World Flat Glass to 2012 (Industry forecasts for 2012 & 2017)

Abstract

World demand for flat glass is forecast to rise 5.1 percent per year through 2012 to 6.5 billion square meters. Maintaining the trend seen over the 2002-2007 period, demand will outpace real (i.e., inflationadjusted) gains in the global economy. The market value of fabricated glass (basic flat glass as well as value-added products such as laminated, tempered, insulating and mirrored glass) is forecast to reach $73 billion in 2012.

Gains will be fueled by a healthy building construction environment and rapid growth in emerging technologies such as smart glass and self-cleaning glass. Value gains will be aided by more rapid gains in laminated glass demand in comparison to lower value tempered glass demand. Laminated glass will see increasing usage as hurricane glass, ballistic glass and burglary resistant glass, as well as increasingly replacing tempered glass in motor vehicle side and rear windows.

Developing countries in Asia will register the strongest gains in flat glass demand through 2012, with growth especially strong in China and India. China' s share of world flat glass demand in square meters will rise from 33 percent in 2007 to 37 percent in 2012. However, the country' s share of world fabricated flat glass demand in dollars will stand at a much less significant 18 percent in 2012.

Basic unfabricated float glass continues to account for a disproportionate share of the overall Chinese flat glass market due to the frenetic pace of building construction activity taking place in the country, often necessitating the utilization of the cheapest materials available. The developed US, Japanese and West European markets will all see weak growth in their respective flat glass markets through 2012.

As a result of a healthy global building construction environment, demand in the dominant construction segment will register gains of 6.1 percent per year through 2012 to $30 billion. In addition, the market for architectural glass will benefit from the greater use of value added glazing products, both in new structures and during major renovation and refurbishment activities. Chief among these materials are more expensive double-glazed insulating glass units (IGUs) that provide improved energy efficiency and have become increasingly popular in developed countries. Sales of new generations of security and fire-rated glass, self-cleaning glass, and smart windows that promise unprecedented control and energy savings will also accelerate through 2012. Coated and laminated products will continue to expand market share at the expense of basic float glass. Finally, architectural trends such as the increasing use of natural lighting in buildings, as well as greater usage of skylights, glass patio doors and enclosures, and larger windows will all bolster the global market for flat glass.

Demand for other specialty glass products is also forecast to increase at an above average pace through 2012. Besides gains in traditional sectors such as mirrors and furniture glass, newer applications that utilize advanced glass -- such as specialty electronics glass used in flat panel displays and computer monitors -- will post strong growth.

This new Freedonia industry study, World Flat Glass, presents historical demand data (1997, 2002 and 2007) and forecasts for 2012 and 2017 by market, world region and major country. The study also considers market environment factors, evaluates company market share and profiles industry competitors.