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The year 2024 is an important one for China. It will mark 75 years since the founding of the People’s Republic. China’s National Day holiday is celebrated on October 1st each year, and this year’s is sure to be spectacular, not only in Beijing, but across the country.

Now, it is becoming increasingly apparent that China is not only leading the world in production capacity, or even high-tech manufacturing, but also in owning vital resources, and designing and creating strategic new products. One of the most notable examples of this is the dominance of China in the electric vehicle (EV) market on the global level.
The Chinese auto export market came close to overtaking Japan in 2023, largely driven by electric vehicle sales, and strong demand from Russia for petrol and diesel vehicles (Japan exported 5.97 million vehicles compared to China’s 5.22 million). Matthew Grandage, Asian Glass special correspondent for China, discusses how the country has made progress and embraced change.

In Thailand, the float and fabricated building glass sector has returned to normalcy due to the current economic expansion in construction and other interior furnishing and decoration markets.

According to forecasts from financial institutions, including the Asian Development Bank, the region’s development financial institution, economic growth is expected to continue at around five percent from 2023 to 2025 for ASEAN countries with a population of about 700 million.

Amidst an increase in imported processed glass, Thailand exported $171 million worth of float glass in 2022 to regional countries, according to the Geneva-based International Trade Centre (ITC). At present, the construction of houses and buildings in the region is one of the major segments that support the growth of float and processed glasses.

International companies such as AGC Group, Guardian Glass Industries Corp, and Saint-Gobain operate on the Thai market. Recent years have seen local glass manufacturers install major glass technologies from Europe and East Asia to support production and ensure quality.

Jahir Ahmed examines the factors that have prompted this revival of float glass and fabricated building glass in Thailand as well as why the construction and interior furnishing sectors have rebounded.

In recent times, Egypt has emerged as one of the largest producers of flat glass in the MENA region, driven by three float glass producers and one sheet glass producer namely Saint Gobain, Sphinx Glass, Egyptian Glass Company and Cairo Glass.

Prior to the start of the last decade, the flat glass industry in the country was heavily dependent on imports. Egypt’s only float glass manufacturer then, Egyptian Float Glass (the other company Cairo Glass produces sheet and figured glass), could only meet about 35% of domestic demand. However, with the establishment of two float glass plants in 2010, the country has become both self-sufficient and a leading exporter of float glass. An overview of flat and processed glass industries in Egypt is presented by Yogender Singh Malik.

Many global spirits, soft drink, cosmetic and perfume companies use glass to package their products, owing to its innovative shapes, sizes, textures, and decorations. Top brands have recognised the benefits of glass despite its high carbon footprint. Nevertheless, sustainability is now becoming a growing concern among glass manufacturers and an attribute they are eager to provide customers.

Today, glass is promoted not only as a recyclable material, but also as a valuable virtue among environmentally conscious shoppers, especially those in the high-end market. Brands choose eye-catching packaging to make their products stand out in a crowded market, ensuring that the container is as unique as the contents and that it is also easy to use and sustainable.

In his article, Rohan Gunasekera discusses how glass containers are appealing to beverage and cosmetic companies, particularly for packaging their premier/premium products, and help them stand out from the competition.