Chemical Guide

Hong Kong is a free market economy highly dependent on international trade and finance. The building, construction and civil engineering sector of Hong Kong economy is highly competitive and comparatively large-scale. The construction industry in Hong Kong is characterised by a large number of overseas contractors, a high level of subcontracting and a small number of large local contractors. Many of the operating companies are both developers and contractors. It is notable that recent construction projects and infrastructure development have provided a significant impetus for Structural Materials market in Hong Kong. Such projects attract a huge number of foreign contractors and create a range of working opportunities for the locals, thus helping the economy to recover.

Most widely spread and actively traded materials offered on Hong Kong Building Materials market are concrete, metal and plastic structural materials, bricks, building glass, roof tiles, timber and such alternative products as adobe, bamboo, carbon fibre.

Concrete is used extremely widely in building and civil engineering structures, due to its low cost, flexibility, durability, and high strength. It also has high resistance to fire. Since the widespread use of concrete, stone is rarely used as a primary structural material, often only appearing as a cladding, because of its cost and the high skills needed to produce it. Brick and concrete blockwork have taken its place. Roofing engineering is the separate part of structural engineering within the Hong Kong construction sector. The material of a roof may range from banana leaves, wheaten straw or seagrass to lamininated glass, aluminium sheeting and precast concrete, plastic-membrane roofing.

Producers of Structural Materials in Hong Kong are represented by:

• bricks producers – Alliance Construction Materials Ltd., Green Island Cement Co., Ltd., Sika Hongkong Ltd., Val Mart International Ltd.;
• building glass manufacturers – CA Special Glass Processing Co Ltd, Weyish Home Product Co., Ltd., Green Younger Group (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd.;
• metal building materials suppliers – Kingmetal Resources Co., Ltd., Star Steel Precision Works (HK) Ltd., Billion Star International Trading Ltd., Kam Kiu (Hong Kong) Ltd.;
• plastic building materials producers - BENA Global Ltd. , KCC Plastic Co., Ltd. , Plato Chemical Co., Ltd., Decorative Wall Panel Co. Ltd.;
• timber suppliers – Merdeka Timber Trading Limited, MK PRODUCTS Inc., Luli Group, Prettywood Hong Kong Branch.

Environmentally friendly building materials are now receiving a steady growth in usage resulting from the growing public awareness. New industry standards and technologies have added diversity and growth to the Hong Kong green build market.

Hong Kong is a frequent host of major Construction Materials trade shows, the largest of which are Hong Kong International Building and Decoration Materials & Hardware Fair, Eco Expo Asia, Asian Elenex 2010 / Asian Building Technologies and Interiors.

More information on Structural Materials market in Hong Kong may be found in the report Structural Building Materials Market in Hong Kong: Business Report 2010 recently published by TD The Market Publishers, Ltd.