Kerry Pianoforte01.15.08
The pigments market weathered another challenging year in 2007. By far the number one challenge facing the industry continues to be escalating raw material and fuel costs. However, a sluggish economy in the U.S., the recent elimination of the value added tax (VAT) on pigments exported from China coupled with the recent lead paint scandal involving China-produced toys has also had a profound impact on the market.
"The pigments market worldwide was generally good, especially in Europe," said Peter Carey-Yard, marketing director, coatings, high-performance pigments, Sun Chemical. "The U.S. is currently the most challenging region of the world for the pigments market thanks primarily to a weakened dollar, a struggling automotive market and a housing slump that led to a decline in home building and paint use. Globally, the industry was impacted by the well-publicized issues that occurred in 2007 regarding products made in China, leading to concern about product safety. The sudden and strict enforcement of environmental compliance by Chinese officials on local industry should address safety concerns, but has led to instability in the supply chain."
"The yea
"The pigments market worldwide was generally good, especially in Europe," said Peter Carey-Yard, marketing director, coatings, high-performance pigments, Sun Chemical. "The U.S. is currently the most challenging region of the world for the pigments market thanks primarily to a weakened dollar, a struggling automotive market and a housing slump that led to a decline in home building and paint use. Globally, the industry was impacted by the well-publicized issues that occurred in 2007 regarding products made in China, leading to concern about product safety. The sudden and strict enforcement of environmental compliance by Chinese officials on local industry should address safety concerns, but has led to instability in the supply chain."
"The yea
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