In 2023, the capacity of nonwovens in North America reached 5.713 million tonnes, as revealed in the eleventh edition of the annual North American Nonwovens Supply report. Based on extensive research, producer surveys and interviews with industry leaders, this report provides a comprehensive view of the North American supply of nonwoven materials including the key metrics of capacity, production and operating rates, and regional trade through 2023.

North American capacity continues to increase with investments being made across all processes and for a variety of end-uses. Production output is shifting and has slowed down in 2023 to reflect larger machine installations just now coming on-line, as per the report. Many new nonwoven production lines were installed in 2023, but mostly in the long-life sectors which shows a positive move towards sustainable goals across the board.

“INDA provides valuable data and actionable industry information to enhance decision making in our capital-intensive industry. This report is the most complete and accurate portrayal for both rolled goods and other nonwoven materials produced in North America. These supply and demand balance metrics are essential for strategic planning and business investment decisions,” Tony Fragnito, INDA president, said in a press release.

The executive summary from annual Supply Reports, the quarterly INDA Market Pulse and monthly Price Trends Summary are provided to INDA members on a complimentary basis as part of their membership. The data gathered for this annual report serves as the foundation for both the biennial Global Nonwoven Markets Report to be published in October 2024 and the biennial North American Nonwovens Industry Outlook, which was published in October 2023.

“Similar to 2023, we had quite an impressive producer response from the industry. The markets are shifting to adjust to competitive pressure within the global supply chain. This report highlights significant metrics describing the changes and the reasons behind them,” said Mark Snider, chief market and industry analyst.