Southeast Asia Melamine Mould and Equipment Demand Report 2026

Between May and July 2026, the main Southeast Asian markets showed different purchasing patterns for melamine tableware moulds and production equipment. Vietnam presented the clearest expansion signal, Thailand remained a large upgrade and replacement market, Indonesia combined strong long-term potential with short-term volatility, while Malaysia and the Philippines focused on precision automation and modular capacity growth. This analysis combines monthly manufacturing indicators with annual customs benchmarks under HS 848071 and HS 847759. Because these codes also cover moulds and machinery for other rubber and plastic products, the trade figures should be treated as directional market indicators rather than melamine-only sales data.

Vietnam’s industrial production increased by 14.5% year on year in July and by 11.4% during the first seven months of 2026, supporting continued investment in new manufacturing capacity. For melamine tableware producers, the most relevant requirements are integrated production lines combining automatic material weighing, high-frequency preheating, PLC-controlled hydraulic presses, multi-cavity moulds and automatic polishing. Thailand showed a different profile: although its overall Manufacturing Production Index declined by 3.1% year on year in June, rubber and plastic product output increased by 5.53%, while capital-goods imports rose by 42.7%. Thailand also imported approximately US$334.2 million of HS 848071 moulds and US$33.9 million of HS 847759 machinery in 2024. This mature production base is therefore more likely to purchase replacement moulds, PLC and energy-efficiency upgrades, higher-productivity multi-cavity tooling and refurbished or new 300–500-ton compression equipment.

Indonesia remained the region’s largest opportunity with a more cautious purchasing cycle. Its manufacturing PMI moved from 50.0 in May to 46.9 in June before recovering to 50.2 in July, indicating that factories were balancing expansion plans against fluctuating new orders. At the same time, Banten’s capital-goods imports increased by 18.47% during January–May 2026, and Indonesia imported approximately US$191.0 million of HS 848071 moulds in 2024. The resulting demand profile favors staged investment: 200–350-ton presses, standard plate and bowl mould packages, automatic weighing systems that reduce material loss, and equipment supplied with spare parts, operator training and responsive technical service.

Malaysia and the Philippines represent smaller but increasingly specification-driven markets. Malaysia’s manufacturing sales grew by 8.9% year on year to RM172.7 billion in May and by 9.8% to RM177.0 billion in June. Its 2024 imports included approximately US$85.9 million of HS 848071 moulds and US$16.6 million of HS 847759 machinery, suggesting demand for precision multi-cavity moulds, recipe storage, production traceability and energy-efficient automation. In the Philippines, June manufacturing volume increased by 13.5% year on year, while the value of net sales rose by 10.1%. With 2024 imports of approximately US$46.5 million in moulds and US$8.1 million in related machinery, Philippine producers are more likely to select compact 200–300-ton presses, standard interchangeable moulds, preheaters and polishing machines that can be added gradually as orders expand.

For DONGXIN, the strongest market strategy is to configure equipment according to each country’s production stage rather than offering a single standard line. A complete solution can integrate automatic weighing with accuracy up to ±2 grams, high-frequency preheating, PLC-controlled hydraulic compression, customized P20 or 718H steel moulds, and automatic polishing. Vietnam is suited to turnkey capacity projects; Thailand to mould renewal and automation upgrades; Indonesia to scalable equipment packages with reliable service; Malaysia to high-precision and traceable production; and the Philippines to compact modular lines. Combining raw-material knowledge, mould engineering, equipment commissioning, training and spare-parts support enables DONGXIN to help Southeast Asian tableware manufacturers improve consistency, reduce scrap and expand production with lower operating risk.