Tehran is hosting the 11th International Exhibition of Plastics, Rubber, Machinery and Equipment, better known as Iran Plast 2017, from September 24 to 27.
Iran Plast, which will be held in Tehran's International Permanent Fairground, is known as one of the biggest exhibitions in the field throughout the Middle East and Asia, and considered one of the most specialized international exhibits in the region.
The first iteration was held in 2002. The next four editions were held annually, but from the sixth event, it became a biennale exhibition to enhance its quality, structure and organization, according to Iran Plast's website, with the exception of this year's edition that is being held one year after Iran Plast 2016.
It is organized by National Petrochemical Company, a subsidiary of the Iranian Oil Ministry and owned by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is responsible for the development and operation of the country's petrochemical sector. Iran Trade Promotion Organization and Iran International Exhibition Company are sponsors of the event.
According to the website, more than 800 Iranian and foreign companies and organizations active in a wide range of plastics-related sectors are expected to participate in this year's exhibition.
These entities are involved in the production of raw materials (thermoplastics, polymer blends, compounds, granulates, polystyrene and polyamides), finished and semi-finished products (PP, PVC & PE pipes & fittings, packaging products, packaging containers, pharmaceutical & food packaging films, packaging foam, plastic rope & yarn, laminated products, labels, and PET bottles), machinery and equipment (mixers, grinders, crushers, pelletizers, compounding lines, recycling lines, industrial ovens, extruders & extrusion lines, press & compression machines and foaming machineries).
Providers of services, including technical and engineering services, after-sales services, software services, information services, consultancy services, marketing services, laboratory & industrial services, control systems, training services and import & export services) will also take part.
"Iran’s annual petrochemical output will be worth $40 billion by 2021," Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said during the inaugural ceremony of Iran Plast 2016 held on April 13-17 last year.
“To reach the goal, Iran needs an investment of $50 billion,” he was quoted as saying.
Last year's exhibition hosted 400 domestic and 500 companies from 25 countries, including from Russia, France, China, Turkey, the UAE, Pakistan, South Africa and Australia, with petrochemical heavyweights from Germany, Italy and Austria reserving the largest pavilions.
> French Nat'l Agency Makes Debut
For the first time, France's national agency for the international development of French businesses, Business France, is participating in Iran Plast.
"The Iran Plast exhibition offers an excellent opportunity to meet key players in the Iranian plastics' processing sector; this is why a France pavilion is being organized there for the first time by Business France … in partnership with UCAPLAST," reads a Business France press release shared with Financial Tribune.
Founded in January 2015, Business France is a public-private body contributing to meeting three economic targets: helping French businesses expand abroad; aiding employment and development by attracting foreign investors to France; and promoting France’s business image across the world.
Paris opened the first major European trade office in Tehran during the visit of a French delegation led by the Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Tourism and French Nationals Overseas Matthias Fekl and Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and Government Spokesperson Stephane Le Foll in September 2015.
The Business France office, headed by Romain Keraval and located at the French diplomatic mission in Tehran, seeks to facilitate commercial relations between the two countries.
"Iran, thanks to its petrochemicals industry, has the advantage of low-cost access to raw materials it needs to develop its plastics processing industry. The availability of significant amounts of raw materials and polymerized products is the keystone of this sector, within which the National Petrochemical Company plays a prominent role," the press release said.
"Despite a slowdown in industrial production over the last two years, the agri-food and automotive industries plus those of the construction sector are expected to continue to drive demand, which is estimated to be, on average, 18 kg per inhabitant per year in Iran."
This growth is particularly strong in the areas of food packaging and PET bottling. The current needs of Iranian companies are above all in technical, industrial and financial partnerships in the automotive sector (60%), agri-food packaging (25%) and other industries (15%), it added.
"These are all good reasons why French companies should take advantage of the opening up of the country to offer innovative know-how and products, and to meet, swap ideas and negotiate with future Iranian partners or clients."
According to the press release, French plastics processing is a growth sector. Sales (€29.7 billion in 2016) grew three times faster on average than those for manufacturing as a whole. It concerns over 100 sectors that produce or use plastic.
France's position as a major global plastics market is stable, as it is ranked sixth in terms of sales.
Internationally, French plastics processing saw a sharp upswing in 2015 and 2016, with growth rates of 5% and 6.5% respectively. Most of this growth came from the EU, but performance was also strong in Africa and Asia.
For more information on Iran Plast, visit www.iranplast.ir.
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