Cold Chain Packaging Global Market Report 2026

Cold chain packaging refers to a specialized packaging system designed to maintain the temperature of sensitive payloads, ensuring they are kept within specific temperature ranges such as cold, warm, frozen, and others.

The primary products within the realm of cold chain packaging include crates, insulated containers and boxes, cold packs, labels, and temperature-controlled pallet shippers. Crates, which can be constructed from wood, plastic, or metal, serve as large boxes used for storing or transporting items requiring temperature control. Various materials are employed in cold packaging, including expanded polystyrene (EPS), vacuum insulated panel (VIP) solutions, and polyurethane (PUR). The applications of cold chain packaging span across various industries, including fruits and vegetables, fruit and pulp concentrates, dairy products, fish, meat and seafood, processed food, pharmaceuticals, and bakery and confectioneries.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report's Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

Tariffs are significantly affecting the cold chain packaging market by increasing costs of imported insulation materials, vacuum panels, specialty polymers, tracking labels, and temperature control components. Pharmaceutical and food exporters in Europe and Asia-Pacific are most impacted due to reliance on cross-border material sourcing, while North America faces higher packaging costs. These tariffs are increasing logistics expenses and affecting pricing strategies. However, they are also driving regional material sourcing, development of alternative insulation technologies, and innovation in reusable and sustainable cold chain packaging systems.

The cold chain packaging market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provides cold chain packaging market statistics, including cold chain packaging industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with an cold chain packaging market share, detailed cold chain packaging market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the cold chain packaging industry. This cold chain packaging market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.

The cold chain packaging market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $35.56 billion in 2025 to $40.75 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.6%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to expansion of global food trade, growth in pharmaceutical logistics, increasing demand for perishable goods transport, adoption of insulated packaging solutions, rising regulatory compliance requirements.

The cold chain packaging market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $70.69 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.8%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing biologics and vaccine distribution, rising demand for last-mile cold chain solutions, expansion of e-commerce grocery delivery, growing use of smart tracking technologies, increasing focus on carbon footprint reduction. Major trends in the forecast period include growing adoption of sustainable insulated packaging materials, rising integration of temperature monitoring labels, expansion of pharmaceutical cold chain solutions, increasing demand for reusable cold chain packaging, enhanced focus on temperature compliance.

Rising food waste and spoilage are expected to drive the growth of the cold chain packaging market in the coming years. Food waste and spoilage refer to the loss of food products due to factors such as deterioration, mishandling, or expiration. Cold chain packaging preserves the quality and freshness of food by maintaining optimal temperatures during storage and transportation. For example, according to Eurostat, a Luxembourg-based statistical office of the EU, the European Union generated 58.2 million tonnes of food waste in 2023, up 0.7% from 57.8 million tonnes in 2022, averaging around 130 kg per person. Therefore, the increasing incidence of food waste and spoilage is driving demand for cold chain packaging.

Key players in the cold chain packaging market are focusing on developing advanced cryogenic shipping systems to maintain product integrity, improve transport efficiency, and support the growing use of temperature-sensitive biologics, as well as cell and gene therapies. Cryogenic shipping systems are specialized containers designed to maintain ultra-low temperatures during transit, ensuring the stability of sensitive materials. For instance, in January 2025, Cryoport, Inc., a U.S.-based manufacturer of cryogenic storage and shipping solutions, launched a high-volume cryogenic shipping system with a unique rectilinear design that eliminates the need for palletization and allows transport on narrow-bodied aircraft. The system provides enhanced payload protection, improved handling resilience, and extra space for non-temperature-sensitive accessories and documentation. Its stackable and nestable configuration increases storage efficiency and reduces logistics costs. Fully compliant with airline standards, the system features integrated condition and location monitoring to ensure end-to-end Chain of Compliance. Additional features such as robust wheels, a front-facing handle, scalable storage compatibility, and a vibration-minimizing mechanism support the safe transport of fragile cell and gene therapies, improving patient access and operational efficiency across manufacturing, clinical, and point-of-care environments.

In October 2024, Cold Chain Technologies (CCT), a U.S.-based provider of advanced thermal packaging, acquired Tower Cold Chain for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition aims to expand CCT's product portfolio and enhance its global service network, strengthening its leadership in temperature-controlled packaging and sustainable thermal engineering. Tower Cold Chain, based in the UK, provides advanced passive reusable thermal packaging solutions for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical clients.

Major companies operating in the cold chain packaging market are Cold Chain Technologies Inc., Cryopak Industries Inc., Sofrigam Company, CCL Industries Inc., Sealed Air Corporation, Pelican BioThermal LLC, Sonoco Thermosafe, Intelsius a DGP Company, Softbox Systems Ltd., Envirotainer AB, Inmark Packaging, Tempack Packaging Solutions S.L., ACH Foam Technologies LLC, American Aerogel Corporation, Cold Ice Inc., Davis Core & Pad Co., DuPont de Nemours Inc., Exeltainer S.L., Insulated Products Corporation, Laminar Medica Limited, NanoCool LLC, Polar Tech Industries Inc., Protek Cargo, Saeplast Americas Inc., SkyCell AG, Snyder Industries Inc., TKT GmbH, World Courier, va-Q-tec AG

Western Europe was the largest region in the cold chain packaging market in 2025. The regions covered in the cold chain packaging market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa

The countries covered in the cold chain packaging market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The cold chain packaging market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing packaging services such as active, passive and hybrid packaging services. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The cold chain packaging market also includes sales of vacuum insulated panels which are used in providing packaging services. Values in this market are 'factory gate' values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

Cold Chain Packaging Market Global Report 2026 from The Business Research Company provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the market.

