These and other trends are presented in Construction Chemicals in China, a new study from The Freedonia Group Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm. Coatings and sealers will continue to be the dominant product group, comprising over 55% of total market value in 2009. Demand for coatings will be driven by the increasing use of decorative products in the residential sector for both interior and exterior applications, the need for protective coatings in harsh industrial environments, and the increasing consumption of higher-value formulations. Rising personal incomes and housing privatization will support demand for caulks and adhesives as new builds contain more showers, sinks and windows. The consumption of cement and asphalt additives will be driven by the ongoing development of China's highway system and the pervasive use of cement as a building material. Polymer flooring will benefit from its emerging use in the industrial sector. Slower gains are expected for grouts and mortars, which will be moderately restrained by the government's ban on using clay bricks in urban construction.
The nonbuilding market for construction chemicals will be driven by the widespread construction of the highways, power plants, dams and water and sewage systems necessary to provide China with the infrastructure base needed to continue growing economically. Rising personal incomes and the ongoing privatization of China's housing sector are driving similarly impressive gains in the residential building market. China's large nonresidential building market is also poised to post double-digit annual growth, bolstered by the continued expansion of the country's manufacturing sector and the replacement of poorly constructed older buildings and factories.
