Thailand Metal Packaging - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2026 - 2031)

According to Mordor Intelligence, the Thailand metal packaging market size is projected to be USD 1.84 billion in 2025, USD 1.91 billion in 2026, and reach USD 2.27 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 3.58% from 2026 to 2031.

This report is Segmented by Material Type (Aluminium, and Steel), Product Type (Cans, Bulk Containers, Shipping Barrels and Drums, and More), End-User Vertical (Beverage, Food, Paints and Chemicals, and More), Can Manufacturing Technology (Two-Piece DWI, Two-Piece DRD, and More). The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).

Thailand Metal Packaging Market Trends and Insights

Premiumisation of Ready-to-Drink Beverages

Craft beers, energy drinks, and sparkling teas packaged in sleek 250- and 330-milliliter cans are growing faster than mainstream beverages, prompting converters to invest in two-piece drawn-and-redrawn lines that cut aluminum use by nearly 10% per unit. Brands deploy 360-degree direct printing to mitigate cold-chain condensation, a feature already embedded in the high-speed lines operated by leading multinationals . The premium trend is spilling into nonalcoholic launches, where tethered caps and perforated shrink sleeves help meet plastics regulations in convenience channels . As these specifications tighten seaming tolerances and gauge requirements, smaller local converters face capital hurdles that could accelerate industry consolidation. In the near term, premiumisation keeps aluminum demand ahead of steel and lifts average price per can, supporting margin resilience even as total beverage volumes flatten.

Growth of Thailand's Pet-Food Export Hub

Thailand aims to lift pet-food exports to USD 5 billion by 2030, creating sustained demand for 85-gram and 170-gram cans that withstand retort sterilization at 121 °C. Export customers insist on epoxy-phenolic coatings that resist sulfur corrosion from fish proteins, requirements best met by converters with automated coating lines. Halal certification has become a gating factor because Gulf markets already absorb more than one-third of canned-food exports. Compliance with FDA 21 CFR 113 and European migration limits adds a further layer of technical validation, favoring suppliers capable of batch traceability. These specifications position high-barrier metal cans as the default for long-shelf-life wet pet foods, outpacing flexible pouches in export channels.

Rising Price Volatility of Rolled Steel Coil

ASEAN hot-rolled-coil quotations swung double digits in 2024, squeezing three-piece can producers that buy steel spot yet invoice customers on trailing averages. Steel accounts for as much as 70% of a welded food can's cost, so a short-cycle spike erodes margins before pass-through clauses reset. Thailand imports roughly 60% of its flat-rolled requirements, exposing converters to freight-rate turbulence and trade-remedy risks when China increases exports. Scope 3 carbon reporting is pushing global brands toward low-carbon packaging, making aluminum's circularity advantage an even stronger headwind for steel. While steel remains dominant in large paint cans and industrial drums, beverage and seafood processors have begun migrating to lighter two-piece aluminum alternatives.

Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:

1. Expansion of Halal-Certified Canned Seafood
2. Government Push for Circular-Economy Aluminum
3. Substitution by Bio-Polymer Pouches in Sauce

For complete list of drivers and restraints, kindly check the Table Of Contents.

Segment Analysis

Aluminum claimed 69.03% of 2025 revenue, reflecting its dominant position in beverage and seafood cans, where recycled content underpins procurement decisions. The Thailand metal packaging market share for aluminum is projected to rise further as three leading converters match Ball's 74% recycled-content benchmark. Lightweighting campaigns allow breweries to cut weight by 8-12% per can, while carbon border adjustment rules embed a price on steel's higher carbon footprint. Steel remains relevant for pilfer-proof closures and 20-liter paint tins, but its domestic cost advantage erodes when import freight costs spike or customers demand higher recycled content.

Despite higher alloy costs, the Thailand metal packaging market for aluminum cans is expected to expand through 2031, supported by BOI duty waivers on imported slugs and EEC recycling hubs that lower scrap input costs. Steel converters counter through niche leadership in aerosol domes and industrial drums, yet sustained volatility in coil prices and tighter VOC rules limit capital allocation to new welded lines. Suppliers able to certify Aluminum Stewardship Initiative compliance should lock in long-term beverage contracts, reinforcing aluminum's trajectory.

Beverage cans delivered 47.37% of 2025 sales, but aggregate cans, beverage, food, and aerosol, form the fastest growing cluster at a 4.26% CAGR up to 2031. The Thailand metal packaging market size attached to this cluster benefits from seafood processors shipping 630,434 tonnes of canned tuna in 2024 and from breweries that favor slim cans to enhance shelf presence. Aerosols add incremental upside as lubricant exporters migrate from steel drums to pressurized aluminum formats that meet ISO 14001 audits.

Non-can formats such as barrels, drums, and caps grow more slowly, hampered by flexitank substitution in chemicals and by plastic closures in soft drinks. Nevertheless, closures carve a stable niche because tamper-proof steel caps remain integral to beer and spirits bottling. Over the forecast window, cans will continue to capture incremental share as brand owners prioritize stackability, circularity, and premium graphics that are unattainable in pouches.

Complete Report Scope:

• By Material Type
  • Aluminium
  • Steel
• By Product Type
  • Cans
    • Food Cans
    • Beverage Cans
    • Aerosol Cans
  • Bulk Containers
  • Shipping Barrels and Drums
  • Caps and Closures
• By End-User Vertical
  • Beverage
  • Food
  • Paints and Chemicals
  • Industrial and Automotive Oils
• By Can Manufacturing Technology
  • Two-Piece DWI
  • Two-Piece DRD
  • Three-Piece Welded

List of Companies Covered in this Report:

1. Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd.
2. ALUCON Public Company Limited
3. Crown Holdings, Inc.
4. Ball Corporation
5. Thai Beverage Can Co., Ltd.
6. Bangkok Can Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
7. Swan Industries (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
8. Lohakij Rung Charoen Sub Co., Ltd.
9. Next Can Innovation Co., Ltd.
10. Asian-Pacific Can Co., Ltd.
11. Standard Can Co., Ltd.
12. Royal Can Industries Co., Ltd.
13. Great Siam Metal Packaging Co., Ltd.
14. Siam Toppan Packaging Co., Ltd.
15. Perfect Can Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
16. Can One (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
17. Thai Oil Can Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
18. Supreme Metal Container Co., Ltd.
19. Thien Long Metal Can (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
20. WR Will (Thailand) Ltd.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support