According to statistics released by the General Administration of Customs for January-September 2025, China's exports of ultra-clear glass (also known as low-iron glass) reached 864,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 22.1%, with an export value exceeding US$1.135 billion and a unit price climbing to US$1,312 per ton, an increase of over 33% compared to 2020. This impressive achievement signifies that domestically produced ultra-clear glass has not only achieved a leapfrog growth in export volume but has also broken the long-standing technological monopoly dominated by European, American, Japanese, and South Korean companies in the high-end market, becoming a core material supplier for the global green building and new energy industries. As the "crystal prince" of the glass family, ultra-clear glass, with its low iron content (Fe₂O₃≤0.010%), ultra-high light transmittance of over 91.5%, and edge-free color difference, has become the preferred material in high-end construction, photovoltaic energy, and precision electronics. Initially, the production technology for this product was only mastered by a few international giants such as PPG in the United States and Saint-Gobain in France. However, through continuous technological innovation, Chinese companies have now achieved a leap from catching up to keeping pace. Leading domestic companies have not only overcome the production challenges of ultra-long and ultra-large glass measuring 23*3.3 meters, but have also achieved mass production of ultra-thin specifications (thickness ≤1.1mm). Their products have obtained international certifications such as TÜV in Germany and UL in the United States, and have been successfully applied to international benchmark projects such as the BIPV curtain wall of Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands and the green building of the Paris Olympic Village in France. The optimization of the export structure has become a core highlight of this growth. The export destinations of domestically produced Ultra Clear Glass have expanded from traditional Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern markets to high-tech regions such as Europe, North America, and Japan and South Korea, with exports to the EU increasing by 34.7% year-on-year. In the photovoltaic sector, with the explosive growth of the global BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaics) industry, the demand for related ultra-clear glass reached 4.2 million square meters in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 89%. Domestic products, with their high light transmittance (≥91.8%) and anti-PID performance, have become core suppliers for international leaders such as First Solar and LONGi Green Energy. Furthermore, in the high-end home appliance and display panel sectors, the export share of domestically produced ultra-thin ultra-clear glass has increased from 11% in 2020 to 29%, gradually replacing imported products and alleviating the "bottleneck" dilemma in downstream industries. Technological breakthroughs and industrial chain upgrades are key supports for export growth. Domestic companies have reduced the comprehensive energy consumption per unit product to 7.85 kg of standard coal/weight box through the integration of technologies such as all-oxygen combustion and AI kiln control, which is better than the advanced national standard. At the same time, the localization rate of high-purity quartz sand jumped from 35% in 2020 to 68%, breaking the dependence on imported raw materials and effectively reducing production costs by 18%. Under the green and low-carbon trend, the carbon footprint of domestically produced Ultra Clear Glass has reached as low as 128 kg CO₂e/square meter, aligning with global "dual carbon" goals and becoming a preferred environmentally friendly material for overseas customers. "The export growth of Chinese Ultra Clear Glass is essentially a double victory of technological strength and green production capacity," an industry analyst pointed out. With the advancement of the new building energy efficiency regulations and the international green building materials certification mutual recognition system, the market space for domestically produced ultra-clear glass in emerging fields such as photovoltaic backsheets and display substrates will continue to expand. In the next five years, 60% of the global incremental market for ultra-clear glass will come from the new energy and high-end manufacturing sectors. Chinese companies are expected to leverage their technological advantages and cost competitiveness to further increase their global market share and drive the industry's transformation from "scale expansion" to "value creation." Currently, domestically produced Ultra Clear Glass has formed a multi-category layout including ultra-clear float glass and ultra-clear rolled glass, which can meet the diversified application needs of building curtain walls, cultural relic protection and display, high-end furniture, and solar cells. With the deepening of green infrastructure cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, domestically produced ultra-clear glass is becoming a new calling card for "Made in China" going global, thanks to its high cost-performance ratio and high technical standards.
