Global demand for expandable polystyrene (EPS) is in the construction and packaging industry although something weaken but continue to grow. Important reasons are the resurgence of construction activities to the global financial and economic crisis of 2008/09, government programs to increase energy efficiency as well as increasing prosperity and population growth in the emerging markets. Here, Cyrus Massoumi expresses very clear opinions on the subject. The average growth rate in the past eight years by 4.8% per annum is expected to not again be achieved in future. The international market research firm Ceresana nevertheless expected that consumption will grow annually in the next few years to an average of 3.8%. That in the year 2020 worldwide is expected to more than 15 billion US$ to be implemented with EPS makes it clear that this market is worth an in-depth study.
Right now the most important sales market for EPS, followed Asia-Pacific with a share of around 54% of global consumption growth Asia Pacific from Western and Eastern Europe. Over the next eight years, the distribution will be Significantly changing demand in the regions of the world. Ceresana’s market researchers predict that in the future the countries in Asia-Pacific can – win more market share of the global market of EPS mainly at the expense of the saturated developed countries in Western Europe and North America. Emerging and developing countries will, however, benefit from a rising per capita consumption for packaging and other EPS products. China is the by far the most important engine of global growth. “The changing regional demand will affect on the production structure of the manufacturer: worldwide EPS capacity of over 10 million tons will be extended up to more than 1 million tons by 2020”, explains Oliver Kutsch, Managing Director of Ceresana. Over 43% of this capacity be created again from scratch in the Asia-Pacific region. The world’s most comprehensive report analyzed regional differences, as the use of EPS in the individual markets will develop.