“China is emerging as the world’s largest consumer of asphalt, and its state-run production plants are ramping up to keep pace with demand,” says Nancy Mills, FlashPoint project manager. “Continual infrastructure development is expected to take place over the next 30 years, so the door is wide open for companies to gain a foothold in the market. While we don’t see a commercial opportunity in China for refining, there are opportunities in the areas of distribution, production of the bituminous mixture, and other businesses related to asphalt.”

Despite more than doubling its annual production over the last few years, China remains unable to meet its own demand and still imports more than 20% of the asphalt it consumes, according to Kline’s report.

The report also points to the major national and pan-national road-building projects across Asia that are opening opportunities all along the asphalt value chain. “India recently announced the use of asphalt instead of concrete for some major projects,” Mills added.

Kline’s FlashPoint series helps clients make critical decisions about how to respond to market opportunities and issues as they unfold. For more information about Opportunities for Asphalt in Asia: Paving a Path to Growth, go to www.klinegroup.com/reports/f0709.asp.

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