Asian plastics industry companies are raising their profile at trade exhibitions worldwide, and K 2007 is no exception. Last year’s NPE 2006 (www.npe.org), the North American plastics industry’s flagship show, already was a harbinger of things to come. Altogether, overseas attendance rose to 33% from 30% at the 2003 event. The most amazing statistic, however, was the nearly five-fold increase in participation by plastics companies from China and Hong Kong, which shot up from 27 to 127.

At K 2007 (www.k-online.de), 31 exhibitors (24 in 2004) will be from Hong Kong, eight of these under the auspices of the city’s Trade Development Council, which will set up its headquarters in Hall 1 at the Düsseldorf fairgrounds. Another 155 companies will hail from mainland China, more than three times as many as in 2004. The exhibitor numbers include as diverse companies as large masterbatch manufacturers, injection moulders and tool makers, reflecting the multi-faceted nature of the Chinese plastics industry.