Useful and Multilayered: First Complete Analysis of the Global Market for Plastic Films, Published by Ceresana

Konstanz, Germany, September 26, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Films are one of the most important sectors in the plastics industry. Due to their considerable importance for the most diverse industrial branches and the wide variety of possible applications, market analysts at Ceresana expect global demand for plastic films to increase to approx. 71 million tonnes until 2020.

In defining films, sheets, and boards, all products from wafer-thin films to thick, rigid boards can be found. The strategic focus of this study is on flexible films that are used for application areas such as the packaging sector. This includes films used for foodstuffs, but also films for non-food applications, for example the packaging of textiles, stationary, and industrial goods. Additional analyses are provided of the application areas bags and sacks, shrink and stretch films. Besides packaging, films are important in other sectors as well. Particular attention has to be drawn to agricultural films as well as other applications such as construction, films used for office purposes and stationary, technical insulation films, and other industrial films.

Film Trends
There are distinct regional differences in demand development for plastic films. A notable discrepancy between saturated industrial markets and emerging countries with dynamic development in Asia-Pacific, South America, the Middle East or parts of Eastern Europe exists. An enormous growth potential is offered by China and India, which account for about a third of the global plastic films market when taken together.

In the upcoming years, demand for plastic films will continue to increase. Among others, this is due to advantages plastic films offer when compared to flexible packaging made from other materials (such as paper or aluminum foil). This effect is felt in the foodstuffs sector in particular, but can also be observed in non-food applications. Additionally, a change in consumption habits (convenience trend, packaged instead of loose foodstuffs, shift towards flexible packaging) has positive effects on demand for films. "We forecast the packaging sector to see demand increase at an AAGR of 3.7% until 2020," explains Oliver Kutsch, CEO of Ceresana. Due to their advantageous properties, especially packaging materials made of several different materials and/or layers have increased in importance.

Detailed Market Analysis for Several Types of Films
Divergent development can also be observed in regard to the material the films are made of. Films based on polyethylene (LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE) accounted for 73% and thus by far largest share of the plastic films market. However, BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene) and PET films have been gaining market shares due to their being used for high-quality packaging and are developing at high growth rates.

The worldwide most comprehensive report compiled by Ceresana contains market analyses of the most important types of films: films made of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and other plastics (polystyrene, polyamide, polyester, polyvinyl butyral, etc.) For the first time, all market participants are able to get a complete overview over all relevant data and facts as well as background information concerning individual types of films and sales markets. Producers, processors, and traders thus receive a basis for their strategic and operative planning.

The Study in Brief:

Chapter 1 provides a thorough presentation and analysis of the market for plastic films – including forecasts up to 2020. Demand development as well as revenues and production volumes are analyzed for each individual region.

Chapter 2 examines the market for plastic films in the 18 largest countries in more detail: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Canada, Mexico, the USA, Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand. Data on demand, revenues, and production split by types of plastic as well as import and export is provided for each country. Demand is split by application areas as well as individual types of plastic.

Chapter 3: Individual application areas such as Packaging, Bags / Sacks, Shrink / Stretch Films, Agricultural Films and other films are analyzed in detail. Data is split by the sales markets Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, and Africa as well as the major countries.

Chapter 4 offers an analysis of demand for and production of different types of plastic films. Demand for and production of films based on PE, PP, PET, PVC, and other plastics are analyzed split by region and individual countries.

Chapter 5 provides profiles of the largest manufacturers of plastic films, clearly arranged according to contact details, turnover, profit, product range, production sites, and profile summary. Extensive profiles are provided for 85 manufacturers, such as AEP Industries, Bemis Company, British Polythene Industries, Dupont Teijin Films, Formosa Plastics Group (FPG), Innovia Films, Kobusch Group, Okura Industrial, Reynolds Packaging Group, RKW, Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC), Sealed Air Corporation, Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company (SPC), Toray Industries, Treofan Group, and Trioplast Industrier.

About Ceresana:

Ceresana is a leading international market research and consultancy company for the industrial sector and operates branch offices in Constance, Vienna and Hong Kong. For more than 10 years, it has been supplying several thousand customers from 55 countries with up-to-date market intelligence. Extensive market knowledge creates new prospects for strategic and operational decisions.

Ceresana's clients profit from practical consulting services, tailor-made single client studies and more than 40 independent multi-client market studies.

The Ceresana business analysts are specialists in the markets chemicals, plastics, additives, commodities, industrial components, packaging, and construction materials.