In recent years, major Japanese chemical enterprises including Asahi Kasei, Sumitomo Chemical and Mitsubishi Chemical have successively cut back or suspended PMMA production capacity. Large volumes of optical-grade PMMA supply from Japan and South Korea will gradually exit the Asia-Pacific market. This strategic adjustment brings profound changes to the whole acrylic supply chain, creating both challenges and new opportunities for Chinese acrylic manufacturers, especially small and medium-sized factories.

1. Overview of the Overseas Capacity Adjustment

• Asahi Kasei plans to stop PMMA production in September 2026 and fully withdraw from PMMA sales by September 2027, covering multiple optical-grade resin grades.
• Sumitomo Chemical cut around 70% of PMMA capacity at its Singapore base, significantly tightening regional high-purity PMMA supply.
• Mitsubishi Chemical continuously optimizes MMA & PMMA product portfolios, scaling back general and mid-range optical-grade output.

2. Impacts on China’s Acrylic Industry

• Structural tightness of high-end PMMA raw materials
  High-quality imported optical PMMA resources shrink continuously. Lead times become longer, and import costs keep climbing. Functional acrylic sheets (optical panel, outdoor anti-yellowing cast sheet, aquarium sheet) face stronger cost support, while mass-produced ordinary extruded acrylic remains in fierce price competition.
• Accelerated domestic substitution of PMMA raw materials
  Domestic manufacturers such as Wanhua Chemical keep expanding optical-grade PMMA capacity. The industrial chain center of PMMA & acrylic sheet production is transferring to China. Downstream buyers are actively exploring reliable domestic raw material alternatives to reduce reliance on Japanese imports.
• Market segmentation becomes more obvious
  The industry presents a clear polarization trend. Low-end standard acrylic sheets face overcapacity pressure; high-value customized, weather-resistant, optical and recycled acrylic products enjoy bigger profit margins and stable demand.

3. Impacts on Our Small Acrylic Manufacturing Company

• Global buyers are diversifying their supply chains. Many overseas customers previously using Japanese acrylic are searching for qualified Chinese sheet manufacturers. We can take this chance to develop orders for high-end display, outdoor projects and aquarium acrylic.
• The market increasingly recognizes differentiated acrylic products. Our factory can focus on anti-yellowing outdoor sheets, custom cast acrylic and recycled acrylic instead of blindly competing on low prices of standard transparent sheets.
• Continuous improvement of domestic optical PMMA quality creates conditions for us to build dual raw material supply systems (domestic + import), improving supply chain stability.

The withdrawal of Japanese and Korean high-end PMMA capacity marks a new stage of global acrylic industrial restructuring. In the next 2–3 years, the transition period of raw material substitution will continue. For small acrylic manufacturers, sustainable development relies less on low-price competition, and more on stable supply chains, differentiated product layout and reliable product quality.