The results of the 2004 End Use Market Survey of the Polyurethanes Industry in the United States, Canada and Mexico indicate that the polyurethanes industry has been on a firm growth track during the last two years.

HOUSTON - The results of the 2004 End Use Market Survey of the Polyurethanes Industry in the United States, Canada and Mexico indicate that the polyurethanes industry has been on a firm growth track during the last two years. The survey reported that production of polyurethane products grew 10.8 percent overall between 2002 and 2004. This compares to relative flat growth experienced between 2000 and 2002.

Angela Austin of IAL Consultants, the firm that conducted the survey, commented, "Overall, the polyurethanes industry has continued to grow at a rate equal or greater than GDP across the NAFTA region, despite the maturity of its main end use industries - construction, refrigeration, automotive and furniture - in the U.S. and Canada."

According to the survey, the North American polyurethanes industry volume for 2004 was 7,911.6 million pounds. Only Europe produced more than the NAFTA region in 2004 with 8,820 million pounds. In the United States, volume was 6,692.5 million pounds, up from 5,564 million pounds in 2002 and representing an annual 9.7 percent growth rate since 2002. Canadian polyurethane production totaled 720 million pounds, up from 588 million pounds in the 2000 to 2002 period, while volume in Mexico was 499.1 million pounds.