8 January 2007 – PVC demand in China is being driven up by 8.0% per annum largely due to the country’s construction boom, said Freedonia Group. The fast growth will take Chinese demand to 12 million tonnes in 2010, according to the research company.
Consumption grew to a level of 8.2 million tonnes in 2005, when China overtook the US to become the largest PVC market in the world. The country’s highly active construction sector accounted for 70% of PVC extruded products.
Use of PVC in pipes, windows and doors will continue to bolster the market, as China strives to reduce energy loss from buildings and to lower costs for production and maintenance. Extruded PVC demand is forecast by Freedonia to increase by 9.2% annually to reach 6.0 million tonnes in 2010.
China’s northeast region is experiencing the strongest growth in construction activity, leading to high demand for PVC.
The PVC packaging market is also coming through, Freedonia added. “Packaging will soon replace the consumer and institutional market as the second largest market, reflecting inroads by PVC into applications traditionally served by paper and metal,” it said.
