Hoechst Fibers Worldwide (Frankfurt, Germany) estimates current global demand for PET packaging resin is at 3.2 million tons. North America accounts for nearly half of that, but by the year 2005, say Hoechst analysts, demand in the Asian Pacific region will outstrip all other markets.
If the world's thirst for PET is to be slaked, says Hoechst, 30 new resin lines will have to be added by the turn of the century and 70 more by 2005. For its part, Hoechst says it plans to triple its PET packaging resin capacity in the next five years.
