China's label industry won 6 major awards and 2 honourable mentions at the 2025 World Label Awards, ranking #2 globally. Zhejiang Zhongyu (YZY) earned an honourable mention for its 3D cloud-film anti-counterfeiting IML. Here's what this milestone means for the global packaging industry.
L9 World Label Awards 2025 — the 'Oscar of the label industry'
On 9 September 2025, in a conference room in Barcelona that has hosted the global label industry for nearly four decades, something happened that — depending on whom you ask — was either a long time coming or a complete surprise.
The L9 World Label Awards, the most prestigious international competition in the label industry, concluded its 37th edition with a final scoreboard that placed China in second place globally, ahead of Japan, India, the United States, and every other traditional label powerhouse. From a pool of 84 high-level entries drawn from the world's most respected label converters, Chinese companies captured 6 major awards and 2 honourable mentions — a haul that fundamentally reshapes the global perception of "where premium labels are made."
Among the eight honourees, one name stood out to anyone paying attention to the fastest-growing segment of the label industry: Zhejiang Zhongyu Science and Technology Co., Ltd. (YZY). YZY earned an honourable mention in Class 22 — Gravure Printing for a product that may look like a simple label but represents a generational leap in anti-counterfeiting technology: the 3D Cloud-Film Anti-Counterfeiting In-Mold Label.
Figure 1: The L9 international judging panel at the 2025 WLA in Barcelona, September 2025. China was represented by Professor Xu Wencai (Chair of the Packaging Printing & Label Subcommittee, China Packaging Federation).
The World Label Awards (WLA) is administered by the L9, an alliance of nine of the world's leading label industry associations:
● FINAT (Europe, the international non-paper label federation
●JFLP (Japan)
●TLMI (USA, Tag & Label Manufacturers Institute)
● LMAI (India)
● FPLMA (Australia)
● SALMA (New Zealand)
● LAT (Latin America)
● CLS (China, Label & Specialty Subcommittee)
● CPF (China, China Packaging Federation)
The 2025 edition evaluated 84 entries across 24 classes spanning flexo, offset, gravure, digital, combination printing, and innovation categories. The judging panel — drawn from all nine member associations — was led this year by Professor Xu Wencai, Chair of the Packaging Printing and Label Subcommittee of the China Packaging Federation, who served as China's chief judge and represented China on the entire international review process.
| Rank | Country / Region | Winners | Hon. Mentions | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Europe (FINAT) | 10 | 2 | 12 |
| 🥈 2 | China (CLS + CPF) | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| 🥉 3 | Japan (JFLP) | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 4 | India (LMAI) | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 5 | USA (TLMI) | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 6 | Australia / New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 1 |
The fact that China beat both Japan and India — the two Asian label industry powerhouses that have dominated Asian entries for decades — is itself historic. The fact that China also beat the United States — the home of HP Indigo, Mark Andy, and the largest label-converting market in the world — is even more striking.
For the 6 winning Chinese companies and the 2 honourable mention recipients, the WLA 2025 result is a watershed moment. For the global packaging industry, it is a signal that the centre of gravity in label technology is shifting east.
| Class | Company | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Class 19 — Digital Printing, Process Color | Guangzhou Baosen Technology Application Co., Ltd. | Buddhist Five Precepts Chart Label |
| Class 22 — Gravure Printing | Zhejiang Zhongyu (YZY) | 3D Cloud-Film Anti-Counterfeiting IML |
What is immediately striking about this list is the diversity of printing processes and end-uses represented. From FMCG shampoo to craft beer, from wine to confectionery, from Buddhist religious art to customs-data tracking — Chinese converters demonstrated in 2025 that they can deliver world-class quality across virtually every label category.
And the most strategically important category of all — gravure printing for in-mold labels — was the one in which YZY won recognition.
The WLA 2025 result is more than a trophy story. It is a leading indicator of where the global label industry is heading. In-mold labeling is positioned to be the fastest-growing and most strategically important segment of the label industry for the next decade.
The European Union's PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation), fully in force by 2030, mandates that all packaging must be recyclable by design. Traditional decorated packaging (paper labels, hot-stamped foils, multi-material constructions) will be progressively restricted or banned. IML is one of the few decoration technologies that is inherently PPWR-compliant because the label fuses into a mono-material PP container.
IML is the only label technology that creates a truly mono-material finished product. A traditional decorated container (e.g., a printed paper-labeled PET bottle) is multi-material: PET + paper + adhesive + ink. Recycling such a container requires separating the label from the substrate, which most municipal recycling streams cannot do economically. The result: most decorated containers are landfilled or incinerated, not recycled. An IML-decorated PP container is PP from inside to outside. It can enter the #5 PP recycling stream with no separation step. YZY's mono-material IML cups are already approved for kerbside recycling in major EU and US municipalities.
For high-counterfeiting-risk product categories, IML is uniquely well-suited to anti-counterfeiting applications. The fusion-into-wall construction means a counterfeiter cannot peel off and re-use a genuine IML. The structural cloud-film effect cannot be reproduced by printing. The nano-pattern layer requires specialized equipment to read. The combination of these three properties — plus the fusion-into-wall permanence — makes IML arguably the strongest anti-counterfeiting label technology commercially available in 2026.
Zhejiang Zhongyu Science and Technology Co., Ltd. (YZY) was founded in 2010 in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. Over 15 years, the company has grown from a regional IML converter into one of the top 3 IML producers in China, with a domestic market share of approximately 30%.
