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Table of Contents

Executive Summary

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 8

2. SUMMARY 11

3. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT 16

4. OPP FILM MARKET 21

4.1 DEFINITION 21

4.2 MARKET BACKGROUND 22

4.3 MARKET SIZE AND HISTORICAL GROWTH 26

4.4 OVERVIEW OF OPP FILM PRODUCTION & CONSUMPTION IN WESTERN EUROPE 37

4.5 VOLUME FORECASTS 1996-2001 40

4.6 REVIEW OF OPP FILM SUPPLY AND DEMAND 42

5. OPP FILM - PRODUCT ANALYSIS 49

5.1 INTRODUCTION 49

5.2 COEXTRUDED OPP 53

5.3 COATED OPP 59

5.4 NON HEAT-SEALABLE OPP FOR PACKAGING 64

5.5 NON-PACKAGING 67

5.6 SUMMARY OF PACKAGING FILM TYPES BY MAJOR COUNTRY 69

6. END-USE MARKETS 76

6.1 MARKET OVERVIEW 76

6.2 ANALYSIS BY END-USE SECTOR 78

6.3 SUMMARY OF OPP FILM CONSUMPTION BY MAJOR COUNTRIES 96

7. OPP FILM SUPPLIERS 103

8. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 114

8.1 IMPACT ON OPP FILMS 114

9. FUTURE PROSPECTS 118

TABLES & CHARTS

CHART 1: WESTERN EUROPE OPP FILM MARKET 1990 - 2001 11

TABLE 2: GDP GROWTH IN THE MAJOR WEST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES 17

TABLE 3: WESTERN EUROPEAN MARKET FOR FLEXIBLE PLASTIC PACKAGING FILMS 1996 - FILM MANUFACTURERS SALES BY MATERIAL SECTOR (KILOTONNES) 23

CHART 4: WORLD CONSUMPTION OF OPP FILM 1986/1996/2000 BY VOLUME (KILOTONNES) 27

CHART 5: WESTERN EUROPE - MANUFACTURERS SALES OF OPP FILM - 1986-1997 (KILOTONNES) 28

CHART 6: 1996 OPP FILM CONSUMPTION MARKET PACKAGING & NON-PACKAGING APPLICATIONS-VOLUME SHARE 30

TABLE 7: OPP FILM MARKET - MANUFACTURERS SALES BY COUNTRY 1986-1996 (KILOTONNES) 31

CHART 8: SALES OF OPP FILM IN WESTERN EUROPE 1996 BY COUNTRY 32

TABLE 9: AVERAGE CONSUMPTION OF OPP FILM IN PACKAGING APPLICATIONS FOR MAJOR EUROPEAN MARKETS 1996 BY VOLUME (KG. PER CAPITA) 35

CHART 10: PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF OPP FILM IN WESTERN EUROPE 1996 BY VOLUME (KILOTONNES) 38

TABLE 11: OPP FILM MARKET - 1996-2001 MANUFACTURERS SALES BY VOLUME (KILOTONNES) 41

TABLE 12: WEST EUROPEAN SUPPLY/DEMAND FORECAST 1991 - 2001 43

CHART 13: EUROPEAN SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF OPP FILM 1990-2001 BY VOLUME 44

