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World Market Structure
The global market for flat glass in 2009 was approximately 52 million tonnes. This is dominated by Europe, China and North America, which together account for around three-quarters of global demand for flat glass.
The significance of China as a market for glass has been increasing rapidly since the early 1990s as the country has become more open to foreign investment and the economy has expanded. In the early 1990s China accounted for about one fifth of world glass demand, but now accounts for 50%.
Of the 52 million tonnes of flat glass produced in 2009, over 29 million tonnes is high quality float glass. 3 million tonnes is satisfied by sheet glass production (a process where molten glass is drawn out of the furnace vertically and subjected to an inferior annealing process); and 2 million tonnes is rolled glass (a process where molten glass is squeezed between rollers to form sheets, usually with a pattern embossed on the surface). The remaining 18 million tonnes is lower quality float, produced mainly in China.
Rolled glass demand is expected to grow as new facilities are commissioned for the manufacture of high-transmittance glass for use in solar applications.
Source: NSG Group
