Yarn Expo Spring concluded its 2017 edition last month with high satisfaction from both exhibitors and buyers.

Held from March 15-17 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the fair attracted 22,579 visitors from 94 countries and regions (2016: 20,527, 77 countries and regions) to source a large variety of yarn and fibre products brought by a total of 393 exhibitors from 12 countries and regions (2016: 309, 11 countries and regions), a 10 percent and 27 percent increase, respectively.

The top 10 overseas visitor countries and regions were Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Russia, Taiwan, the UK and the US.

Delighted with the results, senior general manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd Wendy Wen commented: “This edition we have seen a noticeable increase in the optimism of our exhibitors about the market situation in the coming year, so we are excited about what the year holds for the industry.”

She added, “As well as this, many of the exhibitors we spoke with during the three days were full of praise regarding aspects of the fair that are most important to us: the quality and diversity of buyers, as well as a buyer profile that matches with exhibitors’ offerings; the opportunities to develop new business and strengthen existing relationships; the ability to expand their brand to an international audience; and the chance to grow their business in new, trending product sectors.”

The India Pavilion experienced success, with results exceeding the pavilion organisers’ expectations. Ravindranathan Narayanasamy, joint director of the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL), the pavilion organizer, commented: “The result this year is better than we expected! The strong visitor flow kept our exhibitors busy for all three days, and many reported to us that ample opportunities were found here. After a short period of downturn, we can clearly feel that the demand for Indian products, especially in China, is growing again since last October, and we are gaining a larger market share.”

Narayanasamy continued by sharing the diverse range of buyers the exhibitors met during the fair. He added: “We saw customers from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, the US, as well as some Middle East countries like Morocco, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. Our exhibitors were also delighted to meet with a number of new and direct customers, such as knitting and weaving manufacturers, who are keen to buy from us directly rather than through agents.”

Both overseas and domestic buyers were content with the number of quality new business contacts and the fair’s diverse visitor profile. “Around 90% of the contacts we received are new. This included buyers from China, Brazil, Thailand, Egypt, et cetera. We are extremely satisfied with this result, not only because of the quantity but also the impressive quality of these buyers,” said Mr Sandjojo, marketing representative of the new Indonesian exhibitor PT. Bintang Asahi Textile Industry.

Domestic exhibitors were just as pleased as the overseas exhibitors. Jiangsu Shenghong Science and Technology Co Ltd, a well-known domestic supplier and the co-organiser of the Shenghong China Fibre Trend Area 2017-18, shared the company’s rewarding three-day fair.

Its Marketing Department Specialist Chong Gu said: “We are thrilled with the visitor flow and their quality. Many genuine buyers from India, Pakistan and the US were very interested in buying our products. In fact, we have also deepened the cooperation with famous brands such as Nike, Under Amour and Decathlon by introducing our products directly to their designers. Since we first joined Yarn Expo six editions ago, the fair has effectively elevated our brand awareness among the industry and led us to the international market.”

Uzbek exhibitors affirmed the demand for Uzbek cotton in the China market continues to grow. Foremost Uzbek supplier JV “Quva Tekstil” LLC has exhibited in Yarn Expo for four years and has witnessed the rise in popularity of Uzbek cotton at the fair.

Oybek Ergashev, general manager of the company’s Export & Import Department, said: “Cotton from Uzbekistan is very competitive and getting more popular in the China market. As such, more and more Chinese manufacturers are keen to use Uzbek cotton and this demand will grow even higher in the future. We were really busy and productive throughout the fair, and we are satisfied with the overall outcome.”

Baoding Kaiyuan Cotton Spinning Co Ltd is just one of the buyers who visited the fair to specifically source Uzbek cotton, with the company’s General Manager Mr Yechao Sun sharing: “My main goal for visiting Yarn Expo is to purchase yarns from Uzbekistan suppliers. Uzbek yarns reach 80-90% of the market share in Hebei, the area I come from. For us, we think their cotton is much more attractive in terms of the price and quality. I’ve already met with some high-quality exhibitors here and will consider to have further cooperation with them.”  

Besides Uzbek cotton, synthetic and fancy yarns are also the rising stars in the industry, which several exhibitors verified in the fair. Mr Sandjojo from PT. Bingtang Ashai mentioned: “As synthetic yarns are more cost effective, the demand is obviously much stronger now. The majority of buyers we met were looking for synthetic yarns

Yarn Expo was held concurrently with four other textile trade fairs, and a number of exhibitors praised this arrangement for offering them additional business opportunities. “We also have some knitting yarn exhibitors, and this sector is becoming more important in the market. Therefore, having the knitting fair PH Value held concurrently generated more business potential,” said Narayanasamy, organiser of the India Pavilion.

He added, “I think PH Value brings 50% more visitors to these knitting yarn exhibitors. The synergy between these two shows is prefect.”

Buyers also benefitted from the arrangement. “I’m visiting Yarn Expo from PH Value. The joint exhibitions are helpful for learning the whole picture of the entire industry chain, and have enriched the range of sourcing options,” said Mr Yongmin Zhou, General Engineer of Wuhan Winsome Knitting Industrial Co Ltd. “I found some very good quality exhibitors and placed sample orders with them already.”

The next Yarn Expo fair, Yarn Expo Autumn will take place Oct. 11-13. Yarn Expo showcases a wide spectrum of natural and blended yarns including cotton, wool, flax / regenerated flax, silk, and man-made fibres and yarns, as well as specialty products including elastic, and fancy and blended yarns.

Yarn Expo Spring was organized by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; The Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; China Cotton Textile Association; China Wool Textile Association; China Chemical Fiber Association; China Bast & Leaf Fibres Textiles Association; and China Textile Information Centre.