dependent on imports. For instance, high‑quality optical‑grade and impact‑resistant PMMA continue to be sourced primarily through imports.
In 2020, PMMA imports declined by 7.3% year on year, while import value fell by 17.6% compared with the previous year. PMMA exports totaled 21,000 tonnes in 2020. Among China’s PMMA import trade modes, general trade ranked first, accounting for 75.2% of the total; the second-largest category was processing trade involving imported materials, representing 19.1% of the total. China’s PMMA imports were primarily sourced from South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and other regions.
PMMA exhibits excellent post-processing properties. It is widely used downstream in sectors such as construction, optoelectronics, lighting, transportation, and medicine. In China, the construction sector accounts for 43% of PMMA consumption, while the optoelectronics sector accounts for 24%.
China has no plans to add new production capacity over the next two years, with a focus on maintaining stable output. The primary growth opportunity for PMMA lies in optical-grade PMMA, where China faces a significant supply gap and which holds broad application prospects.
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