The rapid expansion of China’s nonwovens and technical textiles industry provided an ideal backdrop
for Cinte Techtextil China, which ended a successful three-day run last week with a record-breaking
5,215 trade buyers from 42 countries and regions registered at the door, a huge 95% increase from
the last event.
“Everyone is satisfied with the show, with many exhibitors getting more than they expected
from their participation which is pleasing to see”, said Katy Lam, General Manager, Messe Frankfurt
(HK) Ltd, one of the show’s organisers. “The response from exhibitors and visitors reinforces the
need for Cinte Techtextil China. It has now proven itself as a platform for manufacturers and
end-users of technical textiles and nonwovens in the Asia Pacific region.”
Whilst most visitors were from mainland China (4,411), 804 visitors came from overseas,
including 239 from Japan, 131 from Korea, 95 from Taiwan, China and 60 from Hong Kong, China. Of
the mainland Chinese visitors to the show the majority were from Shanghai (2,361), Jiangsu (630),
Zhejiang (607), Guangdong (167) and Beijing (108).
The breakdown according to business nature showed that 29% of visitors were end users, 32% of
visitors were from import and export corporations, 20% wholesalers/distributors and 12% were from
the academic/research and development field.
“The visitors are of high quality – most of them are managers, planners and designers”, said
Mr Ma Jing Hua, General Manager of Shandong Kangjie Nonwovens Co Ltd, PR China. “There are also
visitors from overseas including the USA, Europe and South East Asia.”
The organisers, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT, and the
China Nonwovens and Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA) were pleased with the confidence shown
in the show and in the market, on both the manufacturing and buying sides. With 214 exhibitors, the
show was 75% bigger than the last event in 2000. Of particular note was the number of overseas
exhibitors (83), which increased by 152%. National pavilions were present from Austria, Belgium,
France and Germany.
Talking at the close of the show, Mr Michael Jänecke, Director of Techtextil Fairs worldwide
for Messe Frankfurt, expressed his pleasure at the outcome of the first event in Shanghai. “I am
very happy with the results of the first Cinte Techtextil China in Shanghai, which far exceeded our
expectations,” he said. “When making the decision with our joint-venture partners two years ago to
leave Beijing, it was not just changing the location, it was like starting a new show. After this
excellent start we now have established a marketing platform in China which also attracts visitors
from across Asia. Those companies who were not here missed a good opportunity to make first
contacts in this very prosperous country.”
Samples of products ranging from fibres, yarns, hygiene products, protective clothing,
medical clothing, shoes, home textiles, rubber rafts, tents and even a space suit for astronauts
were seen here and there to tell the broad story of technical textiles.
Special fibres and yarns for technical textiles were also presented – stainless steel,
nickel, polyester, polypropylene, nylon 66, silica, glass fibre, glass fabric, microfibre, hollow
fibre.
The products displayed by the overseas exhibitors covered a broad range of product groups
including wovens and nonwovens, machinery, coated and laminated textiles, composites, fibres and
yarns, and research and development. These product groups were spread across the twelve application
areas featured at the show – Agrotech, Buildtech, Clothtech, Geotech, Hometech, Indutech, Medtech,
Mobiltech, Oekotech, Packtech, Protech and Sporttech.
The majority of products displayed by the 131 mainland Chinese exhibitors featured nonwovens,
including health and hygiene products, filtration for liquid, oil and gas, protective clothing,
medical clothing, wipes, interlinings, insulation material, coated fabrics, home textiles, felting
and imitation leather substrates.
On the machinery side, the China Textile Machinery (Group) displayed some Chinese-made
machines for the nonwovens industry, including crosslapper, stitchbond, spunbond, waterlaid,
needlepunch and winding. Several models showing the whole nonwovens production line were also
displayed for discussion purpose. A crosslapper machine born of the joint venture between Erko and
Qindao Textile Machinery Works was showcased.
Though Chinese-made nonwoven machines are popular at the factories, foreign-made machines are
also in demand for their high quality, especially for the manufacture of products for export. A
number of nonwoven producers have installed full foreign machinery lines, some are mixed-matched
with locally made with key components comprised of foreign made machines.
November 2002