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Global specialty paper market is slated to grow at a significant pace through 2027 owing to the product’s immense application in various sectors including packaging, construction and building, food and beverages, and others.
Robust properties of specialty paper such as high-quality, non-reactance, temperature resistance, waterproof, lightweight and more, have increased their demand in myriad industries. The surging trend of decorative interiors across diverse economies has increased the sales of specialty papers in the construction and building industry.
Factors like availability of substitutes to specialty papers and increase product cost are anticipated to challenge the market growth over 2021-2027.
However, ongoing innovations in the field would present lucrative growth opportunities for the specialty paper market industry in the coming years. For instance, UPM Specialty Paper has announced expanding its sustainable and recyclable packaging papers portfolio with launch of UPM Asendo Pro, an advanced fiber-based barrier paper. The product is a cost-effective, safe to use, and durable recyclable barrier paper that caters to the growing packaging requirements and supports companies to reach their sustainability goals while simultaneously complying with the regulatory demands.
Based on the type, décor papers market is gaining ground over the years owing to their ability to create quality finishes on wooden materials. Décor papers are made in a wide range of weights and colors. Their surfaces can be machine-smoothed or satin-finished, thus being extensively used for paneling, flooring, and furniture surfaces. Pivotal product attributes like high wet strength, porosity, color constancy, and light resistance are further likely to add impetus to the segmental growth through 2027.
Specialty papers are touted to gain major impetus from the packaging industry. This is attributed to the transformations in packaging and equipment mechanisms aligned with the growth in e-commerce sector. The demand for packaging and labelling of delivery goods has drastically increased over the recent years, thus propelling the rise in home delivery services and adoption of specialty papers for takeaway products. Besides, the increased consumption of packaged food products is further expected to augment the demand for specialty papers.
North America specialty paper market growth is characterized by the growth in food and beverages industry, resulting in expansion of the packaging industry. The regional market is expected to be led by the United States due to the surging consumption of packaged food in the country. According to reliable reports, nearly 80% of America’s total calorie consumption comes from packaged food and beverage. In addition, increasing healthcare spending across the country is as well anticipated to augment the growth curve of specialty paper market.
The global specialty paper industry is highly consolidated and boasts the presence of leading companies such as Domtar Corporation, Sappi Limited, Stora Enso Oyj, Nippon Paper Group Co. Ltd., and Asia Pulp & Paper (Sinar Mas Group), amongst others.
These players are investing heftily in marketing strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, product launches, and partnerships.
The overall specialty paper market has been moderately influenced by the novel outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infections spread during 2020. In the first half of the COVID period, the market was known to be negatively affected by stringent lockdown norms, movement restrictions, and reduced workforce. However, increased packaged food consumption and rising e-commerce industry during the infection outbreak increased the sales of specialty papers worldwide.