For the three days from 27 – 29 March, 6,461 buyers from 52 countries and regions flocked to Yarn Expo Spring to source a variety of yarn and fibre from 194 exhibitors. These buyer numbers represent a 43.5% increase on last year, with a significant portion of this increase coming from domestic visitors.
The top five overseas visitor countries/regions were Hong Kong, India, Korea, Pakistan and Russia, while the top visitor areas in China were Anhui, Beijing, Fujian, Gansu and Guangdong.
China’s growing economy creates huge demand for textiles at competitive prices and with value-added features. “Looking ahead, we see the demand for yarn and fibre tied closely to the health of the domestic economy, so the outlook for this sector remains bright,” commented Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.
“The industry is undergoing such robust development that China has become one of the global giants in terms of yarn imports, reflected by the highest number of exhibitors we have ever had hoping to tap into the Chinese market,” she concluded.
Returning exhibitor, Inter S.A., is a multinational Swiss supplier. Their Textiles Division focuses on a large variety of textile raw materials, including fibre, yarn, and fabrics, and has had commercial relationships in China for the last 15 years. “We are expanding in China. Though the price has fluctuated and there has been a 15% rise in material costs, we are still very optimistic about the opportunities in the Chinese market,” said Mr Moris BA.
Apart from China, India had the second largest number of exhibitors at Yarn Expo Spring, followed by Pakistan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and Switzerland. As China emerges as the world’s biggest yarn importer, India is set to benefit from this, with the Indian Pavilion at the fair – organised by Texprocil, the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council of India – boasting 123% more exhibitors compared to last year.
The Joint Director of Texprocil, Mr Ravindranathan Narayanaswamy, further explained the rising participation from India. “The production of yarn in China is under supplied compared to demand, and therefore it is a great opportunity for us to enter the Chinese market,” he said.
“This year there are around 20 new Indian companies joining the fair. The first reason for their participation is to maintain a presence in the market, and the second is to understand the market trends.” When asked about the effectiveness of Yarn Expo Spring, he commented, “The best feature of this show is the good quality and profile of visitors; this year is even better than previous years.”
Another popular area on the show floor was the Pakistan Zone, where the latest high-quality and competitively priced yarn, including many high-count, natural, synthetic and elastic varieties, were featured. Mr Muhammad Abid Mehmood, Marketing Manager of Hussain Mills said, “We are showcasing Siro yarn and BCI-standard organic cotton.
These products have been popular for the last two to three years, so now we wish to develop something for the Chinese market.” Reflecting his satisfaction with the show, he commented that their booth becomes larger and larger every year to meet growing demand.
Exhibitors optimistic about China despite challenging global market conditions
Exhibitors reflected that buyers in the market were more mature and of high quality. Mr Rakesh Goyal, the Senior Manager – Marketing in the Yarn, Dyes & Chemicals Division of the Singaporean trading house Kaybee Exim Pte Ltd, an exhibitor at the fair every year since 2004, was satisfied with the number of buyers.
“This year, we are pleased to see more buyers, so it supports our decision to continue coming to this fair as we target the Chinese market,” he said. He was also optimistic about his prospects in the future. “Though the price of yarn is lower, at the same time product quality has not been affected much which is good news for us. We are still able to provide high-end products.”
High quality of both suppliers and visitors offers huge business opportunities
Visitors also agreed that Yarn Expo Spring provided them with an ideal one-stop platform to meet different kinds of yarn and fibre suppliers from throughout Asia. “We specialise in cotton yarn, gray fabrics, and dyed and printed fabrics and garments,” explained Mr Philip Wu, General Manager of Greater China Business for Icotton Ltd.
“I used to travel to Pakistan and India for sourcing but Yarn Expo has brought together a lot of good suppliers in one place saving me time and money.” Mr Darshan Bhoot, CEO of Deegee Dehydration Pvt Ltd from India agreed, adding, “By visiting the fair, we can build up new contacts and extend relationships with old customers.”
Over the three days of the fair, visitors browsed through themed areas and zones in hall 1, which showcased the best of China under the theme ‘Fibre of the World, Beautiful China’. Four themed display areas and special zones assisted buyers to identify the latest trends and applications of different fibres.
These themes included ‘Chinese fibre trends 2013 / 2014’, ‘Shenghong cup Chinese fibre innovation display zone’, ‘Chemical fibre regeneration and recycling zone’, and ‘New generation of polyester fibres’, and attracted large numbers of visitors eager to learn more.
“My purpose of visiting this fair is to grasp the most updated market information. I’m impressed with the display zones the most as they are quite attractive and feature creative and inspirational ideas. I have already found what I was looking for here,” said Ms Florence Dai, Cotton Analyst for Noble Agri Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd under Noble Group.
