China's health and maternal-infant hygiene products industry is at a turning point from quantity to quality. On July 16, 2026, the CNITA Health and Maternal-Infant Products Branch Annual Conference and the first Absorbent Care and Hygiene Products Conference in Shanghai sent a clear signal: this segment, once driven by scale, must now simultaneously advance technological innovation, channel restructuring, and supply chain collaboration to navigate the dual cycles of overcapacity and demographic shifts.
From Single-Point Breakthroughs to Systemic Improvement
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the industry achieved breakthroughs in bio-based absorbent materials, ultra-thin cores, fine-denier nonwovens, smart products, and functional finishing technologies. However, CNITA President Li Guimei pointed out that these advances can no longer remain isolated; they must evolve into systemic improvement. This means the days when a single hot product or process innovation could sustain a company for years are ending.
For buyers, this signals a shift in selection logic. The old question was "Can it be made?" The new question is "Does this supply chain have continuous iteration capability?" An ultra-thin core, for example, requires matching across fiber raw materials, thermal-bonded nonwoven processes, and packaging automation—any weak link reduces the competitiveness of the final product.
Survival Rules Amid Overcapacity and Market Cannibalization
Yan Huarong, Chairman of Gold Three Hair Group, acknowledged in his work report that the industry is in a period of demographic transition and deep adjustment, with overcapacity and market cannibalization intertwined. This is not alarmist. China's declining birth rate has directly compressed the incremental market for maternal-infant products, while massive capacity expansion in nonwovens in recent years has triggered price wars.
However, Yan emphasized that through model innovation and technological iteration, the industry remains on an upward trajectory. The logic: in a stock game, companies with higher efficiency, more stable quality, and faster response are eating the market share of lagging competitors. For example, Trützschler's new carding machine NCX/NCTX, launched in 2025, targets pain points like uneven web formation and long downtime in thermal-bonded lines, boosting uptime and output—a classic case of using equipment-side cost reduction to offset end-price pressure.
Channel Revolution: Impact of Instant Retail and Content E-commerce
A notable shift at the conference was the elevated focus on channels. Representatives from Douyin e-commerce and Xiaohongshu shared strategies for maternal-infant product breakout, while a roundtable specifically discussed the transition from online-offline to instant retail.
New-generation parents are shifting from search-based shopping to content-driven, scenario-based purchasing. Short videos and live streaming have become core decision-making arenas for maternal-infant consumption, meaning the traditional dealer distribution model is being disrupted. For upstream fabric and core suppliers, the changing marketing rhythm of terminal brands will directly affect order patterns—small batches, high frequency, and fast response will become the new normal.
The rise of instant retail further compresses supply chain reaction time. Under the warehouse-store integration model, brands need shorter replenishment cycles, forcing upstream factories to enhance production flexibility. One direct impact: factories capable of quick changeovers and small-batch, fast-response production will gain advantages in this channel transformation.
Smart Equipment: Solving Pain Points, Not Stacking Concepts
The technical solutions presented by multiple equipment companies at the conference sent a pragmatic signal: smart manufacturing is not about flashy concepts but precise solutions to specific production pain points.
Shanghai Songchuan Fengguan's post-production intelligent packaging line targets problems like low automation in old lines, slow changeovers, and difficult integration in new lines. Its 1500-piece-per-minute high-speed packaging capability, combined with alignment mechanisms and hot-melt cutting technology, directly addresses common quality complaints like product skew and packaging material waste. For buyers, this means choosing equipment suppliers based on their ability to solve specific pain points, not just capacity numbers.
Andritz's wet-laid flushable solution, with an annual capacity of 16,000 tons using wood pulp and viscose bio-based raw materials, directly responds to the global wet wipes market's demand for sustainability. For companies planning to export to Europe and the US, this is a technology route worth serious evaluation.
Green Low-Carbon: From Slogan to Hard Constraint
Among Li Guimei's five recommendations, "adhering to green low-carbon and building a new pattern of sustainable development" ranks third, but its practical urgency may be higher. Environmental regulations in markets like the EU are tightening, and bio-based raw materials, flushable technology, and glue-free processes are no longer bonus points but entry barriers.
Changes at the fiber raw material end are particularly evident. In roundtable discussions, representatives from Sinopec Yizheng Chemical Fiber, Hengyi Petrochemical, Xinfengming Group, and Lenzing focused on raw material safety and green upgrades, with the application ratio of environmentally friendly materials like lyocell and bio-based polyester increasing. For downstream processors, early deployment of green raw material supply chains will avoid the cost shock of forced material switches in the future.
Standard Implementation: Standardized Upgrade of Production Environment
The conference also emphasized the implementation of the group standard "Evaluation Specification for Production Environment of Disposable Hygiene Products Enterprises." This standard sets clear guidelines for standardized, refined management of production environments, directly impacting product quality. For buyers, selecting suppliers certified under this standard will significantly reduce quality risks.