MarketResearchReports.Biz includes new market research report On “China Pharmaceutical Glass Packaging Industry Report, 2013-2016” to its collection of research reports.
Influenced by the substitution of plastic, aluminium foil and other new packaging materials as well as the declining packaging material purchase prices incurred by the medical reform, China pharmaceutical glass packaging industry develops sluggishly. In 2013, China’s pharmaceutical glass bottle market capacity amounted to 80 billion pieces with the weight of 250,000-300,000 tons.
Due to low entry barriers, the Chinese pharmaceutical glass market is featured with serious over-capacity of medium and low-end products as well as the reliance of high-end products on imports. At present, developed countries prefer first-class waterproof neutral borosilicate glass, while China still in the main applies low borosilicate glass, sodium-calcium glass and “semi-neutral borosilicate glass” (its chemical stability can not meet neutral requirements; the heavy metal content in glass is not defined clearly; dimensions are not accurate). As for prefilled injection system glass, China mainly relies on the import from foreign brands such as German Schott.
After years of development and competition, the Chinese pharmaceutical glass market concentration degree is still not high, but there have been competitive leading players in some market segments mainly in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shandong.
Shandong Pharmaceutical Glass is the world’s fifth and China’s first medical glass (Class-I) producer. As one of top five Chinese prefilled syringe suppliers, Shandong Pharmaceutical Glass has the capacity of 50 million units/a, but it is still exploring the market with a rather low market share. Meanwhile, the company is a leading pharmaceutical moulded bottle enterprise in China with the capacity of 10 billion units/a and about 70% market share.
Weigao is also one of the top five Chinese prefilled syringe suppliers. By virtue of preemptive advantages and perfect sales networks, Weigao sold 70 million prefilled syringes in 2013, holding about 60% market share in China.
German Schott has transferred from simple high-end pharmaceutical glass raw material supply to the combination of raw material supply and joint production of finished products. Its joint venture in China – Schott Xin Kang Pharmaceutical Packaging Co., Ltd. can produce 1-1.5 billion pharmaceutical glass bottles (vials and ampoule bottles) each year.