World demand for activated carbon is expected to increase more than 10 percent per year through 2016 to 1.9 million metric tons.  This high rate of growth will be attributable to a number of factors, though regulatory changes in the US will be the largest single driver.  China’s activated carbon market will also rise rapidly as the country’s Twelfth Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) seeks to improve water and air quality in the nation.  Expanding production of edible oils, beverages, and sweeteners will stimulate growth in much of the rest of the world, but overall demand will rise more slowly than in the US and China.  These and other trends, including market share and product segmentation, are presented in World Activated Carbon, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.  

The activated carbon market in China will be driven by more than regulation, and will advance at a slightly lower rate than sales in the US.  While implementation of the newest Five-Year Plan will bolster activated carbon use, gains will also come from increasing consumption by industry, as demand for activated carbon rises faster than the world average.  The Twelfth Five-Year Plan will also lead to greater use of activated carbon in water treatment and in air purification.  Consumption of activated carbon at the household level in point-of-use tap water filtration systems will also boost demand. 

Several other nations will also experience rapid growth.  For instance, India is expected to surpass Germany to become the fourth largest market for activated carbon in 2016 (behind Japan), with sales rising on increased food and beverage manufacturing and increased levels of water treatment.  Many other nations in the Asia/Pacific region, along with many in Central and South America, Eastern Europe and the Africa/Mideast region, will exceed historical growth levels as industrial, water treatment and food and beverage production markets for activated carbon grow. 

The Freedonia Group is a leading international business research company, founded in 1985, that publishes more than 100 industry research studies annually. This industry analysis provides an unbiased outlook and a reliable assessment of an industry and includes product segmentation and demand forecasts, industry trends, demand history, threats and opportunities, competitive strategies, market share determinations and company profiles.