How the domestic packaging bag industry rose: the striving path from substitution to surpassing 1

In the current landscape of global manufacturing, the wave of import substitution is surging powerfully across various industries. The packaging bag sector, closely linked to daily life and industrial production, is also undergoing profound transformation and development within this change. Through continuous innovation, technological upgrades, and quality improvements, domestic packaging bag enterprises are gradually breaking the long-term monopoly of foreign brands, achieving a remarkable transition from import dependence to self-sufficiency, and from following and imitating to leading innovation. This article delves into the import substitution journey of China's domestic packaging bag industry, exploring the underlying technological breakthroughs, market strategies, and future development prospects.

I. The Necessity and Background of Import Substitution

In the past, foreign products dominated the high-end packaging bag market, leveraging advanced technology, mature processes, and brand advantages. Domestic enterprises lagged in areas such as technological R&D, production equipment, and quality control, forcing reliance on imports in many critical fields. However, with the rapid development of China's economy and the transformation and upgrading of its manufacturing sector, demand for packaging bags has shown trends towards diversification and premiumization. Simultaneously, changes in the international situation, intensifying trade frictions, and considerations of supply chain security have made import substitution an inevitable choice for ensuring stable industrial development.

Taking food packaging as an example, as consumers' focus on food safety and quality continuously increases, higher demands are placed on the barrier properties, freshness preservation, and safety of food packaging bags. Traditional domestic food packaging bags often had performance gaps compared to imported products, making it difficult to meet the needs of high-end food enterprises. In industries like electronics and pharmaceuticals, specific requirements for properties such as anti-static, moisture-proof, and sterile packaging have also prompted domestic companies to seek import substitution solutions to reduce costs, ensure supply, and enhance product competitiveness.

II. Import Substitution Practices of Typical Enterprises

(A) Technological Breakthroughs and Innovation

New Material R&D: Domestic enterprises have increased R&D investment in new materials, successfully developing a series of high-performance packaging materials through collaboration with research institutions. For instance, to meet high barrier requirements, new nano-composite materials and multi-layer co-extruded films have been developed. The Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, modified biaxially oriented nylon film with metal ions, reducing the oxygen transmission rate from 50 units to below 1.0, approaching advanced Japanese levels and extending the shelf life of food packaging bags to 12-18 months. This new material not only improves product freshness preservation but also reduces food loss, bringing significant economic benefits to food companies.

Production Process Improvement: In terms of production processes, enterprises continuously introduce advanced production equipment and technology, optimize production workflows, and improve production efficiency and product quality. Jiangsu Shenkai, through innovative composite processes, developed a sandwich structure of PA15 nylon coating layer + retort-resistant film + double corona-treated PA15. Using a 100-line anilox roller for precise lamination enhanced interlayer bonding strength, solving the problem of traditional composite bags being prone to delamination, while also improving the bags' retort resistance and puncture resistance.

(B) The Substitution Process and Challenges

Market Development: After achieving technological breakthroughs, the primary challenge for domestic packaging bag enterprises is market acceptance. Foreign brands have long accumulated high brand recognition and customer loyalty. Domestic enterprises need to gradually win customer trust by demonstrating product performance, providing quality service, and offering competitive pricing. In its initial market entry phase, one domestic food packaging bag company actively cooperated with well-known domestic food enterprises, providing customized packaging solutions. Through product trials and performance comparisons, it gradually gained customer recognition and opened up the market.

Quality Stability: Ensuring consistent product quality is another key issue in the import substitution process. In the initial production stages, due to immature processes and equipment debugging issues, product quality might fluctuate. Enterprises established comprehensive quality management systems, strengthened strict control over raw material procurement, production processes, and finished product testing, continuously improving product quality stability. For example, an electronic packaging bag manufacturer introduced advanced automated inspection equipment to conduct comprehensive testing on every batch, ensuring that anti-static performance, dimensional accuracy, and other indicators met requirements, thereby enhancing the product's market competitiveness.

(C) Current Performance and Gap Analysis

After years of development, domestic packaging bags have reached or approached international advanced levels in many performance indicators. In the general packaging sector, domestic bags excel in strength, toughness, print adaptability, etc., meeting most market demands. However, in high-end and special application areas, gaps with foreign products still exist. For instance, in packaging applications for extreme environments like ultra-high or ultra-low temperatures, and in fields with strict requirements for material biocompatibility and biodegradability, such as pharmaceuticals and environmental protection, foreign companies still hold advantages due to more advanced technology and extensive experience. Furthermore, domestic packaging bag enterprises still need to improve in terms of packaging design innovation and brand influence.