Bookmark 01-31-2008

AMI: New Study of the Polyurethane Industry in China

Plastics Information Direct, the technical publishing division of Applied Market Information Ltd. (AMI), Bristol, UK, has just published a unique techno-economic study entitled Polyurethane in China Market Report. Commissioned and published in their Expert Witness Series, this entirely new report has been written by local staff of PU World, the leading Chinese provider of electronic information on the polyurethane industry.

China is already the biggest polyurethane market in the world, and forecast to grow at a remarkable 10% per year for the next 12 years, with downstream customer industries growing at similar rates. However, in spite of its scale, the industry is still relatively immature and supply chains are incomplete. The first feedstock plant was constructed in China in the 1950s, but development of the industry was slow until the 1980s and 1990s. Recent economic advances have created huge markets for PU in areas such as vehicles, domestic appliances and furnishings, and there are clearly many opportunities for local and overseas firms to flourish.

Many firms are looking for opportunities to work with Chinese partners or access Chinese markets. However, it can be difficult to find reliable information about the structure of an industry and the key players within it. Investment decisions are based on many factors, and the polyurethane industry is particularly complex. Local knowledge is particularly valuable, which is why Plastics Information Direct commissioned Shanghai-based PU World to write this report.