东丽，退出！

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the strategic shift in the battery separator market, highlighting the sale of Toray's remaining stake in the LG Chem joint venture and the competitive landscape influenced by rising demand for electric vehicles and the emergence of Chinese manufacturers [2][3]. Group 1: Company Developments - Toray announced the sale of its remaining 30% stake in the LG Toray Hungary Battery Separator Co., which is expected to be completed by December 2025, marking its exit from the European battery separator market [2]. - LG Chem aims to enhance its European battery materials supply chain and strengthen its local manufacturing capabilities through this acquisition [2]. - The joint venture was established in June 2022, with both companies initially holding 50% stakes [2]. Group 2: Market Trends - According to SNE Research, global lithium-ion battery separator shipments are projected to reach 30.2 billion square meters in 2024, a 22% increase year-on-year, while actual demand is expected to be 23.2 billion square meters, up 30% [3]. - Chinese manufacturers, including Enjie, Xingyuan, and Jinli, dominate the market, holding over 90% of the market share and accounting for 80% of global shipments [3]. - Japanese and Korean manufacturers are facing growth bottlenecks due to weak European demand and inventory adjustments [3]. Group 3: Technological Developments - The competition in the separator market is intensifying, focusing on coating technologies such as ultra-thin and composite coatings [4]. - The dry separator market is expanding due to strong demand for energy storage, leading to a market structure where Chinese manufacturers dominate dry separators while Japanese and Korean firms supplement with high-end wet separators [4]. Group 4: Financial Performance - The lithium separator industry is experiencing a trend of "general revenue growth but declining net profits" in the first half of 2025, indicating a shift from high-margin phases to average profitability levels [6]. - Companies like Enjie and Xingyuan have reported varying degrees of profit decline, with some even turning from profit to loss, while a few, such as Zhongcai Technology, have managed to achieve profit growth through business optimization [6]. Group 5: Future Outlook - The pursuit of higher performance and safety standards is driving technological advancements in the industry, with solid-state batteries emerging as a significant challenge for separator manufacturers [7]. - Enjie and Xingyuan are actively developing new products and technologies to adapt to the evolving market, including semi-solid battery separators and high-performance solid-state battery membranes [8].