Optical Fibre/China's demand is pushing worldwide levels close to preform capacity

摘要

As 2008 drew to a close, we observed that the world's total fibre demand was close to a balanced situation with respect to preform capacity. With 2009 half over, we have seen a 2% rise in total fibre demand. One fibre maker, Sterlite, has a previously announced expansion of its Aurangabad fibre facility underway this year, so there is some new capacity coming on line in 2009. But the biggest response has been some re-activation or re-allocation of capacity in other locations to support China with preforms or bare fibre. In late April, for example, Corning cited demand for fibre in China when it re-hired some North Carolina fibre-plant employees that had been laid off several months earlier.