Chinaplas, Asia’s leading trade fair for the plastics and rubber industry, will take place 17-20 April next year at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center (SWECC).
It will be the first in-person edition of the show since the entering into force on 1 January 2022 of the new the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the Asia-Pacific free trade agreement that has created the world’s largest trading bloc by economic size.
There are 15 East Asian and Pacific nations of different economic sizes and stages of development participating in the RCEP, including Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.
A central tenet of the agreement is tariff reduction: it has eliminated 90% of tariffs within the bloc, with the rest set to be reduced gradually during a 20-year period. In an analysis of the agreement, UNCTAD wrote that ‘the economic size of the emerging bloc and its trade dynamism will make it a centre of gravity for global trade’.
Products ranging from chemicals, plastics and mineral fuels to miscellaneous food preparations and beverages are benefitting from the new rules.
According to the statistics from the United Nations, Asia’s industrial value-added rose significantly from US$2.7 trillion in 2000 to US$9.4 trillion in 2019, whilst Asia’s share of world industrial value-added expanded from 35.9% to 50.9%. In particular, China’s share soared from 6.4% to 24.9%, while the share of ASEAN also went up from 2.8% to 4.8%.
The 15 members of the RCEP had a combined share of 40.2% by 2019, compared to 29.4% in 2000. Thanks to the liberalisation under the RCEP, this is expected to expand further in the next decade, creating excellent prospects for the plastics and rubber industries.
As part of the RCEP, the economic cluster known as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) - a megalopolis, with a GDP of about US$1.7 trillion, formed by nine cities and two special administrative regions in South China - stands to benefit enormously, by leveraging the opportunities of the RCEP to go global.
Especially the synergies between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, are expected to foster this ambition. Shenzhen, which receives strong policy support from the Central Government, is expected to grow into a centre of innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity. Hong Kong, with its strengths as an international trading hub, has long been a premium business platform to handle outbound investments from the mainland, including those to ASEAN and other RCEP members.
"A Brighter and Shared Future, Powered by Innovation”
The 2023 edition of Chinaplas will bring together exhibitors showcasing innovative plastics solutions and the relevant market trends at an exhibition area spanning 380,000 sqm., under the theme A Brighter and Shared Future, Powered by Innovation.
Over 3,900 exhibitors, including 9 country/region pavilions from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, and Taiwan region, are expected to attend. The 18 theme zones, located at Machinery Halls and Chemical & Raw Material Halls, will cover injection moulding solutions, extrusion machinery, 3D technologies, recycling technology, smart manufacturing solutions, bioplastics, composites and high performance materials, thermoplastic elastomers & rubber, to name but a few.
According to the organisers, Chinaplas has become a preferred platform for the plastics and rubber industries to debut new products and solutions and showcase innovative materials and technologies from all over the world.
“In 2022, the global economy is bouncing back from the pandemic,” said Ada Leung, General Manager of Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., organiser of Chinaplas. During the pandemic, the show was organised virtually, coupled with the specialised online sourcing and business matching platform CPS+ eMarketplace.
“The six elements of Chinaplas+ will be further integrated to complement the physical show dedicated to the plastics and rubber industries,” said Leung. “In 2023, we will strive to bring you a 4-day physical show for face-to-face technology-based communication, aiming to help plastics and rubber industries explore new business opportunities, particularly the prospects in the RCEP and GBA. Look forward to seeing you all there in Chinaplas 2023.”
The six Chinaplas+ elements that are being integrated into the 2023 in-person show are: the CPS+ eMarketplace, where, with just one click, buyers can connect with 4,000+ global plastics and rubber tech suppliers anytime and anywhere; Chinaplas Live, the official livestream; Business e-Match, dedicated to connecting pre-screened suppliers and premier buyers, together with the Applications Online Forum and the Technologies Video Channel; and Factory iVisit, an online factory visit for visitors to experience the plastic processing machines’ live demonstration of leading industry players, and interact with technical experts.
Online pre-registration for Chinaplas 2023 is open. Click here to pre-register.