As the supply and demand for Lyocell fiber surges at nearly 40%, bio-based fibers have moved beyond the lab into real production capacity. Data from the 2026 Bio-based Chemical Fiber and Raw Material Industry Chain Collaborative Innovation Exchange, held in Changshu, injects strong momentum into the textile industry's green transformation, while sharpening the industry-wide challenge of moving from 'technical feasibility' to 'market viability.'
Signals Behind Industry Data
Zhang Zixin, director of the Science and Technology Department of the China Chemical Fiber Industry Association, reported that the Lyocell fiber sector has maintained rapid growth in supply and demand over the past two years, far exceeding the industry average. Meanwhile, in 2025, China's nonwoven fabric output surpassed 9 million tons for the first time, with disposable hygiene products and wiping materials as key growth segments, making biodegradable raw materials a hotspot. These figures indicate that demand for green fibers has shifted from 'nice-to-have' to 'mandatory growth,' as downstream brands and consumers increasingly factor environmental preferences into purchasing decisions.
From the 14th to the 15th Five-Year Plan period, bio-based fibers have achieved leapfrog growth, but Jin Gaoling, vice president of the China Chemical Fiber Industry Association, highlighted persistent bottlenecks: high-purity lactic acid, lactide, and furan dicarboxylic acid still rely on imports, large-capacity continuous polymerization and melt direct spinning technologies remain unbroken, and localization of key equipment is urgent. These constraints directly affect whether cost curves can decline, thereby impacting the price competitiveness of bio-based fibers in end markets.
Technology Roadmap and Industry Chain Collaboration
Academician Cheng Bowen focused on frontier technologies such as cellulose swelling and dissolution and Lyocell spinning, proposing a full-chain research system from 'mechanism tracing to technology breakthroughs to applications and standards.' The underlying logic is that industrialization of bio-based fibers cannot rely on isolated breakthroughs but requires integrated design from basic research to equipment and processes. Wang Huaping, a researcher at Donghua University, also predicted that the share of green fibers will rise significantly in the coming years, but only if the industry strengthens process-equipment synergy; otherwise, 'technical feasibility' will never translate into 'market viability.'
Corporate practices are validating this judgment. Xinxiang Chemical Fiber's 'Shousai'er' thousand-ton production line is running stably, using ionic liquid technology for green cellulose dissolution. Yisheng New Materials optimizes PLA fiber properties through copolymerization and blending modifications, covering 3D printing and eco-fiber fields. Jiangsu Sanlian New Materials has launched a bio-based polyester filament product matrix, moving from 'green raw materials' to 'functional fibers.' These cases show that bio-based materials are upgrading from a single eco-attribute to integrated aesthetics, performance, and sustainability, as noted by Sun Mingliang, founder of the COOL-FRESH brand, who emphasized that fabric development must revolve around consumer scenario emotions and composite functional needs.
New Variables in Standards and Trade Rules
Zhang Qian, director of the Planning and Research Division at the China National Textile and Apparel Council's Industry Department, offered a crucial reminder: green development is not merely an environmental issue but a survival issue for market access. International green trade rules are tightening, and standards such as carbon footprint accounting and bio-based content determination will become 'passports' for exports. This means that unless domestic enterprises quickly establish a full-chain green manufacturing system covering green energy, green fibers, and green chemicals, they risk marginalization in future international trade.
The association's 'Excellent Fiber Selection' project, which formulates evaluation technical specifications and builds a full supply chain traceability and carbon disclosure mechanism, is a response to this trend. A quality loop from fiber to garment is not just quality assurance but also the visualization of green value. For buyers, selecting suppliers with carbon footprint data will increasingly become a hard requirement for compliant procurement.