The online meeting of the Asia Pacific Coatings Industry Council was hosted this year by the Philippine Paint and Coatings Association (PPCAI). Nevertheless, Asia continues to be the world’s fastest-growing coatings region, and six of the twelve fastest-growing markets are located in Asia, underlined Bowtell. “Asia is by far the biggest region for the paint industry globally and is more than Europe and North America added together, which is a phenomenal achievement”, he said. Mark Chang of the Taiwan Paint Industry Association (TPIA) underlined the impact of the Iran conflict and closing of the strait of Hormuz. Despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, regulatory challenges and cost pressures, the coatings industry across Asia remains cautiously optimistic.