Bio-based Materials China News

The application of bio-based materials is a dominant problem for China’s bio-based material industry. In the issue, CCM paid attention to many hot issues and their impact on the development of bio-based materials, including RMB appreciation, 3D printing and rapid increase in domestic vehicles. Then a conclusion was drawn that the favorable social environment for bio-based material industry has been established. However, still there are some bottlenecks. For instance, the inefficient reduction in costs from raw materials draws back the scaled production of bio-based materials. 

Corn starch, one of the most important raw materials for China’s bio-based material industry, is significantly influenced by the market demand. In order to set up a more stable and standard price system for corn starch, the domestic futures of corn starch will be launched on the market. Then bio-based material enterprises may take advantage of the futures to avoid the risks brought by the large price fluctuations of corn starch. How will the corn starch futures propel the development of bio-based material industry? Will it contribute to the increase in scaled value of bio-based materials?

In order to raise the scaled value of bio-based materials, domestic bio-based material enterprises are vigorously expanding the production scale. As of Aug. 2014, along with the stable domestic demand and decreasing imports, the exports of PLA increased largely over previous years. CCM followed closely to such a large export increase. What can account for the export increase of PLA? How will it change in the following months?

CCM also discussed the downstream applications of bio-based materials, taking related statistics and market situation into consideration. CCM believed that the packaging field, especially food packaging, is the largest potential application field for bio-based materials. How will bio-based materials, such as PLA, PBS, starch-based materials develop in the packaging field?

The above hot topics in China’s bio-based materials market will be explored and reported by CCM in detail in this e-journal, Bio-based Materials China News 1410. Please pay attention.

The RMB/USD exchange rate in this issue is USD1.00=RMB6.1493 on 8 Oct., 2014, sourced from the People's Bank of China.