Raw or retted, not spun flax market in China

Earlier Report Observations

From 2018 to 2021, the market for raw or retted, not spun flax in China more than doubled, with volume rising from 13 000 t to 28 877 t. This strong expansion was primarily driven by the gradual easing of market access restrictions, which encouraged new private enterprises to enter the industry. Concurrently, state support policies for agriculture and the textile sector, along with the stricter implementation of the Agricultural Product Quality Safety Law, elevated product standards and bolstered consumer confidence. Even the supply chain challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 did not halt growth, as government measures helped maintain stable agricultural production.

Growth peaked in 2021 with a 41% surge, fueled by significantly rising demand for flax fiber and flaxseed products, coupled with further reductions in market entry barriers and increased corporate investment in research and development. The market's momentum then slowed markedly in 2022, with volume increasing by only 2% to 29 494 t. This deceleration coincided with the tightened enforcement of safety regulations and the introduction of new environmental legislation promoting sustainable development, which required producers to adapt to more stringent norms.

By 2023, the market volume stabilized at approximately 29 345 t, while production remained steady at 29 000 t, signaling a phase of consolidation and maturation following the period of rapid growth.

Production raw or retted, not spun flax in China

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Between 2017 and 2020, China ranked as the world's fifth-largest producer of raw or retted, unspun flax.

Top producers of raw or retted, not spun flax, 2017-2020

World map of production of raw or retted, not spun flax, 2017-2020

China's production of raw or retted, unspun flax grew for the third year in a row. In 2020, output reached 20 349 tonnes, up 22.6% from the previous year. Over the 2017-2020 period, production surged by 88.4%, with an average annual growth rate of 23.5%.

Annual dynamics of production in China in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports raw or retted, not spun flax from China

Exports in kind, kg

The data shows irregular shifts, pointing to a volatile market. Exports hit their lowest point in 2020 at 60 kg, a steep 98.8% drop from the year before, after peaking in 2019 at 5 000 kg. The change from 2019 to 2020 was an 83-fold decrease. The largest increase occurred in 2019, at 900.0%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from China in kind, 2017-2020, kg

From 2017 to 2020, Guinea dominated China's exports of raw or retted, unspun flax in volume, making up 89.9% of the total, while other destinations had relatively minor shares.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from China in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

Market behavior was marked by volatility during these years. Export values peaked in 2019 at 5.3 thousand US dollars and fell to a low in 2020 at 1.3 thousand US dollars, a 75.8% decline from the previous year, with a top-to-bottom ratio of 4.1 times. The largest increase was recorded in 2019, at 20.4%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from China in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

In 2017-2020, Italy and Guinea together accounted for 98.7% of China's total export value for raw or retted, unspun flax, with other countries forming a diverse but less significant portion.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from China in value, 2017-2020

Imports raw or retted, not spun flax to China

Imports in kind, kg

The market showed an unstable trend over this period. Imports bottomed out in 2018 and peaked in 2019, with a 40-fold difference between these years. In 2020, China imported 60 kg of raw or retted, unspun flax, down 20.0% from the previous year. The maximum volume was recorded in 2019 at 64 860 kg, and the largest increase occurred that same year, at 3 903.7%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to China in kind, 2017-2020, kg

From 2017 to 2020, India and Belgium were the leading sources for China's imports of raw or retted, unspun flax in volume, jointly representing 87.4% of total flows, while the rest was distributed among smaller markets.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to China in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

Noticeable fluctuations characterized market performance during this timeframe. Import values reached their lowest point in 2018 and peaked in 2019, differing by a factor of 23. In 2020, imports totaled 61.0 thousand US dollars, a sharp 47.0% decrease from the year before. The maximum value was recorded in 2019 at 115.0 thousand US dollars, with the largest increase that year at 2 236.7%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to China in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Over 2017-2020, Belgium and India remained the primary suppliers of raw or retted, unspun flax to China in value terms, together holding a 91.5% share of total imports, with the remainder fragmented across other countries.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to China in value, 2017-2020