(May 17, 2026) Reporters learned from the domestic silica industry association that in recent years, China's silica industry has continued to make progress in high-end segments, achieving several breakthroughs in core technologies. Domestic high-end products have not only broken the long-standing monopoly of foreign brands but have also expanded the overseas market due to their cost-performance advantages. Both the volume and value of exports have increased year-on-year, making it an important growth point for the chemical industry in terms of improving quality and efficiency.

According to the latest data from the industry association, as of May 17, 2026, the export volume of high-end silica in China had reached 82,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 19.3%, with export values exceeding 1.8 billion yuan, an increase of 27.5%. The export market covers more than 20 countries and regions, including the European Union, Southeast Asia, and North America. Among them, exports of high-end products such as fumed silica and modified silica accounted for 62%, an increase of 11 percentage points compared to the same period last year, completely changing the previous pattern where China's silica exports were mainly composed of mid- to low-end general-purpose products.

Technological breakthroughs have become the key driving force behind the growth in high-end silica exports. For a long time, the core production technologies for high-end silica have been monopolized by companies in Europe, America, and Japan, while domestic companies have focused on mid- to low-end precipitated silica products, resulting in lower added value for their products.In recent years, domestic enterprises have increased their investment in research and development, and collaborated among industry, academia, and research institutions to gradually overcome key technical challenges such as the high-purity production of fumed silica by gas-phase methods and surface modification. To date, three domestic companies have achieved large-scale production of high-end fumed silica by gas-phase methods, with product purity exceeding 99.8%. All performance indicators have reached the level of international counterparts, with some even surpassing them, breaking the monopoly of foreign brands in the high-end market.

"Previously, high-end fumed silica relied on imports, resulting in high prices. Now that domestically produced products are being mass-produced and released onto the market, they not only fill the gap in the domestic high-end market but also gain an advantage in terms of price, opening up overseas markets," said a person in charge of a silica production company during an interview with reporters. The high-end modified silica developed by their company has an export price 30%-40% lower than that of imported products and performs better in key aspects such as weather resistance and reinforcement. The company has already established long-term cooperation agreements with several high-end Japanese chemical and new energy companies in the EU.

The improving situation in the export market has also accelerated the expansion of domestic high-end silica production capacity. Reporters have learned that since May, several domestic companies have announced plans to increase their high-end silica production capacity. One leading company intends to add 100,000 tons of fumed silica production capacity, with completion and commissioning expected by the end of the year; two other companies have initiated technical upgrades for their modified silica production lines, which will further enhance the supply of high-end products to meet the growing demands of both domestic and international markets.Industry experts point out that the increasing exports of domestically produced high-end fumed silica not only reflect the technological advancement of China’s chemical industry but also benefit from the ongoing growth in demand in areas such as renewable energy and high-end manufacturing worldwide. Currently, the global demand for high-end fumed silica is growing at an annual rate of over 15%, especially in sectors such as photovoltaics, lithium batteries, and high-end sealing materials, where there is a continuous rise in requirements for product performance. This creates vast market opportunities for domestically produced high-end fumed silica.

Regarding the future development of the industry, experts predict that as technologies continue to evolve and production capacity is gradually increased in an orderly manner, domestically produced high-end fumed silica will become even more competitive in the market, and its export prospects will continue to expand. At the same time, companies need to focus on building strong brands and promoting technological innovation. By addressing the needs of high-end downstream industries and optimizing their product portfolios, they can help transform the fumed silica industry from one focused on scale expansion to one focused on quality improvement, thereby contributing to the high-quality development of China’s chemical industry.