China rises as a popular regional headquarter location
The global appeal of China’s enormous market is self-evident. The nation continues to see advancement of urbanization, release of purchasing power of non - tier - 1 cities, a thriving digital economy, leading 5G and blockchain technology, and connected mobility. The sheer size of its domestic market volume, booming exports, and strong investment are driving China’s economy on a high-quality growth path.
In spite of the global economic slowdown, foreign-invested enterprises in China remain optimistic about the Chinese market and continue to invest at these critical times. China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of chemicals. There is no slowdown in the investment of foreign plastics machinery and materials suppliers, who are increasingly setting up regional headquarters, production bases, and/or R&D centers in China. German chemical giant BASF is investing a total of $10 billion in an integrated production base in Guangdong. It is also building a brand new innovation park in Shanghai and a comprehensive surface treatment site in Zhejiang. ExxonMobil, Lanxess, Solvay, Dow Chemical, Shell, Saudi, Saudi Aramco and many more well-known multinational companies are also expanding their investment in China with major petrochemical projects via joint venture or sole proprietorship.
Grounded in Asian markets
To seize the opportunity with rising Asian economies, the plastics and rubber industries must not miss the upcoming Chinaplas 2020. As the leading global trade show in the industry, Chinaplas was launched in 1983 and has witnesses the sectors’ development along with China’s economic transformation. Chinaplas will present 3,900+ exhibitors (more than 2,500 exhibitors from China), 11 country/region pavilions including Germany, Italy, U.S., and Japan, as well as 19 theme zones, centering around innovative solutions in plastics and rubber machinery, materials and processes.
Visitors will be able to take a peek at the most cutting-edge technologies in the world, but also find highly cost-effective solution packages. China’s plastics and rubber machinery and material have made great progress and gained market popularity with technologies comparable to international standards, excellent durability and stability, quality of service and cost-effectiveness. In Asia, especially Southeast Asia, machinery and materials from China well fit the needs of the industry at the current stage.
Song Yew Eng from Malaysia’s Chuan Weng Plastic SDN BHD said, “In the past, we relied on labor supply from Indonesia and Vietnam to offset our shortage, but workers from Vietnam are on the decline. I found the right machinery at Chinaplas to make up for our labor shortage. There are lots of options for semi-automatic machines that meet production needs and are cost-effective at the same time. As of now, our production has not reached the stage of full automation, and high-end machinery does not suit our current particular needs.”
Due to the relatively weak industrial infrastructure in Vietnam, the plastics industry there faces shortages of raw materials and processing equipment – companies there are in dire need of advanced production equipment and materials. Tran Ngoc Linh, Director of Manutronics in Vietnam, stated during his last Chinaplas visit, “I’m from Vietnam. I come to Chinaplas mainly to find new business and new partners. Since we are now focusing on one-stop solutions, we are looking for materials for electronic components. The show is massive. I’ve spent two days on the show floor, but still haven’t been able to visit all of the suppliers that I’m interested in.”
Chinaplas has deep roots in China but has tasked itself with serving the Asian markets to the fullest. Regardless of their region and business scale, visitors will for sure gain a lot – find suitable products and solutions to tackle business growth challenges, reduce production costs, reach breakthroughs in new product development, and accomplish environmentally friendly and sustainable growth.
Chinaplas is scheduled to return to the National Exhibition and Convention Center, in Hongqiao, Shanghai, PR China on April 21-24, 2020. This iconic industry event is expected to present 340,000 square meters of exhibition space, bring together 3,900+ global exhibitors and 180,000+ visitors, to join hands to overcome the challenges, and together create a prosperous future.
For more information about Chinaplas 2020, please visit the official show website at www.ChinaplasOnline.com
