If, as is being predicted, the 25% of nonwovens being made from polyester filament spunbond are to rise to over 45% by 2030, the chances are much of it will no longer be supplied by the Chinese companies which have risen to dominance over the past 20 years.

Thailand’s Indorama Ventures (IVL) has quickly risen to become the leading single player in polyester – with growth of over 50% a year over the past ten years – while continuing to position itself as the leading local supplier of synthetic fibres for both nonwovens and speciality textiles in both Europe and North America.