The use of heterogeneous basic catalysts in both dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) transesterification with ethylene glycol (EG) and successive polycondensation of the obtained prepolymer, was investigated. To this end, Al2O3, calcined Al-Mg hydrotalcite with different Al/(Al + Mg) theoretical atomic ratios, and MgO were tested in transesterification and polycondensation reactions and characterised. It was shown that both the calcined Al-Mg hydrotalcites and magnesium oxides are active in the DMT transesterification reaction with EG and in the successive prepolymer polycondensation. The observed activities were compared to the results of characterisations of catalysts. Moreover, the obtained PETs have chemical and physical properties very close to those of commercial samples. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.