The company's recognition at the WLA 2025 is the latest in a series of milestones:
| Milestone | Detail |
|---|---|
| 15+ years | of IML production experience |
| 65+ patents | in IML material science (including proprietary) |
| 20,000 m² | dust-free production facility with 80+ pieces of equipment |
| 120M m² / yr | annual capacity of IML material |
| BRCGS, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 22000:2018, FDA, EU 10/2011 | Certifications |
| 65+ F500 clients | including Starbucks, Nestlé, Unilever, Oreo, Yili, Mengniu |
| 30+ countries | export to Southeast Asia, Europe, North America, Middle East |
YZY's WLA 2025 honourable mention is the first time a Chinese IML converter has been recognized at the WLA in Class 22 (Gravure). The recognition is expected to accelerate YZY's expansion into European and North American markets for security-label applications.
If you are a global brand owner responsible for packaging procurement, the WLA 2025 result is a strategic data point. Here is what it means for your 2026 sourcing strategy.
The historical assumption that premium labels must come from Europe, the USA, or Japan is no longer accurate. The WLA 2025 result confirms that Chinese converters can deliver WLA-grade quality across flexo, offset, gravure, digital, and combination printing — at price points that are typically 30-50% below European or American equivalents.
The YZY WLA 2025 recognition specifically elevates IML from a low-cost decoration technology to a credible premium security technology. For brand owners who have been using paper labels with hot-stamped foils for security applications, this is a strategic opening to consider IML as a more durable, more sustainable, more cost-effective alternative.
Based on YZY's 15 years of experience serving global brand clients, here is the evaluation framework:
● ✅ In-house cloud-film manufacturing (not outsourced)
● ✅ Gravure printing at 1,200+ dpi
● ✅ In-house food-safety certification (FDA, EU 10/2011, BRCGS)
● ✅ Patent portfolio in IML material science (15+ patents minimum)
● ✅ Vertical integration (printing + laminating + die-cutting + IML)
● ✅ MOQ ≤ 50,000 pieces for stock designs
● ✅ Lead time ≤ 10 days for production after design approval
● ✅ 7-day sample turnaround
● ✅ 24-hour dispatch for stock items
● ✅ Free 3-variant sample kit for first-time customers
● ✅ Willing to ship samples globally (DDP / DAP available)
● ✅ 10+ Fortune 500 brand references
● ✅ Multi-year supply relationships (5+ years) with at least 5 named brands
● ✅ Documented case studies with measurable business outcomes
● International industry recognition (L9 WLA, FTA, TLMI, FINAT, or equivalent)
The 2025 result narrowed the gap between China and Europe from a typical 4-6x margin to a 1.5x margin. If Chinese converters maintain their current pace of investment in equipment, certification, and process technology, a #1 finish in 2026 or 2027 is plausible.
As of 2025, IML entries are folded into the existing flexo, offset, gravure, and digital classes. As IML volumes grow, expect a dedicated IML class — likely "Class 25: In-Mold Labeling" — to be added to the WLA. YZY is positioned to be a perennial finalist in that class.
Driven by pharmaceutical serialization, luxury goods authentication, and food safety regulation, anti-counterfeiting IML is the fastest-growing IML sub-segment. The YZY cloud-film technology is a leading candidate to become the default anti-counterfeiting IML platform in China and Southeast Asia by 2027.
Q1: What is the L9 World Label Awards?
The L9 World Label Awards is the most prestigious international competition in the label industry, administered by the L9, an alliance of nine of the world's leading label industry associations. Established in 1989, the WLA is widely regarded as the "Oscar of the label industry."
Q2: What was China's ranking in the 2025 WLA?
China ranked #2 globally, with 6 major awards and 2 honourable mentions, behind Europe (FINAT) with 10+2 and ahead of Japan (JFLP) with 3+2, India (LMAI) with 2+3, the USA (TLMI) with 2+1, and Australia/New Zealand with 1+0.
Q3: What is YZY's award-winning product?
YZY won an honourable mention in Class 22 (Gravure Printing) for the 3D Cloud-Film Anti-Counterfeiting In-Mold Label — a three-layer optical security IML that combines cloud-film microstructure, custom-engraved nano-pattern, and color-shift ink. The product is commercially deployed in baijiu, cosmetics, edible oils, and pharmaceutical packaging.
Q4: Can global brand owners source IML from YZY directly?
Yes. YZY supplies 65+ Fortune 500 brand clients globally, with English-speaking sales and design support, DDP/DAP shipping, and full FDA / EU 10/2011 / BRCGS documentation.
Q5: What is the lead time?
7-day sample turnaround. 15-day production lead time after design approval. 24-hour dispatch for stock items.
Q6: Is YZY's IML technology patented?
Yes. YZY holds 65+ patents in IML material science, including proprietary cloud-film technology, anti-counterfeiting layer construction, and high-durability adhesive chemistry.
Q7: How do I get a sample of YZY's 3D cloud-film IML?
Email yzy@inmoldlabel.net or WhatsApp +86 18267781866 with your product specifications.
The 2025 World Label Awards result is not just a trophy story. It is a leading indicator of a structural shift in the global label industry — a shift that will reshape supply chains, cost structures, and security architectures for the next decade.
For the eight Chinese companies honored, including YZY, the result is a validation of 15+ years of investment in equipment, certification, and process technology. For the global brand owners who have historically defaulted to European or American label suppliers, the result is an invitation to re-evaluate their sourcing strategy. And for the consumer who picks up a decorated container in 2026, the result is the promise of better, safer, more sustainable packaging at lower cost.
YZY is proud to be among the eight Chinese companies that represented the country at the 2025 WLA. We are even prouder to be doing our small part to make anti-counterfeiting IML a global standard.
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