The commercial production of mannitol in China started in the early 1960s.
For a long time in the history, the mannitol made in China has been referred to as the product made from the seaweed process, i.e. the extractate from the wastewater during the kelp processing. And the mannitol has been regarded as the byproducts from the production of iodine and sodium alginate. Thus the development of mannitol has been subject closely to the availability and quality of kelp and the demand for the iodine and sodium alginate.
It is under that logic that the Chinese focus has been on the mannitol made from the seaweed process. And geographically the major players in China are mainly located in Shandong, Jiangsu, Hebei, Guangxi, Liaoning, where along the seacoast line.
In the past four decades, the development of mannitol in China has been viewed as the innovation and endeavors trace of Chinese people to improve the competitiveness of mannitol, both quantitatively and qualitatively, from either the raw material availability or the production capability, to even the alternative solution to the tight supply, as well as the fundamental change of the application of mannitol in China.
The aim of this report is to provide basic understanding to the Chinese manufacturers, production, import, consumption, etc.