The Construmat construction exhibition, held at the Fira de Barcelona exhibition centre, will for the first time have an exclusively Chinese pavilion in 2009. The trade fair will host some 100 Chinese…
The Construmat construction exhibition, held at the Fira de Barcelona exhibition centre, will for the first time have an exclusively Chinese pavilion in 2009. The trade fair will host some 100 Chinese companies, who are observing the Spanish market as Spain“s own construction groups are facing an ongoing crisis. Aiming to shake off their reputation for poor quality, Chinese construction firms are considering acquiring interests in Spain in the near future. One of these companies is Beijing National Building Materials, a state-owned group which intends to acquire and develop insulation factories in Europe to meet increasingly stringent industry standards, and also to challenge Uralita and Saint-Gobain, the present leaders of the insulation market. Pricing is also a major challenge to China“s European rivals: a floor tile made in Spain costs EUR 29-30; while the cost for a similar Chinese product is about EUR 4. Chinese groups also considering the European market include Cimic and the Beijing Building Materials Group.