In a latest Freedonia report on amines, it says that China, with its robust growth will push further the global demand for amines, which will reach 3.8:% annually to 7.0 million metric tonnes in 2017. Strong gains in other developing economies throughout Asia, the Africa/Mideast region, and South America will also drive the demand, the report said.

Consumer-oriented markets such as cleaning and personal care products will be the primary beneficiaries of growth in these countries. According to analyst Ryan Sullivan, “The same impact will not be felt in pesticides, the largest market overall, as declining support for food-based biofuels in developed countries will result in a moderation in pesticide amines demand growth.” Furthermore, amines demand in the developed countries of North America and Western Europe will rise at modest, below average paces, reflecting the mature nature of these markets.

The expanded use of food-based biofuels was a strong contributor to pesticide amines demand growth from 2002 to 2012 as farmers in the Americas rapidly expanded the production of pesticide-resistant crops in an effort to boost yields and satisfy the increased biofuel crop demand. However, support for this application has declined in many countries, which will restrain future increases in pesticide-resistant crop output. Despite the more modest prospects for pesticide amines demand going forward, growth will continue to be supported by the modernization of agricultural practices in developing regions as countries strive to boost food production to meet the rising demand of their increasingly affluent populaces. Rising incidence of pesticide-resistant weeds will also support demand as farmers increase application rates in an effort to control weed growth and maintain yields.

Based on their versatility, relatively low cost, and widespread use in each of the major markets, ethanolamines will continue to be the largest amine product type. Advances for ethanolamines will be slower than those for alkylamines, due in large part to alkylamines having a broader range of applications in the large pesticides market beyond glyphosate-based formulations. Specialty amines demand will benefit from increasing demand for new, more effective amine products in the developed markets of Japan, North America and Western Europe, especially in markets such as plastics, lubricants and personal care products.