Raw Materials Outlook: Key Insights from the 66th FEIBP Congress
Rising costs, changing demand and supply chain challenges are shaping the global market for materials used in brush manufacturing.
By Alice Castle, Brush Expert
The global raw materials market continues to present a mixed outlook for brush manufacturers, with rising costs, shifting demand, supply constraints and evolving regulations creating different challenges across material categories. At the 66th FEIBP Congress, held September 22–24, 2026, in Lyon, France, industry specialists presented their annual assessments of key raw materials, including fine hair, vegetable fibers, natural bristles, steel, synthetic filaments and wood. Their reports highlight areas of relative price stability alongside mounting pressures from labor shortages, energy costs, transportation expenses and regulatory changes, offering brush manufacturers and suppliers valuable insight into current market conditions and the outlook ahead.
Fine Hair
Mark Samuel of Mark Samuel Trading shared his assessment of the past 12 months, describing 2026 as relatively calm on pricing. However, this stability could be seen less as good news and more as evidence of a stagnant market. Synthetic filaments now dominate much of artist/cosmetic brush production, and prices increased considerably during the year while many fine-hair prices fell.
Reporting on individual items:
- Ox ear hair — Supplies remain sufficient, with prices unchanged for the past ten years.
- Pony and goat hair — Prices remain stable, but demand has fallen sharply and fresh specialist material can be difficult to source.
- Badger hair — Prices have softened slightly amid weaker demand and limited high-grade material, with some lower-quality hair being blended into supplies.
- Squirrel hair — Prices are generally falling, although fresh supply remains limited and some varieties are increasingly scarce.
- Weasel and sable hair — Demand remains below previous years and prices are still high, although further small reductions have been seen.
Vegetable Fibers
Dr. Urte Rietdorf of Friedrich Platt GmbH provided her annual overview of the vegetable fiber market, attributing price increases in part to the same reasons affecting other markets. Individually, the fibers are performing as follows:
- Tampico — Supply remains limited due to labor shortages and the continuing effects of drought, although most drought-related quality issues have now been resolved. Prices continue to rise as raw material and labor costs increase.
- Bahia Piassava — Availability is coming under increasing pressure from labor shortages, plantation closures and farmers moving to less labor-intensive crops. Quality remains stable, while lower production and rising costs continue to push prices upwards.
- Sherbro — Production and availability remain very low due to limited raw material supply and reduced harvests. Quality remains stable, and prices are still relatively low compared with other fibers, with only moderate increases expected.
- Palmyra — Supply and quality remain relatively stable, although premium grades can be harder to source. Prices are also broadly stable, with moderate increases expected as raw material, labor, processing and transport costs rise.
- Coconut fiber — Availability can fluctuate according to harvests, weather and production capacity, with demand for coconut husk chips creating additional competition for raw material. Prices rose by nearly 40 percent in 2025–2026, with continued upward pressure expected.
- Arenga — Supply is generally reliable and quality remains high following improvements in processing and quality control. Prices are rising, including around a 5 percent increase in the Indonesian domestic market, with strong international demand expected to maintain pressure.
The growing demand for vegetable fibers is partly linked to volatility/dependency affecting synthetics. Despite pressures, quality across the main fiber types is described as good.
China Natural Bristle Market
Reinhold Hoerz and Miguel Almeida of DKSH reported that tighter environmental and tax requirements are continuing to reshape China’s natural bristle market. Stricter environmental regulations are affecting traditional hog-hair soaking and washing processes, requiring processors to adopt greener technologies while maintaining product quality. At the same time, tighter tax compliance means bristle factories must obtain VAT invoices when purchasing raw materials, increasing costs and placing additional pressure on cash flow.
Demand for natural horsetail hair is also increasing, driven particularly by China’s expanding premium bedding market, with premium black qualities seeing strong demand and continued competition for raw material.
Looking specifically at natural bristle, black qualities in 51–64 mm and 102 mm+ lengths remain supply constrained, while white qualities are generally stable.
Hoerz and Almeida stressed the importance of careful planning and close cooperation throughout the supply chain as regulation, rising costs and growing demand continue to influence the market.
Steel
Holger Kruse of Künne Group reported that while European steel demand showed a modest recovery in 2025, EU production fell to a record low and imports increased significantly, accounting for around 30 percent of EU steel consumption.
Looking ahead, new EU trade and environmental measures are expected to increasingly influence availability, sourcing and prices. From July 2026, new steel import regulations introduce lower tariff-free quotas across 30 product categories, with a 50 percent duty applying once quotas are exhausted. Additional ‘melt and pour’ traceability requirements will also apply from October.
The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), meanwhile, entered its definitive phase in January 2026, introducing carbon-related costs for selected imported products, including iron and steel. Together, carbon costs, tighter import quotas and increased traceability requirements are expected to make European sourcing increasingly relevant and play a greater role in determining steel availability and pricing.
Synthetic Filaments
Andrew McIlroy of Perlon reported another challenging year for synthetic filament raw materials, with renewed volatility in oil, fuel and feedstock costs following a period of relative stability. In 2026, key chemical feedstocks used in polymer production rose between 40 percent and 60 percent. While polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene prices rose sharply earlier in the year before falling back as demand weakened, nylon and polyester materials remained at higher levels.
Despite the fluctuations, no significant material shortages were reported at the time of the Congress, with manufacturers adjusting production to reflect weaker demand. However, further price increases were anticipated during the final quarter of the year.
Looking longer term, McIlroy noted that the industry still has limited non-oil-based alternatives capable of meeting the required combination of price, quality and volume, leaving polymer markets closely tied to developments in oil, energy and global supply
and demand.
Wood
Nicolas Loewert of Loewert Group provided an overview of wood raw material prices, reporting a generally stable market across the main species used by the brush industry.
European pine prices have remained broadly stable over the past 12 months, while European beech is also stable, although at a relatively high level. South American pine and Asian rubberwood raw material prices remain largely unchanged, but higher ocean freight costs have increased the cost of importing both into Europe, particularly rubberwood. Eucalyptus has seen a slight increase, partly due to competition from the pulp and other industrial sectors.
Looking ahead, freight costs and exchange-rate movements are expected to remain important factors for imported wood. The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will also place greater emphasis on traceability and due diligence, potentially adding costs and affecting the availability of compliant material. Diversified sourcing was therefore highlighted as increasingly important for controlling costs and securing supply.
This report originally appeared in the November/December issue of Brushware Magazine. See full 2026 FEIBP coverage in the digital magazine.
