Most growth in the global titanium dioxide (TiO2) industry will occur outside the US in emerging markets as the global economic picture improves, leading paints and coatings manufacturer DuPont said on Wednesday. Wilmington, Delaware-based DuPont Titanium Technologies said that growth in developing markets - especially in Asia and Latin America - would account for 70-80% of the future growth of the TiO2 industry worldwide. “Twenty years ago, 60% of our sales were in North America - primarily the United States,” chief executive Richard Olson said. “Today, we sell 75% of our product outside the United States.” Market sources acknowledged the mature US market, and most agreed China would be pivotal to the future of the global TiO2 industry. One market insider said that although current demand in China appeared to be down by about 5% year over year, it is still the region of strongest demand in Asia. DuPont said first-half 2009 product innovation and streamlined operations, including double-digit percentage reductions in working capital, fixed costs and sales and marketing costs, have positioned the company to capitalise on growth opportunities abroad. But a long-planned project in China remained stymied. The company announced in 2005 its plans to build a TiO2 plant in Dongying in China’s Shandong province, but DuPont was still awaiting approval from the Chinese government for the 200,000 tonne/year project. If approved, the plant would be DuPont’s largest TiO2 facility outside the US.（ICIS)