Cosmax

K-beauty order surge triggers cosmetic container shortage in Korea

Surging orders for K-beauty products have pushed Korean cosmetics ODM manufacturers Korea Kolmar and Cosmax to record production capacity, creating a bottleneck in cosmetic container supply such as tubes and pouches. Pumtech Korea, the country's leading cosmetic container maker, is expanding fastest: it bought land in April 2026 for a seventh plant, completed a fourth plant in November 2025, and is building fifth and sixth plants, lifting capacity from 652 million units in 2024 to a projected 828 million units in 2026.

Why this mattersA capacity-constrained container supply chain could cap how fast K-beauty brands can scale output, favouring incumbent packagers able to expand fast enough.

• Korea Kolmar's average monthly production rose from about 46.49 million units in 2024 to about 52.71 million in 2025 and about 61.25 million in the first half of 2026.
• Cosmax's monthly output is about 86 million units and is forecast to soon exceed 100 million.
• Pumtech Korea, the top domestic cosmetic container maker, bought land in April 2026 to expand a seventh plant.
• Pumtech Korea completed a fourth plant in November 2025 and is building fifth and sixth plants.
• Pumtech Korea's capacity is projected to grow from 652 million units in 2024 to 768 million in 2025 and 828 million in 2026.
• Dalba Global reported a shortage of sunscreen containers in the second quarter of 2026.

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