A booth at the Vietnam International Plastics and Rubber Industry Exhibition being held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in HCM City until October 6. — VNS Photo Xuan Huong

Advanced technologies and machinery and equipment used in the plastics and rubber industry are on display at the Vietnam International Plastics and Rubber Industry Exhibition that opened on October 3 in HCM City.

VietnamPlas has attracted more than 580 exhibitors from 18 countries and territories, including Austria, Australia, Belgium, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the US and Viet Nam.

They include extruder brands Everplast, Ming Jilee and Kim Minh; blow moulding machinery suppliers Chum Power, Quingdao Weier, Kim Cuong and OPEC; blown film equipment makers Polystar, Chyi Yang, Full Shine and Ye I; injection molding machinery producers E-Shine, Jing Day and Pan Stone; and plastic recycling machinery leaders Atlas, Changshu Shi Shouyu, LaiZhou Jinlida and Nanjing Tengda.

VietnamPlas also features raw materials such as masterbatches, PVC additives and engineering polymers and compounds.

Leading brands from around the world have brought high-calibre plastic processing machinery and cutting-edge advancements and applications to help local manufacturers upgrade their production lines.

A number of seminars, including “Intelligent and Sustainable: Guidelines for Industrial Upgrades”, "First step to Plastics 4.0, Technology and Future of Rubber” and “Circular Economy” would be held during the exhibition, according to the organisers.

Speaking to the media, Nguyen Quoc Anh, chairman of the HCM City Rubber-Plastic Manufacturers Association, said this year, export of natural rubber has fallen significantly but that of rubber tyres and technical rubber was up sharply.

Tyre exports were worth US$1 billion in the first half of the year, an increase of 30 per cent over the same period last year, he said.

Talking about the prospect for the rest of the year, he said: “Export to the US and EU will be good, but exports to South Korea and China will face difficulties.

“The Chinese and South Korean currencies have depreciated by 3-4 per cent and 6 per cent against the US dollar, making Vietnamese products less competitive in the two markets.”

So the exhibition offers a good opportunity for local manufacturers to access new technologies to reduce costs and improve their competitiveness, he said.

Ho Duc Lam, chairman of the Viet Nam Plastics Association, said exports of plastic products grew by 5 per cent year-on-year in the first nine months.

The industry has an opportunity to boost exports this year, he said, adding that with the current growth momentum, it would surely meet the target of $3.2 billion.

Organised at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre by the Viet Nam National Trade Fair and Advertising Company in co-operation with Yorkers Trade and Marketing Service Co., Ltd. and the Viet Nam Plastics Association, VietnamPlas will run until October 6. — VNS