Significant differences in nonwoven fabric production exist among Asian countries. In China, production has increased significantly, expanding from 3.26 million tons in 2016 to 5.45 million tons in 2023. India’s production also increased from 365,000 tons in 2016 to 781,000 tons in 2023, nearly doubling. However, Japan’s production peaked at 343,000 tons in 2017 and has been declining ever since, reaching only 269,000 tons in 2023. South Korea also increased to 271,000 tons in 2020, but has since remained flat, reaching 261,000 tons in 2023. Taiwan’s production peaked at 200,000 tons in 2017 and has been declining since, shrinking to 147,000 tons in 2023. 

Table 1 shows the production volume by manufacturing method for these countries in 2023.

China’s nonwoven fabric production volume far exceeds that of other countries. The largest production volume there  is for spunbonded/meltblown nonwovens, followed by needlepunched and spunlace, which have nearly equal production volumes. These three types of nonwoven fabrics account for 87% of the total. The primary applications for each nonwoven fabric are as follows: spunbonded/meltblown for diapers, needlepunched for automotive use, and spunlace for wipers. China’s domestic demand for nonwoven fabrics has increased due to its large population and economic development, and its exports to neighboring countries have also expanded, leading to a significant increase in domestic production.

India has a large production volume of spunbonded/meltblown and needlepunched, with these two types accounting for 86% of the total. India is experiencing growing demand for diapers and increasing automobile production, but demand for sanitary materials such as wipes remains low.

Japan’s population is declining, and demand for nonwoven products is also stagnating. Furthermore, as imports of nonwoven fabrics continue to increase, domestic production of nonwoven fabrics is on a downward trend. Recently, the country’s largest nonwovens producer Mitsui Asahi Life Chemicals announced it was ceasing much of its Japanese production and shifting its focus to its manufacturing sites in Thailand. Additionally, JNC Fibers closed its Moryama, Japan thermal bonding site in early 2025.

South Korea has a large production volume of spunbonded/meltblown and needlepunched nonwovens, but these nonwovens appear to be primarily for export. Furthermore, spunlace production is extremely low, which is believed to be due to reliance on imports. Taiwan has a certain production volume for spunbonded/meltblown and spunlace, but due to its small scale automotive production, its needlepunched production volume is low.