Glaverbel said it will shut down its float glass plant at Tiel, Netherlands for three months, thereby withdrawing 35,000 tonnes of glass from the market as of end-April.
The Tiel plant produces clear glass destined mainly for the construction industry which is experiencing difficulties in both the Netherlands and Germany, it said.It said that although the European Group of Flat Glass Producers forecast demand growing by 1 pct this year, demand for clear glass for European construction markets "is contracting with resulting pressure on prices."Glaverbel added it is able to adapt glass output to demand "without affecting supplies to the automotive market or specialised industrial applications" by adjusting output at its 15 production plants in Europe.The latest cut is in addition to an already announced cutback equivalent to the annual output of one float plant, it noted.