New Container Manufacturing Is Slowing, but Replacement Demand Is Becoming the Stable Foundation of the Container Flooring Market

Over the past two years, the container flooring industry has gone through a clear cyclical adjustment. New container manufacturing orders have fallen from their peak, prices have come under pressure, and some factories are facing idle capacity. However, if you focus only on new-build data, it is easy to overlook a more stable and more sustained source of demand — the repair and replacement of containers already in service.

1. New Container Manufacturing: The Downturn Is a Fact

Since 2025, US tariff policy has led to a contraction in trans-Pacific shipping demand, container equipment idle rates have climbed to historic highs, and new container manufacturing orders have declined accordingly. The performance of major domestic container flooring producers reflects this trend: Kangxin New Materials reported a 38.2% year-on-year revenue decline in the first half of 2025, with losses widening and container flooring prices at low levels.

Entering 2026, the market has not moved in a single downward direction but has followed a "weak first, warmer in the middle, then easing again" pattern: at the start of the year, new container orders remained low due to destocking in Europe and the US; from March, geopolitical factors lengthened shipping turnaround cycles and overseas peak-season stocking was brought forward, briefly releasing both new-build and repair demand and pushing flooring orders higher for a period; after the second quarter, as capacity tightness eased and earlier stockpiling was absorbed, order volumes steadily declined again.

This shows that new container manufacturing demand is highly volatile, affected by freight rates, tariffs, geopolitics, seasonal stocking, and multiple other factors, and is difficult to rely on as a long-term stable business base.

2. Replacement Demand: An Underestimated Rigid Need

In contrast to the volatility of new container manufacturing, the repair and replacement demand for containers already in service has a clear rigid character.

The global container fleet is large and stable. Over long-term use, container floors become damaged due to cargo loading and unloading, moisture, wear, forklift operations, and other causes, requiring regular inspection, repair, and replacement. This is not a question of "whether to replace" but "when to replace." As long as containers remain in circulation, demand for flooring repair and replacement will persist.

This judgment is supported by data. In the first half of 2026, Kangxin New Materials signed new container flooring orders exceeding 77,000 cubic meters, a year-on-year increase of 19%. Against the backdrop of an overall slowdown in new container manufacturing, this growth largely reflects the release of replacement demand from containers already in service. In other words, new-build orders are fluctuating, but demand for repair flooring is becoming the foundation supporting factory capacity.

3. Practical Implications for Buyers

For container depots, leasing companies, shipping lines, and repair service providers, this trend has several practical implications:

First, supply stability for repair flooring matters more than price. When new container manufacturing slows, some factories may adjust capacity or shift to other products. But for customers who need a continuous supply of repair flooring, whether a supplier can deliver reliably and offer a full range of specifications is more critical than the price of a single quote. The ability to consistently supply commonly used repair specifications such as 28mm Apitong and Keruing is a factor that should be confirmed first when selecting a supplier.

Second, the quality of repair flooring directly affects container service life. If replacement flooring does not meet quality standards, it may fail again within a short period, increasing repeat repair costs. Choosing a supplier with factory backing and stable quality control offers greater long-term value than simply comparing prices.

Third, small-to-medium batch, multi-specification purchasing will become increasingly common. Repair replacement differs from the concentrated, large-batch purchasing of new container manufacturing — it is dispersed, multi-specification, and continuous. Whether a supplier can accept small-to-medium batch orders and respond quickly to different specification requirements directly affects the repair efficiency of the buyer.

4. Implications for Factories

For container flooring factories, this trend deserves equal attention:

• Avoid betting all capacity on new-build orders. New-build orders are volatile, while replacement demand is more stable. Combining both is what smooths capacity utilization.

• Maintain a complete specification inventory for repair flooring. Different materials and specifications — 28mm thickness, Apitong, Keruing, bamboo plywood — correspond to different repair scenarios. A missing specification means a lost customer.

• Responsiveness to small-to-medium batch orders is a core competitive strength. Repair customers often place smaller individual orders but have high repeat purchase rates and strong stickiness. Serving these customers well is more sustainable than chasing a single large new-build order.

Conclusion

The slowdown in new container manufacturing is a cyclical phenomenon, but containers remain in circulation, floors will wear out, and demand for repair and replacement will not disappear. Replacement demand is not a "fallback" business — it is the truly stable foundation of the container flooring market. Those who serve this foundation well will stand firmer through cyclical fluctuations.