Visiongain has published a new report entitled Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) Composites Market Report 2026-2036(Including Impact of U.S. Trade Tariffs): Forecasts by Category (Thermoset, Thermoplastic), by Fibre Type (Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based, Pitch-based, Recycled/Low-cost), by End-use (Aerospace & Defence, Wind Energy, Automotive, Other), by Product Form (Prepreg (Pre-impregnated Fabrics), Woven/Multilayer Fabrics, Unidirectional Tapes/Tows, Non-crimp Fabrics (NCF)/Stitched Fabrics, Other), by Resin (Epoxy, Vinyl Ester, Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK), Polyphenylene Sulphide (PPS), Polyetherimide (PEI), Polyester) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies.

The global carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) market is estimated at US$21.68 billion in 2026 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.4% during the forecast period 2026-2036.

Impact of US Trade Tariffs on the Global Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) Market   

U.S. tariffs on carbon fibre, precursor materials, and downstream composite products have introduced cost pressures across the global carbon fibre reinforced plastic market. Higher import duties have increased raw material and intermediate product prices for manufacturers dependent on cross-border supply chains, particularly those sourcing polyacrylonitrile precursor, carbon fibre tows, and prepregs from Asia and Europe. While domestic producers benefit from improved price competitiveness, end-use industries such as aerospace, wind energy, automotive, and pressure vessels face higher procurement costs, longer lead times, and increased emphasis on supplier diversification and localization strategies.

The Scale-Up of Wind Power and Larger Turbine Architectures Is Accelerating CFRP Penetration in Renewable Energy Structures

Wind energy has shifted from modest onshore turbines to gigantic onshore and offshore machines with rotor diameters over 200 m, and that scale-up is structurally good news for CFRP because longer blades need stiffer, lighter spar caps and structural members that glass-fibre composites can’t always provide. OEMs and material suppliers are responding: Hexcel and Toray both emphasize wind energy as a key outlet for their carbon fibre and fabrics portfolios, while Chinese integrated players like Weihai Guangwei supply large volumes of carbon fibre and non-crimp fabrics into wind blades for China’s vast onshore and offshore projects. As governments in Europe, North America, China and India set aggressive renewable-energy capacity targets toward 2030 and beyond, turbine makers are betting on ever-longer blades to improve capacity factors, creating a structural pull for CFRP that is somewhat decoupled from cyclical passenger travel or auto sales and giving the market a diversified, policy-backed demand pillar.

How will this Report Benefit you?

Visiongain’s 405-page report provides 121 tables and 191 charts/graphs. Our new study is suitable for anyone requiring commercial, in-depth analyses for the carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) market, along with detailed segment analysis in the market. Our new study will help you evaluate the overall global and regional market for carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). Get financial analysis of the overall market and different segments including category, fiber type, end-use, product form, and resin, and capture higher market share. We believe that there are strong opportunities in this fast-growing carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) market. See how to use the existing and upcoming opportunities in this market to gain revenue benefits in the near future. Moreover, the report will help you to improve your strategic decision-making, allowing you to frame growth strategies, reinforce the analysis of other market players, and maximise the productivity of the company.

What are the Current Market Drivers?

Rapid Progress in Thermoplastic CFRP and High-Rate Manufacturing Technologies Is Unlocking New Volume Applications

Historically, CFRP adoption in mass-market segments was limited by the slow, labour-intensive nature of thermoset prepreg lay-up and autoclave curing; today, the shift toward thermoplastic CFRP and automated manufacturing is steadily dismantling that barrier. The carbon-fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites (CFRTP) segment alone is estimated to have been about USD 3.4 billion in 2022, with forecasts of more than doubling by 2031 at CAGRs around 10–11%, clearly outpacing the overall CFRP market. Thermoplastic matrices such as PEEK, PPS and PEI enable welding, reshaping and faster cycle times in processes like automated tape placement, pressing, and injection overmolding, which are far more compatible with automotive production rates than traditional autoclave cure; Toray’s recent announcement of expanded capacity and capabilities in continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastic product portfolios is one example of a major supplier positioning explicitly for this high-rate opportunity. On the shopfloor, aerospace Tier-1s are introducing thermoplastic clips, brackets and secondary structures that can be co-consolidated or welded, and automakers are experimenting with hybrid metal-thermoplastic CFRP structures for crash systems and battery enclosures, so process innovation has become a direct driver of CFRP penetration rather than an afterthought.

Geographic Diversification of Carbon Fibre Capacity and Vertical Integration by Asian Players Are Making CFRP Supply More Robust and Price-Competitive

Another strong driver is the evolving supply landscape: where high-performance carbon fibre was once dominated by a handful of Japanese and Western suppliers, we now see aggressive capacity build-outs and vertical integration by Chinese, Korean and Turkish companies, which is gradually improving availability and putting downward pressure on prices in some segments. Chinese producers like Weihai Guangwei Composites, Zhongfu Shenying and Hengshen have invested heavily in PAN precursor, carbon fibre lines and downstream fabrics and prepregs, and Guangwei alone reported revenues of around CNY 2.45 billion (~USD 340 million) from carbon fibre and composites in 2024 despite a dip in profitability, indicating large industrial scale. Hyosung Advanced Materials in Korea has positioned itself as a key supplier of carbon fibre for hydrogen tanks and industrial uses, while Aksa in Turkey jointly developed the DowAksa JV to serve wind and industrial CFRP markets; both are examples of regional champions that reduce reliance on Japanese and U.S. material. This geographic diversification, combined with vertical integration by companies such as Toray (from CF to prepreg and parts) and Mitsubishi Chemical Group, supports a structural trend toward more secure supply, encourages OEMs to design CFRP into programs with less anxiety about single-source risk, and over time should support more competitive pricing that further drives adoption.

