China Elastomers Market Overview, 2030

The evolution of China’s elastomers market mirrors the country’s industrialization trajectory, shifting from legacy volume-driven demand toward advanced, high-performance, and sustainable material solutions. In the mid-20th century, thermoset elastomers such as styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and butadiene rubber (BR) formed the backbone of the domestic market, driven primarily by the rapid growth of tire manufacturing and state-backed infrastructure development. Nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) and ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) gained prominence in the late 20th century, supporting the expansion of automotive components, oil and gas equipment, and construction materials, which required chemical resistance and durability under demanding conditions. From the 1980s onward, as China liberalized its economy and attracted foreign investment, the market diversified to include specialty elastomers such as silicones and fluoro elastomers, catering to fast-growing electronics, aerospace, and medical sectors. The turn of the 21st century marked a pivotal stage, with thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) emerging as a key growth area, particularly styrenic block copolymers, thermoplastic volcanizes, and polyurethane-based grades, driven by the automotive sector’s demand for lightweight, recyclable, and cost-efficient solutions. Domestic producers, supported by government incentives and technology transfer from international partnerships, scaled up local production capacity for advanced TPEs to reduce import dependency. In the past two decades, sustainability policies and circular economy initiatives have reinforced the trend toward recyclable, bio-based, and specialty elastomers, with Chinese firms investing in formulations meeting stringent fire, smoke, toxicity (FST), and medical biocompatibility standards. Today, the Chinese elastomers market is characterized by a dual structure: thermoset rubbers remain essential for legacy applications such as tires, heavy-duty sealing, and energy, while TPEs and specialty elastomers are expanding rapidly, aligned with the nation’s focus on advanced manufacturing, healthcare, electronics, and green mobility solutions.

According to the research report ""China Elastomers Market Overview, 2030,"" published by Bonafide Research, the China Elastomers market is anticipated to grow at more than 7.18% CAGR from 2025 to 2030. China’s regulatory landscape for elastomers has evolved rapidly environmental and safety standards have tightened since the mid-2010s with stricter controls on VOCs, wastewater, and hazardous emissions enforced by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and provincial authorities. Industrial permit and emissions inspections, closure of older high-pollution facilities, and requirements for wastewater treatment have increased compliance costs for petrochemical and rubber plants. National policy signals carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 along with circular-economy pilots encourage recycling, chemical recovery and reduced reliance on virgin petrochemicals. Standards and product testing are enforced by bodies such as SAC (Standardization Administration of China) and sectoral regulators; automotive and aerospace OEMs implement rigorous supplier qualification regimes that push domestic compounders to meet international specs. China has also implemented bans and restrictions on certain single-use plastics and accelerated waste-management reforms, indirectly promoting recyclable TPE adoption and remanufacturing of rubber goods e.g. tire-to-asphalt applications. At the same time, regulatory emphasis on import substitution and technology self-reliance has spurred investment in domestic specialty elastomer R&D and production. Compliance complexity remains high due to overlapping central and provincial enforcement, but the net effect is a stronger marketplace for lower-emission processes, recycled feedstocks, and higher-specification elastomers provided firms can invest in modernization and traceability systems.

China’s elastomer demand is broadly diversified but concentrated in several high-volume end uses. Automotive and transportation represent the largest single consumer: tires, seals, hoses, gaskets, vibration mounts and EV-specific components (battery seals, thermal management parts) drive sustained demand as domestic and export vehicle production expands. Tire manufacturing is a global-scale industry in China serving OEMs and export markets so natural and synthetic rubber demands remain substantial. Building and construction consumes elastomers for waterproofing membranes, sealants, flooring and expansion joints, supported by urbanization and infrastructure investment. The consumer goods and footwear sectors are significant China is a major global producer of footwear and sporting goods that use elastomeric soles and components. Electrical and electronics demand has grown with domestic electronics manufacturing and renewable-energy deployment, requiring elastomeric insulation, cable sheathing and connector seals. Healthcare and medical elastomers (silicones, medical-grade TPEs) expanded rapidly during the pandemic and continue to grow with domestic medical-device manufacturing and export ambitions. Industrial machinery, oil & gas, and packaging also absorb substantial elastomer volumes. China’s diverse manufacturing base and export orientation mean demand is both broad and resilient, with fastest growth anticipated in EV-related automotive applications, renewable-energy components, medical-grade elastomers and recyclable/low-carbon TPEs.

China’s elastomers market demonstrates a dynamic interplay between entrenched thermoset demand and the accelerated adoption of high-performance, recyclable thermoplastics, reflecting both legacy industrial needs and emerging sustainability imperatives. Thermoset elastomers, including styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), butadiene rubber (BR), nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), and butyl rubber, continue to dominate in terms of volume, primarily driven by their indispensable role in tire manufacturing, heavy-duty sealing solutions, and oil and gas applications. Their mechanical robustness, chemical resistance, and high-temperature stability ensure continued relevance in sectors where performance reliability outweighs cost or environmental considerations. Simultaneously, thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are gaining substantial traction across automotive interiors, consumer electronics, and medical devices due to their inherent recyclability, lightweight nature, and adaptability to multi-material assembly processes. Advanced TPE variants, including thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs), styrenic block copolymers, polyurethane-based TPEs, and engineered polyolefin formulations, are increasingly produced at scale domestically, reflecting China’s strategic investment in higher-value, technologically sophisticated elastomer solutions. Beyond conventional TPEs, the market is witnessing a pronounced uptake in silicone elastomers, fueled by rigorous requirements in medical devices, electronics, and industrial applications, and in specialty fluoroelastomers catering to aerospace, chemical processing, and high-performance sealing needs. Chinese producers are actively pursuing innovation in formulations that comply with stringent fire, smoke, toxicity, and biocompatibility standards, thereby enhancing both safety and market applicability.

Material composition in China skews heavily toward synthetic elastomers, supported by a large domestic petrochemical industry and significant state and private investment in synthetic rubber capacity. China is a major global producer of SBR, BR and other synthetic rubbers, which feed domestic tire, industrial and export-oriented manufacturing. Natural rubber remains critical especially for high-performance tires and specific applications but is largely imported from Southeast Asia Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, making China sensitive to regional supply and price dynamics. Specialty materials silicones, fluorosilicones and engineered fluoroelastomers are increasingly produced domestically but often still rely on imported precursors for the highest-performance grades. A growing trend is investment in recycled-content and bio-based elastomers; initiatives to use crumb rubber in asphalt, to chemically recycle certain elastomer streams, and to develop partially bio-based monomers are receiving pilot funding and commercial trials. Policy-driven incentives for circularity, plus OEM demand for lower-carbon inputs, will push synthetic elastomer producers to incorporate recycled feedstocks and to scale specialty elastomer R&D. In short, synthetic elastomers will continue to dominate volume and value in China, natural rubber will remain a vital imported feedstock for tire and select high-performance uses, and a gradual shift to recycled and bio-based content will reshape material sourcing over the next decade.

Considered in this report
• Historic Year: 2019
• Base year: 2024
• Estimated year: 2025
• Forecast year: 2030

Aspects covered in this report
• Elastomers Market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By End-Use Industry
• Automotive & Transportation
• Building & Construction
• Healthcare & Medical
• Consumer Goods & Lifestyle
• Electrical & Electronics
• Industrial & Machinery
• Packaging
• Others(Aerospace & Defense, Energy & Oil & Gas, and more )

By Product Type
• Thermoset Elastomers
• Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs)

By Material Type
• Natural Elastomers
• Synthetic Elastomers Show more