Visitors at the 2019 Rubber and Tyre. This year the exhibition will be held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre from August 3 to 5 together with Paper Vietnam, Coatings Expo Vietnam and Plastech Vietnam. — Photo tapchicongthuong.vn

HCM CITY — Four international exhibitions, Paper Vietnam, Rubber and Tyre Vietnam, Coatings Expo Vietnam, and Plastech Vietnam, will be held in HCM City from August 3 to 5.

Returning after a gap of three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the expos have attracted 150 companies from 17 countries and territories, including Belgium, Germany, the US, Japan, China, India, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Việt Nam, Nguyễn Bá Vinh, director of the Minh Vi Exhibition and Advertisement Services Co Ltd (VEAS), the expos’ organiser, said.

India is the country of honour this year, with nearly 50 of its companies taking part.

In addition to showcasing a wide range of machinery and equipment and products, the expos will also feature several seminars, B2B matching and VIP buyer programmes to help exhibitors and visitors learn about the latest trends and market demands, and identify customers, and make appointments and meet with potential partners, he said.

There would also be a ‘visit tour’ to enable foreign businesses to visit factories and hi-tech parks, he added.

Speaking at a press briefing on July 16 to introduce the four expos, Nguyễn Thị Lạc Huyền, chairwoman of the Việt Nam Paint and Printing Ink Association, said the coating and printing ink industry had been growing at 10 per cent annually before the pandemic, with output topping US$2 billion.

“But for the first time the industry recorded negative growth last year, with output plunging sharply, due to the pandemic. The whole industry is trying to recover this year but faces difficulties like supply chain disruption, higher prices of raw materials and a decline in demand.”

The Coatings Expo Vietnam would help firms to find partners to avoid the supply disruptions of last year, she said.

Võ Hoàng An, deputy chairman of the Việt Nam Rubber Association, said Việt Nam’s exports of processed rubber products had increased significantly to reach US$3.7 billion last year.

This year the figure topped $2.2 billion in the first half, up 12.9 per cent from the same period in 2021, with tyre exports exceeding $1.1 billion, up 28.9 per cent year-on-year, he said.

The association and businesses had stepped up trade promotion to further diversify their export markets and increase value of the rubber industry, he said.

"Trade fairs and exhibitions are an effective way for firms to introduce their new products and brands and technologies to local and international customers," he added.

The exhibitions will be held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre and are expected to welcome 8,000 trade visitors. — VNS