Chinese Firm Investing $100 Million in Can Factory at Kaliakair Hi-Tech Park, Targeting One Billion Cans a Year

Chinese company Alu Hi-Tech Industries Limited is investing 100 million US dollars to build a large beverage-can factory at the Kaliakair Hi-Tech Park in Gazipur. The factory, rising on about 13 acres of land, will have the capacity to produce one billion cans a year.

Under the company's plan, about 90 percent of the output will be exported to international markets. The remaining 10 percent will be supplied to the domestic market. The factory's main machinery and raw materials will be imported directly from China.

Alu Hi-Tech Industries Managing Director Yuan Dingyan said, “The plan is to build capacity to produce one billion beverage cans a year at the factory. As the Bangladesh market is comparatively small, about 90 percent of total production will be exported abroad. The remaining 10 percent is planned for the domestic market.”

The project's initial work began in 2024 with registration at the Kaliakair Hi-Tech Park. The basement construction phase has already been completed. A deadline has been set to finish all infrastructure work within the next eight months and start production.

However, uncertainty over a gas connection has emerged as the main obstacle to launching the factory on schedule. The investing company has sought the Hi-Tech Park authority's cooperation to resolve the problem.

At present, beverage cans must be imported to meet domestic demand, costing a large amount of foreign currency. Stakeholders believe that once such an industry starts in the country, import dependence will fall and significant foreign exchange will be saved.

In the domestic market, the use of cans is steadily growing for soft drinks such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Mojo, Sprite, Mirinda, Power and Mountain Dew, as well as juices and energy drinks. Domestic demand is therefore gradually expanding too.

Demand for aluminium cans is rising in the global market as well. As an alternative to plastic, this packaging is gaining popularity worldwide for preserving quality, durability and environmentally friendly recyclability. Modern technologies such as augmented-reality designs and temperature-sensitive inks that change colour are also being introduced to make packaging more attractive.

According to market research firm Fortune Business Insights, the global beverage-can market was worth 30.79 billion dollars in 2025. At an annual growth rate of 6.76 percent, the market could reach 32.87 billion dollars in 2026 and 55.47 billion dollars by 2034. Last year, North America controlled 35.44 percent of this global market.

Stakeholders say that if the Kaliakair investment materialises, it will end import dependence and establish a strong industrial base for export-oriented can production. Overcoming the gas-connection uncertainty and starting production on schedule is now the project's biggest challenge.