China’s Paint Industry Projects Over 6 Percent Profit Growth in 2025 Despite Market Pressures

At the 2025 China International Coatings Conference on April 10, Secretary General Liu Jie of the China National Coatings Industry Association offered his forecast for the year. He emphasized that functional coatings tailored to market needs are expected to lead growth, while low-end sectors like construction and industrial protective coatings face intensified competition and further price declines.

Looking back, the 2024 coatings sector remained largely stable. China produced 35.34 million tons of coatings last year, a 1.6% decrease, yet total revenue rose 1.56% to over 408.9 billion yuan, and profit surged 9.34% to 26.29 billion yuan. Exports also impressed, jumping 27.72% to 334,800 tons, while imports climbed 7.23% to 164,000 tons.

For 2025, Liu expects industrial coatings linked to petrochemicals, robotics, and new energy to see the fastest gains, pushing total output growth to 1%–3%, revenue up 3%–5%, and profit rising around 6%. Exports may grow another 10%, with functional products becoming the star performers in overseas markets.

He also highlighted the rising pace of domestic substitution in specialized segments, urging companies to secure control over core raw material technologies such as resins, fillers, and additives, which he described as critical to winning future market share.