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World PVC Demand to 2001

World demand for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resins is forecast to expand over four percent per year to nearly 27 million metric tons in the year 2001, maintaining PVC's status as the world's second largest volume thermoplastic, behind polyethylene. The primary factor behind gains will be a solid expansion in construction activity, which is promoting demand for building materials based on PVC. Also, growth in global incomes, particularly in developing regions, is promoting demand for vinyl-based consumer goods. These and other trends are presented in World Polyvinyl Chloride, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industrial market research firm. Construction markets account for over 60 percent of PVC demand, primarily in the form of pipe and conduit used in potable water supplies, sewage and drainage systems and irrigation networks, as well as the oil and gas and other process industries. Other PVC building materials include flooring, window and door profiles, exterior siding and soffit, single-ply roofing and geomembranes. Construction markets will also benefit from efforts to expand and improve the housing stock in developing nations, as well as ongoing industrialization efforts, such as petrochemical complexes and manufacturing establishments. Packaging is the next largest market for PVC, primarily film and bottles. Global demand for plastic packaging will continue to expand, particularly in developing regions, due to the superior barrier properties, shatter resistance, and lower cost of plastics. Other major markets for PVC include vinyl consumer goods (such as footwear, handbags and purses, and clothing accessories), and wire and cable jacketing. PVC demand will remain concentrated in the world's developed regions, with North America, Western Europe and Japan accounting for 62 percent of global demand in the year 2001. Most remaining demand arises in Asia, particularly China, South Korea and Taiwan. In developing nations such as China, most PVC demand is related to the production of vinyl consumer goods for export. Demand for PVC pipe is rising due to infrastructure projects for potable water supplies, sewer and drainage systems and irrigation networks. Oil and gas transmission networks are also important. The expansion and improvement of the housing stock in these nations are promoting demand for vinyl flooring and window and door profiles. WORLD POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (published 9/97, 275 pages) is available for $3800 from The Freedonia Group, Inc., 3570 Warrensville Center Rd., Ste. 201, Cleveland, Ohio . For further details, please contact Corinne Gangloff by phone , fax or e-mail at . Full text is also available online through commercial database companies and the www.freedoniagroup.com Web site. Please attribute information from this news release to The Freedonia Group, Inc. (Cleveland, OH) and include, if possible, the price of the report. We would also appreciate (at your convenience) a copy of the article or publication in which we appear.