Plastic Resin & Synthetic Fiber Manufacturing
Companies in this industry manufacture acrylics, amino resins, epoxy, and other thermosets, as well as thermoplastics such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polystyrene (PS). Major companies include Celanese, Chevron Phillips Chemical, Dow, DuPont, Hexion, and Huntsman (all based in the US), along with Alpha-Tex (Mexico), BASF (Germany), ChemChina (China), LG Chem (South Korea), LyondellBasell Industries (the Netherlands), Nan Ya Plastics (Taiwan), and Sumitomo Chemical (Japan).
The global plastic resins markets are expected to reach about $1.1 trillion by 2030, according to Sky Questt. China is still considered as one of the top plastic-producing markets. Other regions such as Latin America and Middle East and Africa are some of the top producers.
The US plastic resins and synthetic fibers manufacturing industry consists of about 1,400 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $100 billion.
Competitive Landscape
Demand depends on the level of manufacture of plastic products, which is closely linked to US industrial production. Because resin manufacture is a high-volume process, the profitability of individual companies depends on operating efficiencies. Large companies have significant economies of scale in production and in the purchase of raw materials. Smaller companies can compete effectively by producing specialty resins and fibers. Many smaller companies buy commodity resins from large producers and rework them into specialty compounds. The US industry is highly concentrated: the top 50 companies account for about 80% of industry revenue.
Imports and exports are sizable because of the high value of specialty resins compared to their weight. Resin imports to the US come mainly from China, Canada, Germany, Japan, and South Korea. Overall, imports account for more than 10% of the US market. Exports from the US, which account for about 35% of production, primarily go to Mexico and Canada, largely for use in products re-imported to the US. Other major export markets are China and Belgium.
Products, Operations & Technology
The two basic types of plastic resins are thermosets, which harden permanently after they are cured by heat, and thermoplastics, which may be hard or soft
... plus:
Sales & Marketing
,
Finance & Regulation
,
Regional & International Issues
,
Human Resources
Also includes the following chapters:
Quarterly Industry Update
,
Industry Indicators
,
Business Challenges
,
Trends and Opportunities
,
Call Preparation Questions
,
Financial Information
,
Industry Forecast
,
Industry Websites
,
Glossary of Acronyms