This report focuses cold chain packaging market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the trends which will be shaping the market over the next ten years and beyond.

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Where is the largest and fastest growing market for cold chain packaging ? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward, including technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer preferences? The cold chain packaging market global report from the Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.

The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, total addressable market (TAM), market attractiveness score (MAS), competitive landscape, market shares, company scoring matrix, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography.

• The market characteristics section of the report defines and explains the market. This section also examines key products and services offered in the market, evaluates brand-level differentiation, compares product features, and highlights major innovation and product development trends.
• The supply chain analysis section provides an overview of the entire value chain, including key raw materials, resources, and supplier analysis. It also provides a list competitor at each level of the supply chain.
• The updated trends and strategies section analyses the shape of the market as it evolves and highlights emerging technology trends such as digital transformation, automation, sustainability initiatives, and AI-driven innovation. It suggests how companies can leverage these advancements to strengthen their market position and achieve competitive differentiation.
• The regulatory and investment landscape section provides an overview of the key regulatory frameworks, regularity bodies, associations, and government policies influencing the market. It also examines major investment flows, incentives, and funding trends shaping industry growth and innovation.
• The market size section gives the market size ($b) covering both the historic growth of the market, and forecasting its development.
• The forecasts are made after considering the major factors currently impacting the market. These include the technological advancements such as AI and automation, Russia-Ukraine war, trade tariffs (government-imposed import/export duties), elevated inflation and interest rates.
• The total addressable market (TAM) analysis section defines and estimates the market potential compares it with the current market size, and provides strategic insights and growth opportunities based on this evaluation.
• The market attractiveness scoring section evaluates the market based on a quantitative scoring framework that considers growth potential, competitive dynamics, strategic fit, and risk profile. It also provides interpretive insights and strategic implications for decision-makers.
• Market segmentations break down the market into sub markets.
• The regional and country breakdowns section gives an analysis of the market in each geography and the size of the market by geography and compares their historic and forecast growth.
• Expanded geographical coverage includes Taiwan and Southeast Asia, reflecting recent supply chain realignments and manufacturing shifts in the region. This section analyzes how these markets are becoming increasingly important hubs in the global value chain.
• The competitive landscape chapter gives a description of the competitive nature of the market, market shares, and a description of the leading companies. Key financial deals which have shaped the market in recent years are identified.
• The company scoring matrix section evaluates and ranks leading companies based on a multi-parameter framework that includes market share or revenues, product innovation, and brand recognition.

Scope

• Markets Covered:1) By Product: Crates; Insulated Container And Boxes; Cold Packs; Label; Temperature Controlled Pallet Shippers
• 2) By Material Type: Expanded polystyrene (EPS); Vacuum insulated panel (VIP) solutions; Polyurethane (PUR)
• 3) By Application: Fruits And Vegetables; Fruit And Pulp Concentrates; Dairy Products; Fish, Meat And Seafood; Processed Food; Pharmaceuticals; Bakery And Confectionaries
• Subsegments:
• 1) By Crates: Plastic Crates; Wooden Crates; Foldable Crates
• 2) By Insulated Containers and Boxes: Foam Insulated Containers; Rigid Insulated Boxes; Thermal Blankets
• 3) By Cold Packs: Gel Packs; Ice Packs; Dry Ice Packs
• 4) By Labels: Temperature-Sensitive Labels; Tracking Labels; Compliance Labels
• 5) By Temperature Controlled Pallet Shippers: Refrigerated Pallet Shippers; Insulated Pallet Covers; Active Temperature Controlled Pallet Shippers
• Companies Mentioned: Cold Chain Technologies Inc.; Cryopak Industries Inc.; Sofrigam Company; CCL Industries Inc.; Sealed Air Corporation; Pelican BioThermal LLC; Sonoco Thermosafe; Intelsius a DGP Company; Softbox Systems Ltd.; Envirotainer AB; Inmark Packaging; Tempack Packaging Solutions S.L.; ACH Foam Technologies LLC; American Aerogel Corporation; Cold Ice Inc.; Davis Core & Pad Co.; DuPont de Nemours Inc.; Exeltainer S.L.; Insulated Products Corporation; Laminar Medica Limited; NanoCool LLC; Polar Tech Industries Inc.; Protek Cargo; Saeplast Americas Inc.; SkyCell AG; Snyder Industries Inc.; TKT GmbH; World Courier; va-Q-tec AG
• Countries: Australia; Brazil; China; France; Germany; India; Indonesia; Japan; Taiwan; Russia; South Korea; UK; USA; Canada; Italy; Spain.
• Regions: Asia-Pacific; South East Asia; Western Europe; Eastern Europe; North America; South America; Middle East; Africa
• Time Series: Five years historic and ten years forecast.
• Data: Ratios of market size and growth to related markets, GDP proportions, expenditure per capita,
• Data Segmentations: country and regional historic and forecast data, market share of competitors, market segments.
• Sourcing and Referencing: Data and analysis throughout the report is sourced using end notes.
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