Leading Countries files 1994-2009
The following tables contain a summary of the sectoral dynamics in the past 15 years for a group of 16 leading Countries selected among those Nations that gained production levels of more than one million tons per year (Brazil, China, France, Greece, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Turkey) and those that are distinguished for the ampleness of the consumptions, in prevalence of importation (South Korea, Germany, Japan, Great Britain, United States, Taiwan). Apart from some exceptions supported by local sources, the produced volumes are assessed basing on criterions highlighted in the critical Appendix, whereas those volumes relating to interchange are official data, issued by Eurostat for the EU Member States and by Comtrade for the other Countries. Following the routine adopted in the previous Reports, the percentage due to sawing off-cuts and processing waste, owing to the impossibility of assessments
differentiated from a Country to the other, is taken into account in the measure of two fifths percent. This involves possible excesses for some realities characterized by less advanced production levels: however, this phenomenon has a limited impact because the group is constituted by industrial Leader Countries. The final data concerns the various National specific consumptions, express both in weight and square meters corresponding to a 2 cm standard thickness; for this purpose, the transformation formula with equally homogeneous criterions is used. In this case, it might result a slight excess to the advantage of such Countries as Germany, Japan and Great Britain where there is a major utilization for funerary purposes or urban design with respect to the global average. Production and consumption don’t take into account those building materials which are required as scrap material in