carpet

World demand for flooring and carpet is projected to climb 4.6 percent annually through 2010 to 14.6 billion square meters. Product demand will be stimulated by a pickup in nonresidential building construction expenditures as world economic growth accelerates and industrialization efforts continue in less developed parts of the world. China will record the largest gains of any country in the world, and the nation will surpass the US to become the largest floor covering market in the world. Sales growth is also expected to be strong in India, as well as in lower-volume markets such as Indonesia, Turkey, Iran, the Ukraine and Saudi Arabia. Flooring and carpet demand in developed parts of the world will climb as well, although the rate of increase will be less robust than in developing countries. Product sales in Western Europe will accelerate through 2010, and floor covering demand in Japan will exhibit renewed strength following an extended period of decline. Market gains in these areas will be fueled by generally favorable economic conditions and rising income levels, leading to growth in both new and repair/remodeling building construction activity. In the US, flooring and carpet demand will be spurred by increases in nonresidential construction spending and motor vehicle production. However, new housing starts in the nation are expected to decline, preventing floor covering sales from rising at a faster rate.