Market overview

Lysine is an essential amino acid. Animals cannot make it, so it must come from feed. Producers make it by corn-based fermentation and sell it mainly as lysine hydrochloride and lysine sulphate for swine and poultry feed, with smaller volumes in food supplements, pharmaceuticals and derivatives such as polylysine. Supply is set by corn cost, strain and fermenter efficiency, and the scale of Chinese plants.

The question this report answers
How large is the lysine market, and how will Chinese overcapacity, EU anti-dumping duties and corn costs shape prices and supply to 2035?

Market Krystal preliminary estimate (2025)
IMARC, Fortune Business Insights and Reanin cluster at USD 5.6-6.2 bn for 2025. Three publishers sit higher at USD 8.6-11.6 bn; four publish USD 1.3-2.5 bn. Market Krystal sizes lysine as volume times price. We take global demand at about 3.5-4.2 mn t of product and a blended selling price of USD 1,000-1,200/t, which gives USD 3.5-5.0 bn. The volume range is framed by Chinese capacity and the price range by price reporters, so it is indicative and sits below the middle of the published estimates. On this basis we use USD 3.5-5.0 bn. Confidence grade B: published estimates exist; the volume or price cross-check is partial.

Market dynamics
– Demand: Animal feed took 82.7% of the market in 2023 (Grand View Research). Deep losses in hog farming kept demand weak in the first half of 2026 (Meihua).
– Supply: Meihua's Jilin lysine capacity reaches 1.3 mn t, nearly 30% of global capacity (Tianxia Gongchang Research). Fufeng, Eppen, CJ CheilJedang, Ajinomoto, ADM, Evonik and Eurolysine make up the rest.
– Price and margin: Meihua reports H1 2026 98.5% lysine at RMB 7.20/kg, down 20.97% year on year, with industry margins severely compressed (Meihua).
– Regulation and substitution: The EU imposed definitive anti-dumping duties of 47.7% to 58.2% on Chinese lysine (European Commission). Lysine lets farmers meet animal needs more accurately, saving land and cutting nitrogen pollution (European Commission).

Key figures at a glance (third-party, cited)
– IMARC puts the 2025 market at USD 5.7 bn and expects USD 10.0 bn by 2034, a 6.3% CAGR (IMARC). (IMARC Group)
– China's lysine capacity was about 3.5 mn t at end-2024, up 17% year on year (Tianxia Gongchang Research).
– Meihua's Jilin capacity reaches 1.3 mn t, nearly 30% of global lysine capacity (Tianxia Gongchang Research).
– Fufeng sold 435,000 t of lysine in 2025, up 30.4%, at an average RMB 6,371.7/t, down 4.9% (Fufeng Group).
– The top 10 producers hold 34.46% of revenue: CJ CheilJedang 7.05%, Meihua 6.11% and Fufeng 3.63% (The Business Research Company).
– The EU uses about 500,000 t of lysine hydrochloride equivalent a year and relies on China for 60% of it (FEFAC).

Recent developments among key stakeholders
– Oct 2026: Evonik launched Lypron, a rumen-protected lysine solution for ruminants. Sipena, a French coating specialist, will manufacture it exclusively for Evonik. (Evonik)
– Sep 2026: JNC Corporation obtained Halal certification for its polylysine from the Japan Halal Association. It covers non-food uses in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam (JNC Corporation)
– Aug 2026: Meihua's H1 2026 report cites anti-dumping measures, tariff barriers and higher shipping costs weighing on exports. It puts 98.5% lysine at an average RMB 7.20/kg. (Meihua Holdings Group)
– Mar 2026: Fufeng reported that lysine prices fell to their lowest in early 2026 after new Meihua capacity came on stream, then began to rebound. (Fufeng Group)
– Feb 2026: CJ CheilJedang signed a licence giving a Chinese state-owned producer exclusive use of its lysine strain in China. (CJ CheilJedang (via The Asia Business Daily))
– Jul 2025: The European Commission imposed definitive anti-dumping duties of 47.7% to 58.2% on Chinese lysine. They run for five years from 12 July 2025. (European Commission)

What this means for the market
EU feed compounders and premix makers now pay a duty-loaded price for Chinese lysine, and they rely on China for 60% of supply (FEFAC). Chinese producers face thin margins and must redirect volume to Asia and Latin America. Eurolysine, the sole EU producer, gains pricing room. Buyers outside the EU should expect continued low Chinese offers while new capacity ramps up.

How published estimates compare
Published 2025 values differ by almost a factor of nine, because publishers define scope and price basis differently. Some appear to value feed-grade product only and others add food, pharmaceutical and derivative grades. Market Krystal builds its range from volume and price, and checks it against Chinese producer prices and company filings, so it is traceable and sits below the higher publisher clusters.

Strategic scenarios to 2047
– Base: Feed demand grows steadily with swine and poultry output. Chinese capacity stays in surplus into the late 2020s, so prices stay near cash cost before a gradual recovery. EU duties keep a price premium in Europe through 2030. By 2047 growth is led by Asia, Latin America and Africa.
– Constrained supply: Plant outages, environmental curbs in China, a corn price spike or new trade barriers tighten the market. Prices rise sharply outside China, and non-Chinese producers regain margin and run harder.
– Technology transition: Better strains, larger fermenters and lower energy use cut Chinese costs further. Precision-feeding, low-protein diets and rumen-protected products broaden use, while new feed amino acids take share of formulation budgets.
The swing factor for lysine is Chinese capacity utilisation against corn cost. Signposts: Chinese 98.5% lysine price vs cash cost, corn price, Meihua and Fufeng utilisation, EU duty reviews, new anti-dumping cases in other regions, hog margins in China, Evonik and CJ product launches.

What this report delivers
Annual volume (tonnes) and value (USD) for 2026-2035, segmented by application: Feed-grade lysine hydrochloride (98.5%), Feed-grade lysine sulphate (70%), Liquid lysine, Rumen-protected lysine, Food and dietary supplements, Pharmaceutical and infusion grades, Polylysine and derivatives; end use: Swine feed, Poultry feed, Aquafeed, Ruminant feed, Pet food, Human nutrition and supplements, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics and personal care; region: China, Rest of Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each segment is backed by a producer capacity map, trade data and the Market Krystal estimate log, with scenarios to 2047 and strategic recommendations.