en.Wedoany.com Reported - Norwegian paint company Jotun is expanding its industrial footprint in China and has begun planning to build a third factory in the country by 2035. Public reports indicate that Jotun has already established a major production base in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province, with a second factory currently under development. The subsequent plan for a third factory is seen as a long-term move to further strengthen its presence in the Chinese market.
Jotun's latest round of investment first targets Zhangjiagang. On December 2, 2025, Jotun signed an agreement for a 200,000-ton annual capacity high-performance coatings project and a liquid coatings R&D center in Zhangjiagang, Suzhou. The two projects involve a total investment of $330 million, with fixed asset investment exceeding $230 million. Once operational, Jotun's Zhangjiagang production base is expected to achieve an annual output value of 10 billion yuan, marking a key milestone in the company's capacity expansion in China.
From a development perspective, Jotun's cooperation with Zhangjiagang has spanned many years. Jotun first invested in a factory in the Zhangjiagang Free Trade Zone in 2004, gradually building the local base into one of the group's largest global production hubs. The current push for a second factory, along with early discussions about a third factory by 2035, indicates that Jotun's strategy in China has shifted from single-site production expansion to a long-term framework encompassing capacity, R&D, and supply chain development.
Jotun's decision to further invest in China is directly linked to local industrial support and logistics conditions. Located along the golden waterway of the Yangtze River, Zhangjiagang offers port clearance, logistics distribution, and a chemical industry cluster that provide paint companies with conditions for raw material procurement, manufacturing, and customer delivery. In public reports, Mark Chapman, Jotun Group's Technical Director for Northeast Asia, stated that some local raw materials can be sourced nearby, and some can even be directly transferred from neighboring enterprises. After customs clearance at Zhangjiagang port, raw materials can be quickly delivered to customers along the Yangtze River.
In addition to traditional marine coatings and industrial protective coatings, the new energy industry is becoming a key growth driver for Jotun's China business. Reports show that Jotun holds a significant market share in marine coatings, with marine and industrial protective coatings being its core competitive businesses. Meanwhile, the Northeast Asia R&D Center in Zhangjiagang has focused on new energy vehicle battery protection needs and developed products such as fire-resistant powder coatings. Jotun has disclosed that its powder coatings business is growing rapidly, with some products applied in the new energy vehicle battery sector.
This strategy is driven by the evolving demand for high-performance coatings amid China's manufacturing upgrade. Sectors such as shipping, energy, infrastructure, automotive parts, batteries, light industry, and architectural design require higher standards for anti-corrosion, fire resistance, weather resistance, energy efficiency, and surface protection materials. According to Jotun's official website, its business covers shipping, energy, architecture and design, infrastructure, light industry, and other fields, with global operations spanning over 100 countries and regions.
For foreign paint companies, the Chinese market is no longer just a terminal sales market but an industrial hub integrating R&D, manufacturing, supply chains, and application scenarios. Jotun's additional investment in high-performance coatings projects and a liquid coatings R&D center in Zhangjiagang suggests that it aims to respond more quickly to product demands from Chinese customers in shipping, new energy, industrial protection, and infrastructure through localized R&D and manufacturing.
Currently, Jotun's third factory in China is still in the planning stage targeting 2035, with specific details on location, investment scale, construction timeline, and capacity yet to be disclosed. Whether the project will materialize will depend on future public announcements from Jotun Group, local governments, or project entities.
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