Cationic Starch Market Report 2026

The cationic starch market size has grown steadily in recent years. It will grow from $1.79 billion in 2025 to $1.87 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to expansion of paper and packaging industries, increased use of starch-based additives, growth of textile processing activities, rising demand for eco-friendly industrial chemicals, availability of agricultural starch sources.

The cationic starch market size is expected to see steady growth in the next few years. It will grow to $2.22 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.4%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing focus on sustainable paper production, rising demand for biodegradable industrial additives, expansion of mining and sewage treatment applications, growing investments in green chemical manufacturing, increasing innovation in starch modification technologies. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing use of cationic starch in paper manufacturing, rising demand for bio-based binding agents, growing adoption in wastewater treatment applications, expansion of modified starch usage in textiles, enhanced focus on fiber retention and strength improvement.

Rising paper manufacturing activity is expected to drive the growth of the cationic starch market. Ongoing demand for education and literacy, the expansion of organized retail, e-commerce, FMCG, and pharma/healthcare sectors, increased emphasis on quality packaging, and bans on plastic have strengthened paper manufacturing activities worldwide. The growth in paper production is anticipated to increase the use of cationic starch, as it plays a key role in the manufacture of fine papers, packaging board and carton board, corrugated papers, as well as coated and uncoated wood-containing publication papers. Cationic starch also functions as a natural coating binder, improving printability and surface characteristics while serving as an optical brightening agent (OBA) carrier. For example, in October 2025, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, a Switzerland-based regional commission of the United Nations, recycling targets for paper and paperboard were set at 75% by 2025 and 85% by 2030. Therefore, the increase in paper production and manufacturing is expected to raise demand for cationic starch during the forecast period.

The expanding textile industry is also expected to contribute to the growth of the cationic starch market in the coming years. The textile industry comprises the global production, manufacturing, and processing of textiles and related products. Within this sector, cationic starch is widely used as a sizing agent, as it enhances fabric strength, adhesion, compatibility, smoothness, and overall textile quality. For instance, in June 2025, according to Textile World, a US-based publication covering the textile industry, the value of US man-made fiber, textile, and apparel shipments totaled approximately $63.9 billion in 2024, compared with $64.8 billion in 2023. In addition, US exports of fibers, textiles, and apparel reached $28 billion in 2024, down from $29.7 billion in 2023. As a result, the continued development of the textile industry is supporting the growth of the cationic starch market.

In May 2024, KPS Capital Partners, a US-based private equity firm, acquired Tate & Lyle’s remaining ownership stake in Primient for $350 million. Primient’s product portfolio includes INTERBOND® C Starch, a cationic starch used in paper manufacturing and other industrial applications. Through this acquisition, KPS Capital Partners obtained full control of Primient’s industrial starch operations, strengthening its position in the cationic starch market. This transaction underscores the increasing strategic importance of specialty and modified starches across a range of industrial applications. Primient is a US-based producer of industrial starches.

Major companies operating in the cationic starch market are Roquette Frères S.A., Tate & Lyle PLC, Ingredion Incorporated, Western Polymer Corporation, Galam Ltd., Cargill Incorporated, Santosh Starch Products Limited, Sunar Misir Ent. Tes. San. Tic. A.S., Starch Asia Company Limited, Saurashtra Gum and Chemicals Private Limited, Visco Starch, Banpong Tapioca Flour Industrial Co Ltd., Global Bio-Chem Technology Group Company Limited, Guangxi Mingli Group Co Ltd., Hubei Corn Resources Development Co Ltd., Liaocheng Yonchic Import & Export Co Ltd., Luzhou Bio-chem Technology Limited, Qingdao Cbh Co Ltd., Shandong Fuyang Biotechnology Co Ltd., Zhucheng Xingmao Corn Developing Co Ltd., Honest Derivatives Pvt. Ltd., Chemigate Oy, Solam AB, Südstärke GmbH, Dezhou Runde Starch Co. Ltd., Nantong Yunfeng Starch Co. Ltd., Papermate Science Technology Co. Ltd., Grain Processing Corporation, Chemstar Products Company.

North America was the largest region in the cationic starch market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the cationic starch market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the cationic starch market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Italy, Spain, Canada.

The cationic starch market consists of sales of cross-linked starch products, high-charge cationic starches, modified starch. 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.

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