The second Viet Nam International Exhibition on Paper Chemicals and Technologies was opened yesterday in Ha Noi.— Photo hanoimoi

HA NOI (Biz Hub)— The second Viet Nam International Exhibition on Paper Chemicals and Technologies was opened yesterday in Ha Noi.

The event aims to boost co-operation and trade between Viet Nam and other East Asian countries in the pulp and paper industry.

Organised by the China National Chemical Information Centre and Minh Vi Exhibition and Advertisement Service Company, the three-day exhibition attracted the participation of more than 60 enterprises and organisations from 14 countries in the world.

The annual exhibition was a chance for Vietnamese pulp and paper manufacturers to access new technologies and solutions, seek opportunities for market expansion and exchange experiences.

A seminar on developing the paper industry was held on the sidelines.

At the seminar, secretary general of the Viet Nam Pulp and Paper Association Vu Ngoc Bao said that this year was extremely difficult for the industry due to the economic downturn. Production did not fulfill capacity and many enterprises saw decreased profits.

Moreover, paper consumption in the first half of the year fell by nearly 3 per cent compared with the same period last year, with consumption per capita decreasing from 32 kilos per year to 30 kilos.

Still, the industry had great potential for development, Bao said.

He urged the domestic paper industry to pay attention to new free trade agreements between ASEAN and countries such as China, India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, which would take full effect by 2015.

These would place the market at risk of inundation by paper products from foreign countries, he said, as the import tariff would be eliminated. Therefore, domestic products needed to meet consumer demands at reasonable prices.

Seminar participants also discussed ways that paper producers should protect the environment.

Paper recycling should be strongly encouraged, said Pornchai V. Sakulchai, secretary general of the Thai Pulp and Paper Industries Association.

Liana Bratasida, director of the Indonesian Pulp and Paper Association, recommended that the industry remain mindful of illegal logging and energy consumption. Producers should also shift from coal to more environmentally friendly fuels, such as bio gas, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, she added. — VNS