..... factors driving the forecasted improvements is demand for ethylene oxide. The production of that and other intermediaries will help the US run counter trend to other industrialized nations, which GFMS predicts will see slow growth.
The largest end use of silver is the wide-ranging electrical and electronics sector, states GFMS.
“The most rapid growth in these sectors is set to come from emerging markets such as India and China, where rapid advances in living standards mean such products have become increasingly more affordable as well as desirable.”
In absolute terms, GFMS expects China to achieve successive record highs in terms of its industrial offtake of silver over the forecast period.
Robust growth in demand from the auto sector is also expected, and will help further underpin the performance of the electrical and electronics segment.
Auto production is expected to rise, boosting silver usage due to the growing number of units. However, auto-related silver demand has already outpaced production because of the growing number of electronic accessories in each unit. GFMS expects this trend to continue as features once reserved for luxury vehicles become more standardized.
Improvements in the economic backdrop are also expected to boost silver demand from the housing and construction industries.
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