The coming of Chinese composite decki ng

fT wasn't too long ago that a glut of domestic producers Iof composite decking had the industry braced for a shakeout. To become more competitive, over the last three years, several domestic manufacturers have shifted production to China. And, now Chinese companies are formulating plans to crack the U.S. market on their own.

The Merchant Magazine spoke with one such composite producer eyeing the U.S., Chen Jing, manager of Nanjing Jiajing Composite Material Ltd. (wwwjjwpc. cn). She has been involved in researching, developing and manufacturing composite decking in China since 2000.

Merchant: How long have Chinese manufacturers been producing wood-plastic composite decking?

Chen Jing: China began importing wood-plastic composite (WPC) decking production technology from Canada in 1998.

Merchant: How many composite deck manufacturers are in China?

Chen Jing: Domestic manufacturers are about 20 companies. About 300 companies trade in this area, primarily polypropylene, polyethylene and PVC-based material for the production of WPC.

Merchant: Does Chinese composite decking come in a wide range of sizes, or are there standard sizes?

Chen Jing: There is no uniform standard size. Some manufacturers size for North America markets according to the size North American manufacturers produce. If done for Europe, the size of European manufacturers. Domestic use will be the size of some of their own habits.

Merchant: Does Chinese composite decking come in a wide range of colors, or are there standard colors?

Chen Jing: Domestic WPC products are greatly influenced by the raw material's color. There are a fixed number of colors for each company, but they are mostly deeper colors. Our company exports to North America cedar, redwood, gray and brown.

Merchant: Does China import any composite decking from the U.S.?

Chen Jing: China does not import WPC from the U.S. The main problem is the price is too high.

Merchant: Is much composite decking exported from China to the U.S.?

Chen Jing: So far, not many Chinese WPC products are exported to the U.S. Exports are only a drop in the ocean compared to local product use.

Merchant: Does Chinese composite decking typically offer a warranty?

Chen Jing: China's WPC products in the U.S. certainly provide a quality warranty. They use l00%o recycled plastics as raw material. They typically are not committed to as long a life as local products in the United States; however, the prices of China products are much cheaper than the U.S.'s.

Merchant: How is the warranty enforceable once the decking has been shipped from China to the U.S.?

Chen Jing: Before the WPC products enter the U.S., distributors will communicate fully the purposes and characteristics of these products-how to use, install, use accessories, and so on. Our company has the service; if not, we compensate 1007o for losses.

Merchant: What do you forecast regarding exports of Chinese composite decking to the U.S.?

Chen Jing: With China's product development depth and improving quality, exports of WPC products to the U.S. will continue to increase. The effect on the U.S. market, however, will not be a shock, because the U.S. has had more than 20 years of industrial development. Its technological lead is irreplaceable.