According to "Flat Glass in China" a new study from the Beijing office of Freedonia, demand for flat glass in China is forecast to increase 7.9%/pa through 2013 to 2.7 billion square meters. Measured in value terms, that equates to 11.3%/pa to nearly 130 billion yuan ($19BN). The flat glass industry in China will be marked by two major trends over the next decade: Demand for float glass will grow rapidly at the expense of lower quality sheet glass; & high-value fabricated glass such as safety glass & insulating glass will increasingly be used by consumers in place of lower value unfabricated glass. Unfabricated float glass will remain the largest product category through 2013, with demand growing 8.3%/pa to 1.5 billion square meters. Advances will be spurred by healthy growth in building construction activity, especially in rural areas and low product prices.
