The third edition of the China International Nonwovens Expo & Forum (CINE – supported by Techtextil) put a spotlight on the key growth areas in the domestic industry, as 107 companies (2017: 100) exhibited across 6,000 sqm at the Shanghai Convention & Exhibition Center of International Sourcing from 3 – 5 June. 3,738 trade buyers from 19 countries & regions (2017: 3,977) attended both the expo and forum.
Key takeaways from this year’s fair, both from exhibitors’ observations and discussions in the concurrent forum, included strong demand for nonwovens in the automotive, hygiene and eco areas. First-time participants Reifenhäuser Reicofil were amongst those to point out this demand. “The nonwovens sector with the most potential in China is definitely hygiene, including diapers and personal care,” Mr Detlef Frey, Head of R&D for the German company explained. “These are growing fast everywhere, but especially in China. Consumers here are paying more attention to the quality and features of these products.”
Shanghai Shenda, one of the country’s largest producers of automotive textiles, noted strong demand in this sector, as well as for eco-friendly products. “The automobile industry in China is currently undergoing vigorous development, and I expect the application of nonwovens in this sector to become wider in the near future. Another sector with great potential in China for nonwovens is environmental protection. We are currently engaged in a number of clean-up and prevention projects,” Mr Qian Peng, Deputy Director of the company noted.
Forum speaker Mr Vincent Hu, from the Taiwan Textile Research Institute, also outlined the potential in the filtration sector due to environmental protection concerns. “Both government policies and Chinese citizens are taking environmental protection seriously, and against such a backdrop, I am optimistic about the development of the filtration market here, especially for air filters.”
Italian company Trelleborg Coated Systems reported strong demand for their products in the automotive and medical industries. Mr Daniel Zheng, Business Development Manager for their Shanghai office explained: “I feel especially optimistic about these two industries in the future. Chinese consumers are becoming increasingly demanding on the function and performance of vehicles, so our products can be more widely used. Quality assurance in the medical industry is also becoming much stricter, which we are benefitting from.”
Satisfactory results for both international and Chinese participants
“Being at this fair is very beneficial for us as we have many successful customers in China, but we still want to meet more potential customers which we can achieve at this fair. We also exhibited here to learn more about the Chinese market, and to showcase our new technology which we hope will convince the market to turn to better fabrics.”
Mr Detlef Frey, Head of R&D, Reifenhäuser Reicofil GmbH & Co KG, Germany
“We are the Chinese agent for Italian brand Sicam Srl. We have exhibited here since the first edition, and think it is the leading event in the Chinese nonwovens industry because of its professionalism and reputation. We can maintain relationships with our existing customers here, as well as meet new ones.”
Ms Hu Lixia, Sales Director, Beijing ORIT Co Ltd, China
“The feedback has been good so far. There have been many potential buyers both from China and aboard coming to our booth to ask about our products. This is a great fair with many high-quality companies exhibiting, while we can also meet a number of worldwide industry leaders that attend to discuss the industry’s challenges and opportunities.”
Mr Qian Peng, Deputy Director, Shanghai Shenda Co Ltd, China
“We trust this fair a lot because it is an effective platform for industry professionals to exchange experiences and learn from each other. Most importantly, we can get a good view of new materials, new technologies and techniques, new equipment as well as the latest industry trends here, which is very valuable to us as an exhibitor.”
Mr Raymond Cui, Chairman, Jiangsu Blue Sky Environmental Protection Group Co Ltd, China
“90% of our business is in the Chinese market, so it is necessary for us to exhibit in such a professional fair which is highly targeted to our market. This fair has helped us to expand our brand influence in China, and to maintain 30% sales growth in recent years.”
Mr Lei Zhen, Executive General Manager, Tian Ding Feng Holding Co Ltd, China
“This fair is an effective platform for us to meet a lot of existing customers and potential buyers in a very short time. It is a good event to discuss the latest industry trends, while through the conference, we can learn about new technologies and challenges the industry is facing. Audience from the conference also came to our booth, which is beneficial for our business.”
Mr Denis Wallrafen, Sales Manager, Enka Tecnica GmbH, Germany
“This is my first time to attend this fair as a buyer. It has been very convenient for me to find what I want in a short space of time, and it’s been useful to see many different kinds of products which can fully meet my purchasing needs. I have already had discussions with some manufacturers here to purchase medical fabrics for hospital use. Their products are of high quality but competitively priced.”
Mr Leonardo Martini, Alinex Intl Ltd, Italy
Cinte Techtextil China 2020 to take place in September
The next Messe Frankfurt event in the technical textiles and nonwovens sector to take place in China will be Cinte Techtextil China, scheduled to be held in September at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Responding to ongoing market demand, a premium area for eco products will be among the new features of the 2020 event. Exact dates of the fair will be announced in due course.
The China International Nonwovens Expo & Forum (CINE – supported by Techtextil) is organised by the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; the China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA); the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA); and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. For further information, please visit: www.cine-shanghai.com. To find out more about all Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide, please visit:www.texpertise-network.com.
