In 2012, the global market for metal cans was $43.81bn. That figure is expected to grow by around 2% annually for the next six years.
Food firms around the globe packaged their products in 344.5bn cans in 2012. Reasons why manufacturers opt for cans over other formats include shelf life, recyclability, UV protection, printability and flavor/aroma retention.
The region consuming the largest share of metal-can packaging is Europe (more than 109bn cans). Lower labor and material cost likely will bring relatively rapid growth to the Asia-Pacific region, especially in China and India.
The data was unearthed by intelligence outfit Transparency Market Research. Significant suppliers profiled in the report include Ball Corp., Amcor, Rexam and Crown.