The tenth meeting of the GPRA
November 15, 2010
The tenth meeting of the Global Phenolic Resins Association (GPRA) was held November 10 and 11 in Mumbai, India. The GPRA discussed many topics of current relevance to the phenolic resin producers, including: an overview of the Indian phenolic resin market, the economic recovery in various regions of the world, the raw material trends in the phenolic resin industry, the current state of formaldehyde regulations around the world, an update on the REACH and CLP legislation and the development of a GRPA Quality Seal.
This meeting was held in Mumbai to include more Indian phenolic resin manufacturers, which it did. Several first time attendees, including Allied Resins & Chemicals Ltd., Gargi Huttenes-Albertus PL and Fenolit d.d, were impressed with the Quality Seal which the GPRA will offer to members. This will help distinguish GPRA members, who follow all laws, from small companies that sometimes don’t. Reports of the Indian economy in general, which continues to grow at 8+%, and of the phenolic resin industry in India, which is growing even faster than the general economy, were encouraging.
The group also heard reports about formaldehyde regulations around the world. The US draft IRIS level of 0.7 ppb is well below that the concentration of normal human breath or US(indoor) air concentrations. For Europe, BASF submitted a Desired No Effect Level of 0.4 ppm (400 ppb). The GPRA will continue to monitor formaldehyde regulation as it is a critical raw material for phenolic resin production. Another topic was the raw material price patterns for the key raw materials used to make phenolic resins. At the time of the meeting it was clear that the raw materials to produce phenolic resins are more expensive in Asia than in the US or Europe.
The meetings were held in the presence of the Treuhandbuero, an independent consulting group that ensures that all discussions comply with all national and international laws. All members have signed the anti-trust compliance documents.
The next meeting of the GPRA is scheduled for March 23 and 24 in Beijing, China. The GPRA Chairmen are Dr. Joerg Talbiersky of UCP Chemicals, representing Europe and William Scheffer of SI Group, representing the Americas. James (J.S) Kim of Kolon Industries Inc. has been appointed Chairman for Asia during the meeting. The GPRA thanked Mr. Noboru Yamawaki of Sumitomo Bakelite for holding that Chairmanship for 4 years. Membership in the GPRA provides excellent value to its members as the only organization which allows proper meetings between phenolic resin industry representatives from around the globe.
The Mission of the GPRA is: 'To enhance the reputation of the global phenolic resins industry with all its stakeholders by highlighting the unique contribution offered to society by these resins and to foster safe management of phenolic resins throughout their lifecycle’.
Further information may be found on the GPRA website at www.gpraweb.com. Questions or comments related to the GPRA may be sent to:
Dr. Nausch Unternehmensberatung GmbH
- Treuhandbuero -
Hallbergstrasse 5
D-40239 Duesseldorf
Tel.: +49-(0)-211-68 78 940
Fax: +49-(0)-211-68 78 935
www.dnu.eu
treuhandbuero@dnu.eu