Analysis Report on Supply and Demand Situation of Thermal Film Export Market in 2025
Analysis Report on Supply and Demand Situation of Thermal Film Export Market in 2025
1. Global Demand size and growth trends
Global thermal film market demand will show structural differentiation in 2025. According to industry data, North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region account for 82% of global demand, with the digital upgrade of medical imaging driving an average annual growth of 6.1% in demand for medical thermal film. The improvement of medical infrastructure in developing countries has driven the growth rate of Southeast Asia and Latin America to 9.3%, making them emerging growth poles. In terms of application areas, medical diagnostics dominate (68%), mainly benefiting from the popularity of equipment such as DR And CT. The industrial inspection sector has seen the fastest growth in demand (15.2%), especially in electronic manufacturing and automotive parts inspection scenarios where the instant imaging properties of thermal films are irreplaceable. Demand in the business services sector (labels, receipts), which accounted for 17%, slowed to 3.8% due to the prevalence of cashless payments.
2. Analysis of China's Export Supply Capacity China, the world's largest producer of thermal film, will have a production capacity of 420 million square meters by 2025, with an actual output of 380 million square meters and an industry average operating rate of 90.5%. The export volume is 210 million square meters, or 55.3% of the total output, forming two major export clusters in East China (Shanghai, Suzhou) and South China (Shenzhen, Dongguan), which together account for 78% of the total export volume. In terms of technology, domestic thermosensitive coating technology has achieved a breakthrough. The proportion of 1200dpi high-resolution products has increased to 42%, and the temperature range has been expanded from -20 °C to 85 °C. However, the core components still rely on imports. Japanese companies such as Kyocera and ROhm hold 85% of the global market share for thermal print heads, resulting in domestic production costs being 18% to 22% higher than those of their international counterparts.
3. Evolution of the international trade pattern
The export market shows a "three-tier" feature: The first tier, the United States (28%), Germany (15%), and Japan (12%), maintain technical barriers and impose import surcharges of 15% to 20%; The second tier, India (9%), Brazil (7%), and Russia (6%), achieved zero tariffs through free trade agreements; Third-tier Southeast Asian countries (13 percent in total) have implemented local production requirements, forcing Chinese companies to build overseas factories. The trade pattern has changed significantly, with general trade falling from 71% in 2022 to 58%, while cross-border e-commerce (23%) and bonded zone re-export (19%) have emerged as new growth points. The export unit price showed a "V-shaped" trend, rising from a low of $7.2 per square meter in 2023 to $8.5 per square meter in 2025, mainly due to an increase in the share of functional products.
4. Supply and Demand balance and Challenges
There is a structural shortage in the global market at present. The gap between supply and demand of high-end medical films is 12%, while the surplus rate of ordinary label films is 8%. Chinese exporters face a triple challenge: First, the EU's Electronic Waste regulation requires a 90% recyclability rate for heat-sensitive materials from 2025, forcing companies to invest in environmental protection technology research and development; Second, three Chinese companies have been placed on the Entity List in the U.S. Section 337 investigation targeting patents for thermosensitive coatings; Third, fluctuations in the RMB exchange rate have compressed export profits by 3-5 percentage points . It is suggested that the industry adopt a differentiated competition strategy: deepen certification cooperation with GE and Siemens in the medical field; Develop anti-static and chemical-resistant special films in the industrial sector; Emerging markets promote bundled sales of "printing equipment + consumables". China's thermal film exports are expected to exceed $1.8 billion in 2025 through technological innovation and market expansion, but beware of the impact of low-price competition from local Indian companies.