Global TPE demand will rise six percent annually through 2013, with China making up 42 percent of new demand. Excluding China, TPE sales will remain concentrated in the developed markets of the US, Western Europe and Japan, especially for higher performance materials such as TPVs and copolyester elastomers (COPEs).

This study analyzes the 3.1 million metric ton world TPE industry. It presents historical demand data for the years 1998, 2003 and 2008, and forecasts for 2013 and 2018 by market (e.g., motor vehicles, footwear, industrial products), type (e.g., styrenic block copolymers, thermoplastic polyolefins, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic volcanizates), world regional market and for 13 major national markets.

The study also considers market environment factors, details industry structure, evaluates company market share and profiles 40 industry players, including Kraton Polymers, ExxonMobil and Dow Chemical.

				    TABLE OF CONTENTS

     SECTION									    PAGE

		Introduction							       X
 
	I.	Executive Summary						       1
 
	II.	Market Environment						       4
		World Economic Overview						       6
		   Recent Historical Trends					       6
		   World Economic Outlook					       8
		Gross Fixed Investment Trends					      12
		World Demographic Overview					      14
		   Population							      15
		   Urbanization Patterns					      16
		World Motor Vehicle Overview					      18
		   World Motor Vehicle Production/Assembly			      19
		   World Motor Vehicles in Use					      23
		Per Capita TPE Demand/Per Capita GDP Relationship		      25
 
	III.	Demand by Market						      28
		General								      28
		Motor Vehicles							      31
		Footwear							      36
		Industrial Products						      38
		Asphalt & Bitumen Modification					      40
		Adhesives, Sealants & Coatings					      42
		Consumer & Sporting Goods					      44
		Wire & Cable Jacketing						      48
		Medical Products & Equipment					      50
		Other Markets							      53
 
	IV.	Supply & Demand by Type						      55
		General								      55
		Styrenic Block Copolymers					      58
		   Production by Region						      60
		   Suppliers & Capacity						      62
		   Demand by Region						      66
		   Demand by Market						      68
		Thermoplastic Polyolefins					      71
		   Production by Region						      74
		   Suppliers & Capacity						      76
		   Demand by Region						      78
		   Demand by Market						      80
		Thermoplastic Polyurethanes					      83
		   Production by Region						      85
		   Suppliers & Capacity						      86
		   Demand by Region						      90
		   Demand by Market						      91
		Thermoplastic Vulcanizates					      94
		   Production by Region						      96
		   Suppliers & Capacity						      97
		   Demand by Region						     100
		   Demand by Market						     102
		Copolyester Elastomers						     104
		   Production by Region						     107
		   Suppliers & Capacity						     108
		   Demand by Region						     111
		   Demand by Market						     112
		Other Thermoplastic Elastomers					     116
		   Production by Region						     118
		   Suppliers							     119
		   Demand by Region						     121
		   Demand by Market						     122
 
	V.	Supply & Demand by Region & Country				     124
		General								     124
		North America							     126
		   United States						     128
		   Canada							     132
		   Mexico							     136
		Western Europe							     139
		   France							     143
		   Germany							     146
		   Italy							     149
		   Spain							     151
		   United Kingdom						     155
		   Other Western Europe						     158
		Asia/Pacific							     161
		   China							     167
		   India							     172
		   Japan							     176
		   South Korea							     180
		   Taiwan							     184
		   Other Asia/Pacific						     189
		Latin America							     193
		Eastern Europe							     196
		Africa/Mideast							     199
 
