“China's TPE industry has undergone decades of development, and after going through three years of the pandemic, the current market situation is characterized by the demand for cost effective TPE products, especially in the traditional consumer goods industry. The reason is that due to market competition and inflation, only TPE products with better cost-performance ratios are recognized and used by customers,” said Jevons Yu, General Manager – Asia, Audia Elastomers. 

A new type of environmentally friendly material, TPE replaces other materials such as rubber, silicone and PVC, and is widely used around the world.

Yu believes that even during the pandemic, the TPE market is still developing. In the post-pandemic era, TPE products are expected to develop rapidly in emerging markets, such as automotive, new energy, high-end consumer goods and medical industries.

Jevons Yu, General Manager – Asia, Audia Elastomers.

“In some emerging markets, differentiated TPE products are needed to meet the special requirements of specific customers,” he said.

“In addition, TPE is increasingly expected to be recyclable. For instance, Audia Elastomers launched its AudiaFlex family of sustainable thermoplastic elastomers around the world, one of the industry’s first TPE portfolios which meet the sustainability needs of brand owners and consumers. The new AudiaFlex family is comprised of customizable grades which are produced from post-consumer, post-industrial, bio-based, and marine-based sources.”

“As China’s domestic demand market recovers, I predict that in 2023, the demand for TPE in China will grow substantially,” concluded Yu. “This is the main reason why the Audia group has always been optimistic about the Chinese market.”

Audia Elastomers came to China in 2018 to establish Audia Sunstar Elastomers Co., Limited and has since been developing steadily. To better serve the growing Chinese market, the Audia group continues to invest in the country, and built its second modern thermoplastic elastomer factory in Changshu last year despite the pandemic and uncertainties in the global economy. The new production facility officially commenced operation last October.

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