The global expandable polystyrene (EPS) capacity exceeded 8.8 million tonnes in 2012. Asia followed by Europe, holds the major chunk of the total figure (above 66%).
China, Germany and South Korea form the top three countries in terms of EPS capacity, together accounting for nearly 62% of the overall capacity.
Expandable polystyrene capacity broken down by region, 2012
The worldwide EPS production has witnessed healthy growth in the past several years. It grew by approximately 500,000 tonnes from 2010 to override 6.3 million tonnes in 2012. Asia is the global unrivalled leader in the EPS production, accounting for over a half of the overall output. The combined production volume of three leading manufacturing countries was estimated at more than 3.7 million tonnes in 2012.
Asia is also a dominant EPS consumer. The EPS consumption in the region increased by over 125,000 tonnes in 2010-2012.
The world leading EPS market (China) has been steadily growing in terms of both consumption and production in 2010-2012. In 2011, the Chinese EPS exports were in excess of imports for nearly 247,000 tonnes. Iran, Russia and Brazil formed top three importers of the Chinese EPS in 2011. In 2012, the country’s EPS production was greater than consumption by more than 490,000 tonnes.
The second leader in terms of EPS production, Germany, manufactured above 460,000 tonnes in 2012, registering growth of nearly 34,000 in 2010-2012. BASF AG, INEOS Styrenics, Jackon GmbH, Styron Deutschland GmbH and Knauf Insulation are the most prominent EPS manufacturers in the country. The German EPS consumption experienced stable growth in 2010-2012 and went beyond 230,000 tonnes in 2012. In 2011, the country’s EPS exports prevailed over imports by nearly 225,000 tonnes. Poland, Italy and France were the key importers of the German EPS in 2011, together accounting for almost 39% of the country’s EPS exports.
Trade balance of expandable polystyrene in Germany in 2006-2012, tonnes
The worldwide EPS production is anticipated to grow in the offing, driven by the constantly rising demand. It is likely to climb to almost 8.5 million tonnes in 2017.
More information on the Expandable Polystyrene market can be found in the report Expandable Polystyrene (EPS): 2013 World Market Outlook and Forecast up to 2017.