	VI.	Industry Structure						     203
		General								     203
		Market Share							     206
		TPE Compounders							     208
		Technology & Manufacturing					     209
		   Technology							     209
		   Manufacturing						     211
		Competitive Strategies						     212
		Acquisitions, Divestitures & Industry Structuring		     213
		Joint Ventures & Cooperative Agreements				     215
		Marketing & Distribution					     221
		   Marketing							     221
		   Distribution							     223
		Company Profiles						     224
		   Advanced Elastomer Systems LP, see Exxon Mobil 
		   AlphaGary Corporation, see Rockwood Holdings 
		   Arkema SA							     225
		   Asahi Kasei Corporation					     228
		   BASF SE							     230
		   Bayer AG							     233
		   Bridgestone Corporation					     237
		   Celanese Corporation						     239
		   Chi Mei Corporation						     241
		   China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation			     242
		   Deerfield Urethane Incorporated, see Bayer AG
		   Dexco Polymers LP						     243
		   DIC Bayer Polymer Limited, see Bayer AG
		   Dow Chemical Company						     245
		   Dow Corning Corporation					     249
		   DuPont (EI) de Nemours					     250
		   Dynasol Elastomeros SA, see Repsol YPF SA
		   Elastogran GmbH, see BASF SE
		   EMS-Chemie Holding AG					     253
		   Eni SpA							     254
		   Epurex Films GmbH & Company KG, see Bayer AG
		   Exxon Mobil Corporation					     256
		   Firestone Building Products Company, see Bridgestone 
		   Firestone Polymers LLC, see Bridgestone Corporation
		   GLS Corporation, see PolyOne Corporation
		   Huntsman Corporation						     259
		   JSC Voronezhsynthezkauchuk, see OAO Gazprom
		   Korea Kumho Petrochemical Company Limited			     261
		   KRAIBURG Holding GmbH & Company KG				     262
		   Kraton Polymers LLC						     264
		   Kuraray Company Limited					     267
		   LANXESS AG							     269
		   Lee Chang Yung Chemical Industry Corporation			     270
		   LG Chem Limited						     272
		   Lubrizol Corporation						     274
		   LyondellBasell Industries AF SCA				     276
		   Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation			     279
		   Mitsui Chemicals Incorporated				     282
		   Multibase SA, see Dow Corning Corporation
		   OAO Gazprom							     283
		   Petroflex Industria e Comercio SA, see LANXESS AG
		   Polimeri Europa SpA, see Eni SpA
		   PolyOne Corporation						     285
		   Repsol YPF SA						     289
		   Resinoplast, see Arkema SA
		   Rockwood Holdings Incorporated				     291
		   Royal DSM NV							     293
		   Saint-Gobain							     296
		   Schulman (A.) Incorporated					     298
		   Singapore Polymer Corporation Pte Limited, see Teknor  
		      Apex Company
		   SO.F.TER SpA							     302
		   Solvay Engineered Polymers Incorporated, see  
		      LyondellBasell Industries AF SCA
		   Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited				     304
		   Sunprene Company Limited, see Mitsubishi Chemical  
		      Holdings Corporation and Schulman (A.) Incorporated
		   Teknor Apex Company						     305
		   Ticona, see Celanese Corporation
		   Toyobo Company Limited					     308
		   TSRC Corporation						     309
		   ZEON Corporation						     311
		Other Companies Mentioned in Study				     313



				      LIST OF TABLES

    TABLE NUMBER								    PAGE

 
		SECTION I -- Executive Summary
		Summary Table							       3
 
		SECTION II -- Market Environment
	1	World Gross Domestic Product by Region				      12
	2	World Gross Fixed Investment by Region				      14
	3	World Population by Region					      16
	4	World Urban Population by Region				      18
	5	World Motor Vehicle Production/Assembly by Region		      23
	6	World Motor Vehicles in Use by Region				      25
 
		SECTION III -- Demand by Market
	1	World Thermoplastic Elastomer Demand by Market			      30
	2	World Motor Vehicle Market for Thermoplastic Elastomers		      35
	3	World Footwear Market for Thermoplastic Elastomers		      37
	4	World Industrial Product Market for Thermoplastic Elastomers	      40 
		   
	5	World Asphalt & Bitumen Modification Market  
		   for Thermoplastic Elastomers					      42
	6	World Adhesive, Sealant & Coating Markets for  
		   Thermoplastic Elastomers					      44
	7	World Consumer & Sporting Goods Markets for  
		   Thermoplastic Elastomers					      48
	8	World Wire & Cable Jacketing Market for  
		   Thermoplastic Elastomers					      50
	9	World Medical Product & Equipment Market for  
		   Thermoplastic Elastomers					      52
	10	World Other Markets for Thermoplastic Elastomers		      54
 
