North America Carbon Fiber Market (2026-2031) - Rising Demand For Lightweight Materials Drives Growth
Dublin, Sept. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "North America Carbon Fiber - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2026-2031)" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
The North America carbon fiber market is positioned for significant expansion, driven by rising demand for lightweight, high-performance materials across the automotive, aerospace, defense, renewable energy and infrastructure sectors. Market volume is expected to increase from 60.91 kilotons in 2025 to 71.10 kilotons in 2026 before reaching 154.01 kilotons by 2031. This represents a compound annual growth rate of 16.74% between 2026 and 2031.
Lightweight Vehicle Strategies Support Carbon Fiber Demand
Automotive electrification is strengthening the role of carbon fiber in North American vehicle manufacturing. Automakers are adopting lightweight composite components to improve energy efficiency, extend electric vehicle range and support compliance with fuel economy requirements. Automated fiber placement and other advanced production technologies are also helping manufacturers integrate carbon fiber structural parts into higher-volume vehicle platforms.
General Motors' pilot programs demonstrate the automotive industry's growing interest in scalable composite manufacturing. At the same time, research and development funding from the U.S. Department of Energy is advancing ductile carbon fiber composites for applications such as battery-pack housings. These initiatives are expected to support sustained demand for carbon fiber in electric vehicles and other next-generation transportation platforms.
Aerospace and Defense Applications Maintain Market Leadership
Aerospace and defense remain central to the North America carbon fiber market due to the need for high-modulus, heat-resistant and lightweight materials. Next-generation commercial aircraft, advanced air mobility platforms and hypersonic defense systems increasingly depend on carbon fiber composites to reduce weight while maintaining structural performance.
Toray is supplying thermoset and thermoplastic prepregs for NASA's HiCAM program, which is focused on accelerating the production of composite aircraft structures. Major investments are also expanding regional manufacturing capacity. Collins Aerospace committed USD 200 million to increase carbon-carbon brake production in Spokane, while GE Aerospace allocated nearly USD 1 billion to support U.S. manufacturing, including composite component production. These long-term investments reinforce a favorable demand outlook for North American carbon fiber suppliers.
Raw Material Supply Risks Create Market Challenges
Despite strong growth prospects, the market faces potential supply constraints related to polyacrylonitrile precursors and other critical raw materials. Reviews by the U.S. and Canadian governments have increased scrutiny of imported materials. Export controls, environmental permitting requirements and changes in trade policy could affect precursor availability, operating costs and regional supply-chain stability.
Additional factors influencing the North America carbon fiber market include:
- Increasing carbon fiber utilization in wind energy systems Expanding demand for high-performance sporting goods Limited recycling infrastructure and variability in recycled fiber quality
PAN Retains Dominance as Alternative Precursors Gain Momentum
Polyacrylonitrile accounted for 91.20% of the North America carbon fiber market in 2025, supported by established supply chains and consistent strength-to-weight performance. However, petroleum-pitch and rayon-based materials are forecast to grow at an 18.25% CAGR as automotive, construction and infrastructure customers seek more cost-effective solutions.
Advanced Carbon Products LLC has developed a mesophase pitch carbon fiber precursor that could provide meaningful cost savings compared with conventional PAN-based production. Pitch production can achieve yield rates above 70%, compared with approximately 55% for PAN, potentially reducing per-kilogram costs when furnace energy consumption remains constant. These economics could make alternative precursors increasingly competitive in pressure vessels, civil infrastructure and other mass-market applications.
Recycled Carbon Fiber Records Rapid Growth
Virgin carbon fiber represented 75.40% of the regional market in 2025 because aerospace and defense applications require complete material traceability and tightly controlled performance. Recycled carbon fiber is nevertheless forecast to expand at an 18.48% CAGR as manufacturers pursue lower costs and reduced environmental impact.
Vartega has achieved mechanical properties comparable to virgin fiber while reporting approximately half the cost and a 96% to 99% lower carbon dioxide footprint. Commercial acceptance is also increasing. Boeing's use of KyronTEX sidewall panels demonstrates the potential for reclaimed content in aircraft interiors, while recycled-fiber injection-molding compounds can reduce finished automotive part costs by as much as 30%. These developments are expected to accelerate adoption and strengthen the role of circular manufacturing within the North America carbon fiber market through 2031.
Key Topics Covered:
1 Introduction
1.1 Study Assumptions and Market Definition
1.2 Scope of the Study
2 Research Methodology
3 Executive Summary
4 Market Landscape
4.1 Market Overview
4.2 Market Drivers
4.2.1 Rising Demand from Lightweight Vehicles
4.2.2 Accelerating Usage in Aerospace and Defense
4.2.3 Growing Utilization from Wind Energy Sector
4.2.4 Expansion of High-Performance Sporting Goods
4.2.5 Adoption in Hydrogen Storage Tanks for Heavy-Duty Mobility
4.3 Market Restraints
4.3.1 High Research and Development, and Capital Expenditure
4.3.2 Regulatory-Driven Supply Risk for Raw Materials
4.3.3 Limited Recycling Infrastructure and quality variance
4.4 Value Chain Analysis
4.5 Porter's Five Forces
4.5.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers
4.5.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers
4.5.3 Threat of New Entrants
4.5.4 Threat of Substitutes
4.5.5 Competitive Rivalry
5 Market Size and Growth Forecasts (Volume)
5.1 By Raw Material
5.1.1 Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)
5.1.2 Peroleum Pitch and Rayon
5.2 By Type
5.2.1 Virgin Carbon Fiber (VCF)
5.2.2 Recycled Carbon Fiber (RCF)
5.3 By Application
5.3.1 Composite Materials
5.3.2 Textiles
5.3.3 Micro-electrodes
5.3.4 Catalysis
5.4 By End-user Industry
5.4.1 Aerospace and Defense
5.4.2 Alternative Energy
5.4.3 Automotive
5.4.4 Construction and Infrastructure
5.4.5 Sporting Goods
5.4.6 Other End-user Industries (Marine and Maritime)
5.5 By Geography
5.5.1 United States
5.5.2 Canada
5.5.3 Mexico
5.5.4 Rest of North America
6 Competitive Landscape
6.1 Market Concentration
6.2 Strategic Moves
6.3 Market Share(%)/Ranking Analysis
6.4 Company Profiles (includes Global level Overview, Market level overview, Core Segments, Financials as available, Strategic Information, Market Rank/Share for key companies, Products and Services, and Recent Developments)
6.4.1 A&P Technology, Inc.
6.4.2 ACP Composites Inc.
6.4.3 DowAksa
6.4.4 Gurit Services AG
6.4.5 Hexcel Corporation
6.4.6 HS HYOSUNG USA
6.4.7 Jiangsu Hengshen Co., Ltd.
6.4.8 Mitsubishi Chemical Carbon Fiber and Composites Inc.
6.4.9 Present Advanced Composites Inc.
6.4.10 SGL Carbon
6.4.11 Syensqo
6.4.12 TEIJIN LIMITED
6.4.13 Toray Industries Inc.
6.4.14 Vartega Inc.
7 Market Opportunities and Future Outlook
7.1 White-space and unmet-need assessment
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