SHANGHAI – Yarn Expo Spring 2026 will return to the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai from 11–13 March. The show has a renewed focus on sustainable yarns and fibres, after a record-breaking 2025 edition. The organiser, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, says this year’s fair drew nearly 24,000 visitors from 123 countries and regions, with more than 560 exhibitors on the show floor. Regenerated fibres and yarns generated the strongest interest, with 57 per cent of buyers sourcing in that category.
The show’s 2026 edition is being will offer a global platform for the industry’s shift to lower-impact materials. Messe Frankfurt (HK) general manager Wilmet Shea said strong business results and feedback from the 2025 event underlined an “unwavering commitment to sustainable innovation” as market demand, technology and environmental expectations continue to converge around new fibre solutions.
Market data cited by the organiser suggest the sustainable yarn segment is set for robust expansion. The global sustainable yarn market is forecast to grow from around US$5.2bn in 2026 to about US$10.1bn by 2033, a compound annual growth rate of 7.6 per cent, driven by consumer demand for eco-friendly textiles, tighter regulation and advances in fibre technology. Natural plant-based yarns such as cotton, linen, hemp and bamboo are expected to retain the largest share by volume, reflecting ongoing preference for renewable and biodegradable inputs.
For exhibitors, Yarn Expo Spring is increasingly a place to test this demand. Din Industries of Pakistan, which produces cotton, synthetic and fancy yarns, said sustainability now runs through its portfolio, including natural, regenerated and recycled fibres, and reported higher-than-expected buyer traffic in 2025 with notable interest from France, Indonesia and Türkiye.
The 2026 fair will again run a full fringe programme designed to showcase new materials and applications. Planned events include the China Fibers Fashion Trends Show, China Fibers and Yarns Fashion Trends, the Textile Materials Innovation Forum and an Enterprise Product Launch platform, giving suppliers a stage to present technical developments and brands an overview of where innovation is heading in the yarn and fibre space.
Visitors say those forums are becoming an important barometer of where the market is moving. Wenchao Ma, head of R&D at Dezhou Shangkai Tex, described the 2025 edition as an opportunity to track textile trends, meet leading suppliers and see new launches such as BioFleax staple fibre, with discussions at the show helping to inform the company’s own innovation roadmap.
Yarn Expo Spring 2026 will be held alongside Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition, CHIC and PH Value, creating a large-scale sourcing hub for upstream and downstream players. Organisers say this clustering allows exhibitors and buyers to maximise meetings in one trip and better connect material innovation with apparel, home and knitwear manufacturing demand.
With sustainability now embedded across its exhibitor mix and supporting programme, the Shanghai event is a key meeting point for yarn and fibre suppliers looking to capitalise on fast-growing demand for lower-impact materials in global textile supply chains.
Register for the show here: messefrankfurtexchange.com/Content/EmailTemplate/1257960114E.Html
