Flat Glass Demand In China To Increase 8.4% Annually Through 2011

The Chinese flat glass market will outpace growth in all other parts of the world, driven by healthy gains in building construction activity, as industrialization efforts continue and income levels rise. Government efforts to further increase average per capita living space and privatize home ownership, sustained strength in foreign direct investment funding, rapid growth in motor vehicle productionand products renovation in electronics, will also contribute to flat glass gains.



Primary flat glass -- including drawn glass, rolled glass and float glass --accounts for nearly 87 percent of overall Chinese flat glass demand measured in square meters. Float glass sales will account for an rising share of all primary flat glass demand, growing at 8.8 percent annual through 2011. Float glass gains will be driven by improved product quality, healthy growth in building construction activity and foreign company investment. The production of drawn and rolled glass will continue to dampen overall primary gains through 2011, restrained by Chinese government’s efforts at shutting down old, inefficient and low quality sheet glass furnaces. Fabricated flat glass encompasses insulating glass, tempered glass, laminated glass, mirrors and other specialty products. Demand for fabricated flat glass will increase 12.5 percent per year to 450 million square meter in 2011, outpacing flat glass demand as a whole. Fabricated flat glass demand will benefit from increasing requirements for upper-level glass products for windows, furniture and massive growth in producing motor vehicles and electronic products.



The architectural market will remain the largest outlet for flat glass, accounting for nearly 87 percent of total demand in 2011. Gains will be spurred by ongoing privatization efforts, further growth in the average size of new homes and continuous foreign investment funding. The electrical/electronic market will expand at the fastest annual rate through 2011, driven by strong increases in electrical/ electronic production, product renovation and growth in personal income level. Flat glass demand in motor vehicles will also be considerably robust, driven by notable growth in motor vehicle production.