Kicking some asphalt

World demand for asphalt products is projected to increase 2.3 percent per year to 114 million metric tons in 2009, according to a new study from the Freedonia Group. Growth prospects for asphalt will vary widely, with the more developed areas (North America, Western Europe and Japan) registering relatively slow gains; while developing economies will post much more robust advances. North America is the largest regional market for asphalt, accounting for 36 percent of total world demand in 2004. The United States represents the largest national market for asphalt, and dominates North American consumption. Western Europe, which accounted for 22 percent of world demand in 2004, is generally comparable to North America in its asphalt consumption levels, in terms of intensity of utilization. However, both Western Europe and North America are relatively mature markets, and will exhibit below average rates of growth through 2009, as will Japan, another highly industrialized, mature market. Your comment?