Traditionally seen as a product for older consumers covering gray hair, hair-dye demand is now expanding well beyond that core group. Propelled jointly by global aging and the “looks economy,” the market has entered a long cycle of rising both volume and value.

       China’s hair-dye trade follows an “export-led, import-supplementary” pattern: export value is roughly 2.62 times import value. Customs figures show that in January–June 2025 China exported US$3.9 million worth of hair dyes (+36.37 % YoY) and 1,626 tonnes (+42.42 % YoY), while imports totaled US$1.49 million (–0.59 % YoY) and 171 tonnes (–14.11 % YoY).

       Monthly data reveal pronounced volatility. The peak came in January at US$880 k—22.52 % of the half-year total—while the trough was April at US$440 k (11.3 % of the total), down 49.8 % from January. The overall trajectory was “strong start–steady slide–brief rebound–second dip,” with three consecutive months of decline after January, a short-lived uptick in May, and a June fall-back to US$730 k. These swings reflect both seasonality and shifts in product mix and customer structure.

       First-half 2025 data show that China’s hair-dye exports are heavily concentrated in Southeast Asia. Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam alone account for 50.53 % of the market, with Indonesia the largest single destination at 28.64 %. India and the DPRK (North Korea) are also showing strong demand, holding 15.63 % and 13.98 % respectively.

       Average export prices reveal premium, customized demand in Fiji, Hong Kong (China) and Japan. Measured by transaction frequency, the DPRK and Thailand demonstrate steady trade with China, while one-off shipments exceeding US$1,000 are becoming common in Fiji and Saudi Arabia—clear evidence of rising high-value-added exports.

       Headwinds remain. The United States levies a 25 % Section 301 duty on finished Chinese hair dyes plus an additional 6.5 % on paraphenylenediamine (PPD) and other dyes. The EU’s 2025 REACH update has tightened limits on 21 dyes by a further 20–30 %, pushing compliance costs up 5–8 %. To navigate these barriers, China’s industry must diversify its markets and accelerate green-technology upgrades.

        Overall, China’s hair-dye trade is export-led and import-supplementary, with both volume and value in 2025 far exceeding imports. The sector is in a “volume-up, quality-up” phase: demand is buoyed by the silver economy and fashion color trends, while supply is pivoting to low-irritant, green processes—yet high-end dye monomers remain import-dependent.

       Over the next five years, green-formulation upgrades, demographic dividends in emerging markets, and localized production should sustain double-digit export growth. Success will hinge on managing three macro variables—tariffs, green barriers and exchange-rate swings—while capturing the outsized gains that come from rising industry concentration.

       As China's first data company, Guomaotong provides import and export customs data for over 90 countries from 2010 to present. It can accurately analyze market distribution and transaction details of import and export enterprises online, and analyze transaction volumes, prices, and supply cycles. It offers reliable data for foreign trade enterprises and industry consulting firms.

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