US-based DuPont consolidated its position as the largest polyester films producer in China when it established a strong production base in Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang Province.
The branch has an annual production capacity of 10,000 tons of polyester films and is expected to help DuPont-Hongji Films Foshan Company - a joint venture of Dupont Teijin Films and Foshan Plastics Group - seize 20 percent of the Chinese market from its current level of 10 percent. DuPont Teijin Films, a 50-50 joint venture of DuPont and Japanese Teijin Limited, is one of the biggest chemical companies in the world.
The DuPont-Hongji is the only polyester films plant of DuPont Teijin in China and is able to produce 32,000 tons of polyester films a year. These films are widely used in packing and manufacturing discs, tapes and insulation materials.
Masatsugu Kajiwara, chairman of the global policy board of Teijin Limited, said the company established the branch because it believes China has great potential to develop the polyester films industry in the near future while DuPont Teijin is ambitious to expand its presence.
"We anticipate China will be an important base for the polyester films supply in the world," he said.
Zhang Fupei, general manager of DuPont-Hongji, said demand for polyester films in China is expected to increase by 8-10 percent annually as a result of rapid economic development.
China uses 100,000 tons of polyester films a year.
(China Daily 06/29/2001)
