China-Driven AES Market Set for Steady Growth: Green Upgrades and Demand Surge Shape 2025 Outlook

The global market for Alcohol Ether Sulfate (AES), a key anionic surfactant widely used in detergents and personal care products, is witnessing robust expansion led by China, with data showing consistent growth in production, consumption, and exports. Driven by rising demand for high-performance, eco-friendly cleaning solutions and advancements in green manufacturing, the industry is undergoing structural upgrades—shifting toward high-purity, bio-based products while navigating raw material volatility and stricter environmental regulations. As the world’s major producer and consumer of AES, China’s market dynamics, including technological innovations and export strength, are poised to define the global industry’s trajectory through 2030.

1. Market Overview: Production and Consumption on Steady Rise

China’s AES industry has maintained strong growth momentum, with production reaching approximately 1.38 million metric tons in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 6.3%, and apparent consumption hitting 1.35 million metric tons, up 5.8% from 2023, according to the 2025 China AES Surfactant Data Monitoring Report . The market is projected to accelerate further, with 2025 production expected to exceed 1.48 million metric tons, sustaining a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 6.5%.

Internationally, China’s competitiveness is growing, with AES exports reaching 215,000 metric tons in 2024—an increase of 9.2% year-on-year—primarily to emerging markets in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South America . Domestically, production capacity is concentrated in coastal provinces including Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Shandong, with the top 10 manufacturers accounting for nearly 68% of total capacity, indicating a gradually rising industry concentration . Long-term forecasts remain optimistic: by 2030, China’s AES demand is expected to reach 1.09 million metric tons, with market scale exceeding 9.64 billion yuan .

2. Application Segments: Detergents Lead, Personal Care Grows Rapidly

AES’s application landscape is dominated by daily chemical sectors, with household detergents remaining the largest consumption category, accounting for 62% of total demand in 2024 . Within this segment, concentrated products such as laundry liquid and laundry pods have driven surging demand for high-activity AES. Data shows laundry liquid alone consumed approximately 456,000 metric tons of AES in 2024, representing 38.5% of total downstream demand . Dishwashing detergents are the second-largest application, with annual consumption of 217,000 metric tons, supported by the recovery of the catering industry and increased household cleaning frequency .

The personal care sector has emerged as a key growth driver, now accounting for 28% of AES consumption. Demand is particularly strong for low-irritation, high-compatibility AES in shower gels, facial cleansers, and children’s care products. Notably, AES products with low ethylene oxide (EO) addition numbers (2–3) have seen expanded use in baby and sensitive skin care, with high-end products in this category contributing 27% of AES market value in 2024—up nearly 10 percentage points from 2020 . Industrial cleaning, though a smaller segment (10% of demand), is growing steadily, with applications in metal processing fluids, textile auxiliaries, and oilfield chemicals .

3. Technological Upgrades: Purity Improvement and Green Innovation

The AES industry is undergoing significant technological transformation to meet higher quality and environmental standards. Traditional sulfuric acid processes are being replaced by salt-free technologies such as CO₂ neutralization, which reduces inorganic salt content, improves product purity, and enhances environmental performance—aligning with downstream customers’ green certification requirements .

Product structure optimization is another key trend: long-chain alcohol-based (C12C14) AES, favored for its superior detergency, foam stability, and mildness, now accounts for over 85% of the market . According to the 2024 China Surfactant Molecular Structure Database, AES products made from C12–C14 alcohols with an EO addition number of 2.5 dominate, representing 78.6% of domestic production . Additionally, breakthroughs in bio-based raw materials have enabled small-scale commercialization of AES derived from palm kernel oil and coconut oil, with bio-based AES production expected to exceed 30,000 metric tons in 2025—approximately 2% of total output .

4. Environmental Compliance: Driving Sustainable Transformation

Stricter environmental regulations and “dual carbon” (carbon peaking and carbon neutrality) goals in China are reshaping the AES industry’s development path. New project approvals are becoming more prudent, forcing enterprises to accelerate green transformation and intelligent upgrading . The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s 2025 Environmental Audit Rules, which establish a two-tiered compliance system with third-party verification, have further heightened environmental accountability for chemical manufacturers .

AES’s inherent environmental advantages, such as good biodegradability, position it well amid this regulatory shift. For instance, AES residues in dishwashing detergents are typically below 0.1mg/dm², fully complying with China’s GB 14930.1-2023 national food safety standard . Downstream brands are also increasing demands for supply chain traceability and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) performance, further pushing AES producers to integrate sustainability into their operations .

5. Challenges and Outlook: Balancing Growth and Stability

Despite positive growth prospects, the AES industry faces persistent challenges, primarily raw material price volatility. AES production relies on key feedstocks such as fatty alcohol and ethylene oxide, whose prices are linked to global oil and agricultural markets, creating cost uncertainties for manufacturers . Regional 产能 imbalances, with overconcentration in coastal areas, also pose logistical and supply chain risks.

Looking ahead, the industry’s growth will be anchored in three pillars: expanding demand from emerging markets, continuous R&D into high-value-added products, and upstream raw material strategic layout. Market research forecasts that AES demand in China will maintain steady growth, driven by urbanization, consumption upgrading, and industrial cleaning expansion . For enterprises, enhancing high-value product ratios—such as bio-based and low-EO AES—and participating in industry standard-setting will be critical to maintaining long-term competitiveness in the evolving market .