Study: Two million tonnes of new BOPET film capacity, but is it enough??

After the supply shortages of commodity bi-oriented polyester (BOPET) thin films in 2010, the global BOPET film industry has done its best to ensure global supplies will not dry up again – or has it? PCI Films Consulting’s latest review of the commodity BOPET thin film market notes a significant increase in film extrusion capacity in recent years and more planned for the next three years but still believes 2 million tonnes, incredibly, won’t necessarily guarantee supplies to Western markets. Since the supply shortages of 2010, demand in the global thin (i.e. less than 50 micron in thickness) BOPET film market has grown by only 250,000 tonnes (5% p.a.), awaiting the expected global recovery. But this growth has been more than matched by the installation of 700,000 tonnes of new film extrusion capacity. Over the next five years (2012 – 2017) the global market is expected to use another 900,000 tonnes of thin film and suppliers are gearing up for this with investments in an additional 1.3 million tonnes of new capacity (News Release PCI Films Consulting, May 2013).