CHINACOAT 2008
CHINACOAT 2008 in Guangzhou continued to
receive encouraging support from domestic and
international visitors. A total of 742 exhibitors
gathered to greet the 2,367 international
visitors and 21,488 domestic visitors.
BY TIM WRIGHT
EDITOR
Despite the worldwide economic downturn and predictions
that China’s double-digit GDP growth rate will slow to
around eight percent this year, CHINACOAT 2008 continued to enjoy the success that has made it one of the world’s
largest exhibitions dedicated to paint and coatings. The success of
the coatings industry in China remains an important story, particularly as other regions see little or no expansion, particularly
North America and Western Europe. According to Raymond Ho,
director of Sinostar International Ltd., organizers of CHINACOAT
2008, China today is the world’s second largest paint producer
( 5.08 million tons in 2006). The total growth from 2002 to 2006 was
a phenomenal 120%. China is also the largest consumer of coatings in Asia with 4. 5 million tons worth $11.6 billion.
It should come as no surprise then that all of the leading
coatings manufacturers have at least one manufacturing facility in China; Akzo Nobel, the largest coatings manufacturer,
lists 52 production sites in China, most recently opening a new
site for the manufacture and sale of protective coatings in
Suzhou, China, about 80 kilometers west of Shanghai, in
August. In late September, PPG Industries acquired the automotive refinish coatings business of the Bonny Coating-Made
Co., Ltd., in Guangzhou, China. The business will operate as an
indirect subsidiary of PPG.
It is understandable that Chinese coatings industry professionals are very interested in seeing what is new in the
industry, and that is the goal of CHINACOAT, the annual
coatings show organized by Sinostar International.
From Nov. 26-28 the global coatings community descended
on Guangzhou for CHINACOAT 2008. With 742 exhibitors
from 30 countries/regions on hand to greet the 2,367 international visitors along with the 21,488 domestic visitors, the
popularity of CHINACOAT progresses uninterrupted.
While Ho said it is difficult to pinpoint all the factors in the
show’s continual growth, a combination of the emerging market and its size, new technology, environmental consideration
and the need to cope with the ever changing market environments must be included as major factors in making CHINACOAT the most popular coatings show in the world.
“Quality visitors from mainland China and the Asia-Pacific rim are the highest ever in spite of global economy
down-sizing,” Ho added.
Ho noted that there were plenty of highlights at this year’s
CHINACOAT. “Apart from industry players, both national
and multi-national, showcasing their latest technology for the
coatings manufacturers, we held our 6th Conference on Wood
Coatings: Formulating for a Sustainable Future,” Ho said.
“There was also our Technology Corner Forums, aiming to
explore Hybrid Resins & UV Coatings and Inks; National
Presentations from Japan and Australia; and a series of more
than 40 product-based technical seminars presented mainly
by the multi-national raw material suppliers.”
WOOD COATINGS CONFERENCE IS A SUCCESS
One of the main highlights at this year’s exhibition was the 6th
CHINACOAT Conference, “Wood Coatings: Formulating for a
Sustainable Future,” which was well attended with 125 delegates on hand. In his opening remarks, Dip Dasgupta, who
serves as chairman of CHINACOAT Conference Organizing
Committee, said, “Effective technology transfer is key to any
business success. This is what we have been trying to accomplish with the conference for the past six years.”
Growth in the Chinese coatings industry is occurring across
the board, and the wood coatings market is certainly no exception. Dasgupta estimates that the market size for wood coatings
in China was $1.68 billion in 2005 and can reach $3.58 billion
in 2012. With that in mind, the 6th CHINACOAT Conference
examined key issues relevant to the wood coatings market.
“The popularity of wood as a material for construction and
fabrication continues to grow,” said Dasgupta. “Wood is versatile, aesthetically attractive, renewable and conforms better to
the principles of sustainable development. Wood is also a challenging material to decorate and protect, as it is derived from
nature and is therefore inherently variable. This and the fact
that China dominates the furniture export market and the fact
that the major players are situated in the Guangdong Province
were behind our thoughts in selecting this topic.”
Dr. Guido Hora, a senior research scientist and head of the
department for surface technology at the Fraunhofer Institute
of Wood Research/Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut in Germany, presented the keynote address, “New Generation of Wood
Coatings in a Changing World.”
According to Hora, the global wood coatings market will
show a steady growth over the next five to eight years. The
annual growth rate will depend on market dynamics in specific regions, environmental legislation, customer-demands for
superior products and consumer consciousness on health and