		SECTION IV -- Supply & Demand by Type
	1	World Thermoplastic Elastomer Demand by Type			      57
	2	World Styrenic Block Copolymer Demand				      60
	3	Styrenic Block Copolymers -- Production by Region		      62
	4	Styrenic Block Copolymers -- World Production Capacity by  
		   Company, Year-End 2008					      65
	5	Styrenic Block Copolymers -- Demand by Region			      68
	6	Styrenic Block Copolymers -- Demand by Market			      71
	7	World Thermoplastic Polyolefin Elastomer Demand			      74
	8	Thermoplastic Polyolefin Elastomers -- Production by Region 	      75
	9	Thermoplastic Polyolefin Elastomers -- World Production  
		   Capacity by Company, Year-End 2008				      78
	10	Thermoplastic Polyolefin Elastomers -- Demand by Region		      79
	11	Thermoplastic Polyolefin Elastomers -- Demand by Market		      83
	12	World Thermoplastic Polyurethane Demand				      85
	13	Thermoplastic Polyurethanes -- Production by Region		      86
	14	Thermoplastic Polyurethanes -- World Production Capacity by  
		   Company, Year-End 2008					      89
	15	Thermoplastic Polyurethanes -- Demand by Region			      91
	16	Thermoplastic Polyurethanes -- Demand by Market			      94
	17	World Thermoplastic Vulcanizate Demand				      96
	18	Thermoplastic Vulcanizates -- Production by Region		      97
	19	Thermoplastic Vulcanizates -- World Production Capacity by  
		   Company, Year-End 2008					     100
	20	Thermoplastic Vulcanizates -- Demand by Region			     101
	21	Thermoplastic Vulcanizates -- Demand by Market			     104
	22	World Copolyester Elastomer Demand				     106
	23	Copolyester Elastomers -- Production by Region			     107
	24	Copolyester Elastomers -- World Production Capacity  
		   by Company, Year-End 2008					     111
	25	Copolyester Elastomers -- Demand by Region			     112
	26	Copolyester Elastomers -- Demand by Market			     116
	27	World Demand for Other Thermoplastic Elastomers			     118
	28	Other Thermoplastic Elastomers -- Production by Region		     119
	29	Other Thermoplastic Elastomers -- Demand by Region		     122
	30	Other Thermoplastic Elastomers -- Demand by Market		     123
 
		SECTION V -- Supply & Demand by Region & Country
	1	World Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply & Demand  
		   by Region							     125
	2	North America -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply &  
		   Demand							     128
	3	United States -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply &  
		   Demand							     132
	4	Canada -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply & Demand		     135
	5	Mexico -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply & Demand		     138
	6	Western Europe -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply &  
		   Demand							     142
	7	France -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply & Demand		     145
	8	Germany -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply & Demand		     148
	9	Italy -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply & Demand		     151
	10	Spain -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply & Demand		     154
	11	United Kingdom -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply &  
		   Demand							     157
	12	Other Western Europe -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply &  
		   Demand							     160
	13	Asia/Pacific -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply & Demand		     166
	14	China -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply & Demand		     171
	15	India -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply & Demand		     175
	16	Japan -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply & Demand		     179
	17	South Korea -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply & Demand		     183
	18	Taiwan -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply & Demand		     188
	19	Other Asia/Pacific -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply &  
		   Demand							     192
	20	Latin America -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply &  
		   Demand							     195
	21	Eastern Europe -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply &  
		   Demand							     198
	22	Africa/Mideast -- Thermoplastic Elastomer Supply &  
		   Demand							     202
 
		SECTION VI -- Industry Structure
	1	World Thermoplastic Elastomer Sales by Company, 2008		     205
	2	Selected Acquisitions & Divestitures				     215
	3	Selected Cooperative Agreements					     217



				      LIST OF CHARTS

    CHART NUMBER								    PAGE

 
		SECTION II -- Market Environment
	1	TPE Demand per capita/GDP per capita Relationship, 2008		      27
 
		SECTION III -- Demand by Market
	1	World Thermoplastic Elastomer Demand by Market, 2008		      31
 
		SECTION VI -- Industry Structure
	1	World Market Share for Thermoplastic Elastomers  
		   by Company, 2008						     208