(ICIS) -- Stronger demand for electronics during the holiday shopping season should bode well for the US chemical industry, an analyst said on Tuesday. According to the National Retail Federation, 32% of consumers plan to buy electronics this year, the highest level since 2008, when the number was 30%. Last year, only 28% planned to buy electronics. Chemicals are a key component in electronics.
For example, chemicals make up about 33% of the value of inputs used to make semiconductors, which are widely used in cell phones, computers and MP3 players, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) said. Additionally, chemicals make up 38% of the value of inputs used to make CDs and DVDs.
Analysts say those items will once again be on shoppers' wish lists, especially on the day after the US Thanksgiving holiday, traditionally called Black Friday. Retailers usually hold sales, offering deep discounts on several items on that day. However, several buyers and sellers in the polymers and resins markets said that although demand is healthier year on year, it is well below the peak demand seen before the recession of 2008.
Perspectives of development of the polymers markets, pricing issues and other important aspects will be discussed at The Polymers Summit-2011, which will be held in Moscow on November 30, 2011 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. The Summit is organized by MRC with the support of ICIS. The main idea of the Summit is to find a "the golden mean" between producers and converters. When producers receive exactly such margin of production, which helps them to invest in production expansion in order to substitute polymers imports, and the converters receive such price of feedstock that helps them to compete imported finished products. The Summit site gives an access to the live video of the Summit, speakers" presentations, as well as opportunities to ask questions or make appointments to any Summit partcipant.