According to the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the nation’s production of nonwoven fabrics during January-June 2017 decreased by 1.3% compared to the first half of 2016 to 167,422 tons. The production decrease is attributed to the fact that makers are moving their production abroad.
By category, spunbonded/meltblown fabric production fell 6.3% to 50,482 tons, because makers moved a portion of their production overseas. Meanwhile, the production of chemical-bonded, needle-punched, spunlaced and wet-laid nonwovens was vigorous.