2025 is a flat year; nearly everyone feels it. But the difference between factories that grow in 2026 and factories that “wait and see” will come down to one thing:
PREPARATION.
You don’t want to be the manufacturer scrambling for capacity, suppliers, or manpower after demand spikes. You want to be ready before it hits.
Here’s what the data says.
EMERGING ECONOMIES
Non-China markets: 3.4% growth in 2025, 4.7% in 2026
Strongest growth from India, GCC, Southeast Asia
INDIA
Demand up 9% over 2025–26
The 2026 demand is almost 75Mt higher than the 2020 demand
For GCC manufacturers, this is the moment to:
Lock in raw material contracts before another price swing
Expand exports while India increases its outbound supply
Rework pricing models for EPC customers shifting to long-term procurement
This price cycle won’t last long.
The slowdown is ending. The rebound is coming.
The question is simple: Will your factory be ready when demand hits?