The ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer (EMAA) market is highly concentrated and my country’s demand relies on imports.

Ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer (EMAA for short) is a resin obtained by copolymerizing ethylene monomer and methacrylic acid monomer using free radical polymerization in a high-pressure reactor. The properties of ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer are similar to those of ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer (EAA). It has good transparency, elasticity, softness, oil resistance, toughness, etc.

According to the “2021-2025 Global Ethylene-Methacrylic Acid Copolymer (EMAA) Industry In-depth Market Research and Key Area Research Report released by the Industrial Research Research Center 》shows that globally, the ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer market is mainly concentrated in Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific region. Europe is the world’s largest producer of ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer. In terms of countries, the United States is the main producer of ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer. Due to its long development time and mature production technology, American companies account for a relatively high proportion of the global market.

In the global market, there are only a small number of ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer manufacturers, including DuPont, Dow, Exxon Mobil, and Mitsui of Japan. Overall, the ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer market is extremely concentrated, with leading companies accounting for more than 90% of the market share.

As a special polyolefin resin, ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer has excellent properties and has a wide range of applications, including food packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, daily consumer goods, wires and cables, steel coatings, sports equipment and other fields. Ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer has excellent adhesion to metal foil, glass and other materials, and can also be used for extrusion lamination of aluminum foil. However, in recent years, due to the impact of materials such as metallocene polyethylene and low global production capacity, the market application scope of ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer has gradually narrowed.

Ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer and ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer are both vinyl copolymers. In recent years, my country’s ethylene industry has developed rapidly. At this stage, my country has become a major ethylene producer in the world. The supply of ethylene raw materials is sufficient, which is good for the development of the ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer industry. However, due to weak R&D capabilities, low technical level, and insufficient competitive advantages of domestic enterprises, my country’s current demand for ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymers mainly relies on imports. Most domestic enterprises are agents. Related enterprises include Shanghai Zhenzhun Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Hui Cheng Plastic Auxiliary Chemical Co., Ltd., etc.

Industry analysts said that ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer has excellent comprehensive properties and has a wide range of applications. However, domestic companies are limited in technology. The level is low. At present, my country’s demand for ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer mainly depends on imports, and there is broad room for domestic substitution of products. In the future, Chinese companies should increase research and development of ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer production technology to fill domestic technology gaps, while improving product supply capabilities and enhancing my country’s ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer market competitiveness.