Core Viewpoint - The Chinese separator market is expected to see significant growth, with a projected shipment volume of 34.5 billion square meters by 2025, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 58.7% [1] Market Landscape - Enjie Co., Ltd. maintains a market share of over 30%, with the top four companies holding more than 72.5% of the total market share, indicating stability in market dynamics [2] - The share of dry separators has decreased to approximately 17.6%, with expectations that it will drop below 15% by 2026 due to the transition to wet separators in the downstream market [2] Production Capacity and Utilization - The overall new capacity investment in the separator industry has slowed down, with major players like Enjie, Xingyuan Materials, and Hebei Jinli continuing limited capacity additions [4] - The average capacity utilization rate in the Chinese separator industry is 75%, with wet separator utilization exceeding 80% and dry separator utilization below 50% [4] - The wet separator industry is expected to maintain over 90% utilization in 2026 due to strong demand from the battery market [4] Industry Performance - After three years of decline, the separator industry has experienced a turnaround, shifting from oversupply to a state of demand exceeding supply, leading to price increases [5] - Major manufacturers have returned to profitability, and market consolidation efforts, such as the acquisition of Hebei Jinli by Foshan Plastics Group, are improving competitive dynamics [5] Price Trends - Separator prices experienced a "V-shaped" recovery in 2025, rebounding significantly after reaching historical lows in the second and third quarters [6] - The price of wet separators with a thickness of 7um decreased by 7.1% in 2025, while the price of 7+2+1um wet separators increased by 1.7% [6] - By December 2025, the price of 7um wet separators rose by 14.7% compared to its lowest point earlier in the year [6] Industry Trends - Demand for dry separators is expected to continue declining, while wet separator demand will expand as major manufacturers switch to wet processes [8] - The application of 5um ultra-thin wet separators is anticipated to grow, with leading companies expected to exceed a 50% application rate by 2026, although supply constraints remain [8] - The consensus on reducing internal competition has been reached, with a significant optimization of the supply-demand structure, leading to expected double-digit price increases for wet separators in 2026 [8]