Yarn Expo Spring 2015, the leading fibre and yarn trade event in Asia, wrapped up on 20 March with a steady growth in its visitor number.

The fair attracted nearly 21,000 trade visitors from 46 countries and regions – with the top five being Mainland China, India, Korea, Turkey and Hong Kong – representing an increase of 3% compared to last year. 

“We are very happy to see the growth momentum continues into this year after we achieved a significant jump of over 200% last year when we first came to Shanghai to host our Spring Edition,” said Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.

Successful edition

Altogether 238 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions participated in the fair, while the popular Indian Pavilion and Pakistani zone returned once again.

“Our members were all happy with the fair as we could make business contacts with not only Chinese customers, but also with those from outside China, such as from the Middle East,” said Ravindranathan Narayanasamy, Joint Director of the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL) from India, co-organiser of the Indian Pavilion.

“This year, around 30% of the total visitors that came to our booths were from overseas, and 70% were from Mainland China.”

Overseas exhibitors

As the Chinese yarn and fibre market begins to improve, many fibre suppliers from around the world are trying to capture this opportunity to extend their business into China, and Yarn Expo Spring 2015 is one of the most ideal platforms to achieve this goal, organisers report.

“We saw more Chinese end users and manufacturers coming to the fair this year, showing an improvement in the visitor quality,” said Narayanasamy. Based on the results from the past several editions, 30% of visitors that came to the Indian Pavilion actually made an order with the suppliers after the fair.

Synthetic fibres

The latest product trends, such as synthetic fibres that featured in the Chinese Pavilion, attracted a lot of attention. “China is getting better and better at producing man-made fibres, and the new trend in the country is that more and more cotton yarn producers are shifting their business focus to the synthetic fibre side,” said Dickens Chen, Business Consultant at Shanghai Jiancheng Consulting Firm.

With an expertise in producing synthetic fibres, the Chinese Pavilion became a popular spot for overseas buyers. Besides the latest products that are on offer, a Trend Area located in the Chinese Pavilion also revealed next year’s fibre developments.

“Other than looking for products, I also came to find inspirations and learn about the product trends. I went to the Trend Area and found it is helpful for me,” said Jun Du from Baoxiniao Group Co Ltd, a famous brand-name garment manufacturer in Mainland China.

Wide selection of Indian and Pakistani products

While synthetic yarns are the rising star in the market, cotton yarns still remain attractive to some buyers. “This fair is good as it has a complete selection of Indian and Pakistani exhibitors,” said David Lei, Vice General Manager of Hebei Spring Textiles Co Ltd in China.

“I am here mainly to learn about the new development in Indian and Pakistani cotton yarn products, and I am thrilled to see that their quality is getting much better now,” he continued.

Yarn Expo showcased a wide spectrum of natural and blended yarns including cotton, wool, flax / regenerated flax, and man-made fibres and yarns as well as specialty products including elastic, and fancy and blended yarns.

www.yarn-expo-spring.com