Asphalt shingles are one of the most widely used steep-slope
materials in the U.S. roofing market. But five years ago, you
wouldn't have found asphalt shingles in China. Now, asphalt
shingles have made prominent progress in the Chinese market in part
because of advocation and promotion by companies such as Owens
Corning, Toledo, Ohio; CertainTeed Corp., Valley Forge, Pa.; and
GAF Materials Corp., Wayne, N.J. Asphalt shingles have been
accepted and applied extensively by local governments and
developers of some regions, and continued growth is expected during
the next several years.
Growth of new residential steep-slope
construction—especially in Chinese cities—has been
keeping pace with the Chinese economy's fast development. During
recent years, the completed housing area has reached about 14
billion square feet per year in China. The average increase of
property in cities is 15 percent each year. In 2005, the area of
new residential construction in cities totaled about 4.8 billion
square feet.
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