TABLE 14: IMPORTS & EXPORTS OF OPP FILM IN WESTERN EUROPE, 1990-96 BY VOLUME 46

CHART 15: EUROPEAN NET TRADE IN BOPP FILMS, 1990-2001 47

TABLE 16: WESTERN EUROPEAN OPP FILM MARKET MANUFACTURERS SALES - 1991-2001 TYPE BY VOLUME (KILOTONNES) 51

TABLE 17: WESTERN EUROPEAN MARKET - WHITE OPAQUE, METALLISED, TRANSPARENT FILMS 1986-2001 TYPE BY VOLUME (KILOTONNES) 52

TABLE 18: COEXTRUDED OPP FILM BY COUNTRY 1991-2001 - VOLUMES (KILOTONNES) 54

CHART 19: COEXTRUDED OPP FILM MARKET BY TYPE - 1996 BY VOLUME (KT) 55

TABLE 20: COATED OPP FILM BY COUNTRY 1991-2001 - VOLUMES (KILOTONNES) 60

CHART 21: COATED OPP FILM MARKET BY TYPE - 1996 VOLUME (KT) 62

TABLE 22: NON-HEAT SEALABLE OPP FILM BY COUNTRY - 1991-2001 (KILOTONNES) 65

CHART 23: NON-HEATSEALABLE OPP FILM MARKET BY TYPE - 1996 VOLUME (KT) 66

TABLE 24: NON-PACKAGING OPP FILM BY COUNTRY 1991-2001 - BY VOLUME (KT) 68

CHART 25: BENELUX OPP PACKAGING MARKET BY FILM TYPE 1986-2001 BY VOLUME (KT) 71

CHART 26: FRANCE OPP PACKAGING MARKET BY FILM TYPE 1986-2001 BY VOLUME (KT) 71

CHART 27: GERMANY OPP PACKAGING MARKET BY FILM TYPE 1986-2001 BY VOLUME (KT) 72

CHART 28: ITALY OPP PACKAGING MARKET BY FILM TYPE 1986-2001 BY VOLUME (KT) 72

CHART 29: SPAIN OPP PACKAGING MARKET BY FILM TYPE 1986-2001 BY VOLUME (KT) 73

CHART 30: UK OPP PACKAGING MARKET BY FILM TYPE 1986-2001 BY VOLUME (KT) 73

CHART 31: OTHER W.EUROPE OPP PACKAGING MARKET FILM BY TYPE 1986-2001 BY VOLUME (KT) 74

TABLE 32: MAJOR END-USE SECTORS FOR OPP FILM IN WESTERN EUROPE - 1991-2001 CONSUMPTION BY VOLUME - KILOTONNES 77

CHART 33: W.EUROPEAN BAKED GOODS MARKET USAGE OF OPP BY COUNTRY 1996 80

CHART 34: EUROPE SAVOURY SNACKS MARKET USAGE OF OPP BY COUNTRY - 1996 82

CHART 35: WEST EUROPEAN CONFECTIONERY MARKET USAGE OF OPP BY COUNTRY 1996 85

CHART 36: W.EUROPEAN DRIED FOODS MARKET USAGE OF OPP BY COUNTRY 1996 VOL 87

CHART 37: W.EUROPEAN COFFEE & TEA MARKET USE OF OPP FILM BY COUNTRY 1996-VOL 89

CHART 38: OTHER FOOD MARKETS OPP FILM USAGE BY COUNTRY 1996 VOL (KT) 90

CHART 39: W.EUROPEAN TOBACCO MARKET OPP FILM USAGE BY COUNTRY 1996 VOL (KT) 92

CHART 40: ADHESIVE TAPE MARKET OPP USAGE BY COUNTRY 1996 VOLUME 94

TABLE 41: OPP FILM CONSUMPTION BY MAJOR COUNTRY 1986-1996 BY VOLUME (KILOTONNES) 96

CHART 42: BENELUX OPP FILM MARKET BY SECTOR 1996 BY VOLUME (KT) 98

CHART 43: FRANCE OPP FILM MARKET BY SECTOR 1996 BY VOLUME (KT) 98

CHART 44: GERMANY OPP FILM MARKET BY SECTOR 1996 BY VOLUME (KT) 99

CHART 45: ITALY OPP FILM MARKET BY SECTOR 1996 BY VOLUME (KT) 99

CHART 46: SPAIN OPP FILM MARKET BY SECTOR 1996 BY VOLUME (KT) 100

CHART 47: UK OPP FILM MARKET BY SECTOR 1996 BY VOLUME (KT) 100

CHART 48: OTHER W.EUROPEAN OPP FILM MARKET BY SECTOR 1996 BY VOLUME (KT) 101

TABLE 49: OPP FILM MANUFACTURING CAPACITY 1996 - SHARE BY VOLUME (KILOTONNES) 104

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The European film packaging market is dominated by Polyethylene and Polypropylene with a combined share of over 85 percent. OPP is the growing material in the primary packaging sector, now accounting for an estimated 37 percent share and forecast to become the major packaging film by the end of the decade.

In terms of volume, the OPP film market is estimated at over 500,000 tonnes in 1996, having increased from around 325,000 tonnes in 1990. The share taken by packaging applications accounts for an estimated 76 percent of the market with food packaging dominating. However, non-packaging applications, such as adhesive tapes have experienced relatively high rates of growth in recent years, averaging around 9 percent per annum.

OPP growth has been dramatic since coated heat-sealable films were introduced, primarily as a substitute for cellulose films. Despite a difficult economic background in Western Europe, growth has still maintained an average level of around 9 percent per annum since 1991. Recent growth has been maintained through continuing material substitution, growth in end-use markets and new areas of applications e.g. labels, ice cream countlines.

Growth in consumption of OPP films has been sustained in all European countries. Italy remains the largest market, accounting for 26 percent of European sales. Germany and the UK are also major markets, while Spain and France are experiencing the fastest growth rates but from a much lower base level.

France, Spain and Germany have much lower average per capita consumption levels, by a factor of 100 percent compared to Italy, Benelux and the United Kingdom. Substantial variations in usage between countries occur due to wide differences in food packaging, retailing and developments in adhesive tape applications.

Food packaging is the largest sector with baked goods, savoury snacks and confectionery the major application areas. Italy is particularly significant in OPP film usage in the baked goods market, while the UK is dominant in the savoury snacks and confectionery markets. The non-food packaging market accounts for 13 percent of OPP film consumption with tobacco overwrapping a major sector, though volume usage is in decline in Europe.

Non-packaging applications are experiencing the highest growth rate of OPP usage with the market for adhesive tapes particularly strong. Capacitors, print laminations and labels are the other major growing sectors of usage.

Coextruded films continue to dominate the packaging film sector with over 65 percent of the market. Usage of coated films now accounts for only 10 percent of the market and is declining rapidly in share terms due to high cost. Non heat-sealable films have experienced the highest rate of growth in recent years as they offer converters a greater degree of tailoring for added-value.

Forecasts for volume growth of manufacturers sales of OPP film are estimated to show a significant increase over the next few years. Key areas of future growth will be through rising demand from non-packaging applications and underlying growth in end-use markets. Material substitution and new packaging applications will also provide new opportunities, but market growth will be offset to some extent by the increasing emphasis on downgauging films and general reductions in packaging levels. Equally, lower prices of competing film such as PET may have a negative impact on OPP demand.

This comprehensive report represents a detailed assessment of the market, reviewing major trends, key factors influencing developments and future prospects for the sector. Analysis is both quantitative and qualitative, based on our substantial experience of the building and home improvement markets.

Text © 1997 AMA Research

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