Cosmo Films partners with Filmax

Cosmo Films has strengthened its international footprint through a joint venture with South Korean film manufacturer Filmax, a move expected to expand the global availability of specialty CPP films and strengthen Cosmo’s access to the South Korean market. 

The partnership brings together Cosmo Films’ extensive global sales network and diverse specialty film portfolio with Filmax’s deep expertise in high-performance polypropylene films, particularly retort-grade CPP structures used in food packaging applications. 

A strategic partnership 

Filmax is one of the oldest players in the South Korean BOPP and CPP film industry, having begun operations in 1975. Over the decades, the company has built a strong reputation for producing specialty films tailored to advanced packaging applications. 

The collaboration between the two companies is structured as a marketing joint venture rather than a manufacturing partnership. Through this arrangement, Cosmo Films will help introduce Filmax’s specialty CPP films, particularly its retort CPP portfolio, to global markets, including India. At the same time, Cosmo will leverage Filmax’s strong local presence to further expand its diverse film portfolio, including products from Cosmo Plastech, Cosmo Consumer and Cosmo Speciality Chemicals within South Korea. 

Kulbhushan Malik, global business head, Cosmo Films, says: ‘Previously, Cosmo maintained distribution through a wholly owned subsidiary in South Korea. Under the new arrangement, the joint venture is expected to significantly expand the company’s market share in the region by introducing Cosmo’s broader product range to South Korean customers.’ 

One of the key focus areas of the collaboration is Filmax’s range of retort CPP films, which are designed for ready-to-eat meals and pet food packaging. 

‘Through the joint venture, Cosmo also plans to introduce Filmax portfolio to its global customer base. While Cosmo already produces many other films, we believe Filmax’s specialized CPP retort and other speciality films will complement its existing offerings and provide customers with a broader selection of high-performance films,’ Malik adds. 

Samples of these products are currently being arranged for customers. Since the films are already commercially available, the company expects relatively quick market adoption once they are introduced to customers in India and overseas markets.  

Recently, the company has also invested significantly in new production capacity and downstream capabilities, including a new BOPP production line, a CPP line commissioned 18 months ago and additional metallizing and coating capacity. These investments are aimed at increasing the company’s share in high-value specialty films.