Metal packaging is gradually becoming the market leader.
Release time:
Dec 18,2020
Internationally speaking, after 10 consecutive years of rapid growth, China’s per capita annual consumption of aluminum cans stands at only 17 cans—just 1/22 of the U.S. figure (380 cans).
The metal packaging industry has entered a period of rapid growth and has now established a complete metal packaging industrial system. However, several practical issues within the metal packaging sector cannot be overlooked. In recent years, China’s metal packaging industry has entered a phase of rapid growth. Today, China’s metal packaging industry has developed a comprehensive industrial system covering products such as coated steel sheets, can manufacturing, lid production, and drum fabrication. Meanwhile, as consumers’ purchasing power continues to rise and consumption patterns evolve, the rapidly expanding market for high-end beverage products is increasingly relying on metal packaging.
Since the domestic market has not yet been fully activated, and given that the safety and convenience of metal packaging still need to be improved relative to glass bottle packaging, the market capacity for metal packaging used in canned foods remains difficult to estimate, yet it boasts strong growth potential. Additionally, statistics show that per capita annual consumption of canned goods is around 90 kilograms in the United States, approximately 50 kilograms in Western Europe, 23 kilograms in Japan, and only 1 kilogram in China.
Moreover, many enterprises are focusing on technological advancement and R&D, creating brand products with independent intellectual property rights to win over customers, capture market share, and pursue a path of intrinsic growth. According to expert forecasts, China’s metal packaging industry has enormous growth potential over the next three to five years, and surpassing a trillion-yuan in output value has become an established reality.
The continuous growth in food and fast-moving consumer goods—especially the rapid increase in beverages as consumer products—has led to ever-higher canning rates for beer. Meanwhile, rural markets are showing strong demand for two-piece cans, and there’s a gradual rise in the scale of metal packaging machinery, management systems, and production capacities. As a result, China’s metal packaging industry is poised for steady and sustained development. According to market research findings, several large enterprise groups within the industry are increasingly adopting intensive production models. These larger enterprise groups leverage their advantages in capital, technology, branding, and brand recognition, using strategies such as capital export, low-cost expansion, restructuring, mergers, and leasing to continuously grow stronger and bigger.
Some medium-sized enterprise groups have achieved substantial growth, primarily leveraging their strong market share in product categories. Relying on their comprehensive corporate strengths, these companies are strategically positioning themselves across various regions of China, with products at the center and user needs as the radius, thereby establishing themselves as a mainstay force in the metal packaging industry. Moreover, along with the rapid growth of the metal packaging industry, demand for steel used in metal packaging has surged, placing increasingly higher requirements on materials and processes. Industry experts analyze that the rapid expansion of the food and fast-moving consumer goods sectors is the primary driving force behind this industry’s swift development. Meanwhile, the trend toward upgrading packaging products directly boosts the share of metal packaging within the broader packaging market. Looking ahead, metal packaging will place even greater emphasis on ensuring food safety, on reducing material thickness and weight, and on enhancing recyclability and reusability.
In the UK, roughly two-thirds of steel cans are made from recycled materials. In some European countries, the recycling rate for metal cans exceeds 90%. Consequently, new requirements have emerged for the steel used in manufacturing metal packaging containers—such as shipping containers and ordinary steel drums—demanding greater strength and rigidity, along with advantages like low cost and excellent processability. Therefore, steel sheets are required to exhibit higher strength and stiffness. Moreover, for packaging cans intended for mildly acidic foods, steel sheets must possess a certain degree of corrosion resistance. However, several practical issues within the metal packaging industry cannot be overlooked: First, there are too many small-scale enterprises, most of which lag behind in technology, have poorly trained staff, produce low-quality goods, and consume substantial resources; second, the majority of companies across the industry lack strong capabilities for independent innovation, resulting in low levels of product development and technological R&D, and leaving them significantly behind international advanced standards; third, there is a severe shortage of specialized technical personnel; and fourth, information flows are insufficiently smooth.