Exhibitors will showcase raw materials and machinery for key segments at a plastics industry trade fair, to be held at the Expo Centre Sharjah next year.

The second edition of the biennial Plastivision Arabia will be held from April 7 to 10, organised the Expo Centre Sharjah and the All India Plastics Manufacturers Association (AIPMA).

It will be held alongside ArabiaMold, the regional trade fair for moldmaking and tooling, design and application development, in association with Demat, the organiser of EuroMold.

The regional plastics industry is looking to acquire new machinery and technology to keep pace with rising per capita consumption of plastics in the GCC, which is several times higher than the world average, said a statement.

Rising exports and re-exports are encouraging manufacturers of finished and semi-finished plastic products to look at expanding their capacity and product lines, fuelling interest for the upcoming fair.
 
According to official figures, the UAE registered a 127 per cent rise in exports of plastics in the first half of 2012, when compared to the same period the previous year. In terms of value, it went up from $2.9 billion to $4.4 billion during the period, said figures released by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Trade.

In re-exports, the UAE produces a quarter of all plastics produced within the GCC, it said.
 
“With the regional economies in cruise mode and the announcement of a series of mega projects, the regional plastics industry is pressed to produce more to cater to the rising demand from several core sectors,” said said Mohammed Al Midfa, director-general of Expo Centre Sharjah.

The launch edition of Plastivision Arabia in 2012 featured 150 exhibitors from 19 countries and attracted 7,000 visitors from 66 countries, he said. – TradeArabia News Service