Where are the Market Opportunities?

Circular CFRP Value Chains, Recycled Fibre and Digital Product Passports Are Opening New Value Pools in “Green Composites”

On the opportunity side, the same sustainability pressures that pose a restraint are also creating a highly attractive new business space around circular CFRP and low-carbon fibre. Recycled carbon fibre (rCF) markets are still tiny—likely less than 2% of total CFRP value today—but they are growing fast, with forecasts often in the low-double-digit CAGR range as rCF becomes a viable feedstock for non-structural automotive, consumer goods and industrial applications. Teijin’s launch of the Tenax Next™ brand and its Sustainability Report 2024, which highlights CO₂-reduced fibres and digital product passports (DPPs) that trace material origins and lifecycle, point to a future where OEMs can specify “green CFRP” and credibly account for recycled content and carbon footprints. Toray’s 2025 announcement of a recycling technology that produces high-value carbon fibre nonwovens from reclaimed material underscores that suppliers see both regulatory risk and commercial opportunity in circular composites. Over the next decade, integrated circular offerings—virgin plus recycled fibre, take-back programs, DPP-enabled traceability—could become a key differentiator for CFRP suppliers serving EU OEMs and global brands with net-zero commitments, turning a current weakness into a profitable niche.

Hydrogen Economy, High-Pressure Vessels and New Energy Applications Represent a Multi-Decade Structural Demand Upside for CFRP

Hydrogen and other compressed gases require very high-pressure storage at minimal weight for both stationary and mobile applications, and CFRP Type IV and potential Type V tanks are currently the leading technical solution, which creates a major opportunity as hydrogen infrastructure builds out. High-pressure tanks for fuel-cell trucks, buses, passenger cars, trains and aircraft, as well as for refuelling and distribution infrastructure, rely on carbon fibre overwraps to achieve weight-efficient safety margins, and specialist suppliers such as Hyosung Advanced Materials, Toray, Teijin and UMATEX are actively targeting this space with dedicated tank-grade fibres and fabrics. As governments in Europe, Japan, Korea and the Middle East subsidize hydrogen corridors and pilot fleets of fuel-cell vehicles, each incremental fleet represents thousands of CFRP tanks across vehicles and infrastructure; even modest success of hydrogen as a decarbonization vector translates into significant extra tonnes of carbon fibre demand. The U.S. Department of Energy, for instance, has published roadmaps projecting global carbon fibre capacity needs rising sharply under aggressive H₂ adoption scenarios, specifically because of tank requirements, signalling a structural multi-decade growth avenue that is mostly additive to current aerospace/wind/auto demand rather than substitutive.

Competitive Landscape

The major players operating in the carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) market are Aksa Akrilik Kimya Sanayii A.Ş., Avient Corporation, Embraer S.A., Gen2 Carbon, Jiangsu Hengshen Co., Ltd, Kureha Corporation, Nippon Graphite Fibre Corporation, Park Aerospace Corp., Plasan Sasa Ltd., SAERTEX GmbH & Co. KG, SGL Carbon SE, Sinofibres Technology Co. Ltd, Sinosteel Jilin Carbon Co., Ltd., Toray Industries, Inc., UMATEX, These major players operating in this market have adopted various strategies comprising M&A, collaborations, investment in R&D, regional business expansion, partnerships, and new product launch.

Recent Developments

• 12-Dec-25, Rosatom’s Composite Division supplied composite blades for its first overseas wind farm in the Issyk-Kul region of the Kyrgyz Republic. The project supports international deployment of carbon fibre reinforced plastic and composite solutions in large-scale wind energy infrastructure.
• 11-Dec-25, Avient launched Hiformer Non-PFAS Process Aid with Antioxidants in Latin America for polyethylene and polypropylene film processing. The liquid additive improves extrusion efficiency by reducing melt fracture, die build-up, and torque, while offering a non-fluorinated alternative aligned with tightening PFAS regulations.
• 02-Dec-25, Kureha Corporation, through its wholly owned subsidiary Kureha America Inc., acquired bio-based crop protection technical assets from a United States-based startup. The acquisition includes biopesticide technology and microbial interaction analysis capabilities, supporting Kureha’s strategy to expand sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions and diversify its advanced materials and specialty chemicals portfolio.
• 18-Nov-25, SGL Carbon and Linköping University inaugurated an advanced laboratory for next-generation graphite coatings. The collaboration strengthens R&D capabilities for high-performance carbon materials used in energy, electronics, and advanced composite systems.
• 30-Oct-25, Toray developed a carbon fibre recycling technology that retains fibre strength and surface quality. The innovation supports circular-economy adoption in carbon fibre reinforced plastic applications using recycled carbon fibre nonwoven fabrics.
• 30-Oct-25, Rosatom signed an agreement with National Research University Moscow State University of Civil Engineering to establish a Center for Prototyping Composite Materials for Construction. The center will focus on carbon and fibreglass structural components for civil infrastructure.

Notes for Editors

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