Global appetite for PVC grows; study finds

Global demand for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has seen a steady increase over the last decade, according to a new report. The report, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Global Market to 2020 – Growth From Asia-Pacific Construction, Packaging and Electrical Sectors Continues to Drive Demand, also finds that demand for PVC is growing fastest in Asia, which accounts for more than 65% of global PVC demand, with China being the major consumer.
Global PVC demand stood at 22.181m tonnes in 2000, increasing to 32.3m tonnes in 2011. Global demand is expected to grow at an annual rate of 4.9% per year between 2011 and 2020, to reach 49.5m tonnes in 2020.
The construction, packaging and electrical sectors were the leading end-use segments for PVC in 2011, with slightly less than 18 million tons, 3.66 million tons and 2.721 million tons of demand, respectively, accounting for around 75% of global PVC demand altogether (Packaging News, 31 August 2012).