Southeast Asian plastic mold industry "Money King" rich to be developed

In recent years, more and more multinational corporations have entered the Southeast Asian countries and cultivated Asian production bases in order to obtain cheap labor and also to diversify the risk of exchange rate changes. In Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh and other countries, the minimum wage for workers in garment factories is only 45 US dollars per month, and prices for land, water and electricity are also very favorable. Officials of the Indonesian government in charge of economy and trade have revealed that just in the shoemaking industry, many companies have transferred to Indonesia, which has brought about 180 million U.S. dollars in investment in Indonesia in the past four years. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan opened a wholly-owned aircraft parts manufacturing company in Vietnam in September 2009, which is Vietnam's first aircraft parts factory. A study by Japan’s foreign trade agency found that the average wage of Vietnamese manufacturing workers was US$101 per month. Nissan also announced that the company intends to double the capacity of its factory in Indonesia. In response, Luo Baihui, head of the International Die & Metals & Plastics Industry Suppliers Association, believes that Southeast Asia shows greater and greater attraction to foreign investment and is inseparable from the macroeconomic policies adopted by Southeast Asian countries. In recent years, Southeast Asian countries have made great strides in promoting trade liberalization, which has promoted the expansion of the scale of import and export trade and promoted the growth of export trade, labor productivity and final income of the industrial sector, especially the manufacturing industry.

With the acceleration of global and regional trade liberalization, the process of trade liberalization in Southeast Asian countries is likely to be further accelerated. The liberalization of trade in Southeast Asian countries has driven the rapid development of foreign trade of all countries. Their position in the world trade in goods and services is increasing. However, Southeast Asian countries have many obstacles in attracting foreign investment, including the imperfect judicial system and the more widespread problems. In addition, although the labor force wages in Southeast Asian countries are lower than those in China, they still have great deficiencies in terms of infrastructure compared with China. For example, in the ports, railways, highways, etc., most Southeast Asian countries are more than 10 years behind China. This is also a “bottleneck” problem that hinders the further improvement of the manufacturing industry in Southeast Asia.

The financial crisis swept the world two years ago, but it has had little impact on countries such as India and Malaysia. In 2009, the Indian plastic mold industry did suffer a certain degree of impact, especially in the important consumer sectors such as the automotive mold industry once depressed demand, but as the economic situation improves, the plastic mold industry will grow strongly, the industry's optimism is also increasingly The more high. According to Luo Baihui, head of the International Mould and Metals and Plastics Industry Suppliers Association, by 2015, India’s plastic production will double, from an annual output of 7.5 million tons to an annual output of 15 million tons, and India will soon become the third largest plastic in the world. Consumer countries, during the plastic mold industry will make great achievements.

India's plastics industry is more dispersed. About 3/4 of the 55,000 processing units are small and medium-sized companies, and their production accounts for 25% of the total output. About 2,000 (of which 80% are small companies) produce textile fibers. The largest companies include VIPIndustries, plastics manufacturing companies Nikamald Industries and Supreme Industries. The plastics industry is mainly concentrated in Gujarat and Maharashtra on the west coast of India, which is closer to raw material suppliers. According to Luo Baihui, currently India's plastic consumption ranks eighth in the world, but it is worth noting that per capita polymer consumption is only 5-6 kg, far below the international average of 27 kg and far below China 17 Kilograms of per capita consumption, there is a huge potential for development. According to the prediction of the All India Plastics Manufacturers Association, by 2012, per capita consumption of plastics in India will rise to 12 kg. AIPMA had expected to double consumption in 2010, but due to the financial crisis, polymer demand was sluggish. This target was postponed by 2 years. In the future, the increase in the demand for household appliances and consumer goods will boost the demand for plastics in India. One of the important growth industries is the packaging industry, especially the packaging of food and consumer products with shorter shelf lives.

India's packaging industry is still in an early stage of development and its potential is enormous. Moreover, many consumer products manufactured in India are still sold in very simple packages. It is worth noting that Indian polymers are mostly processed by extrusion and rarely use injection molding or blow molding. Plastics are mainly used in soft non-elastic packaging, construction, household products, appliances and cables.

The booming Indian automotive industry will boost the growth of plastic consumption. According to Frost & Sullivan, a market research organization, the growth of the Indian passenger car industry has directly boosted the consumption of polypropylene (PP) compounds. The passenger bus market in India has grown from 200,000 units in 2001 to 2 million units in 2009, with an average annual growth rate of 13.5%. With the mass production of new low-cost cars manufactured by India's Tata and Bajaj companies, the industry is expected to continue its rapid growth. In fact, many experts believe that India will become the export center for small cars. For example, Tata has been exporting small cars since 2005. Hyundai Motor Company and Nissan also export small cars made in India to many importing countries. However, the use of PP in these Indian cars is still low compared to international consumption. However, with the arrival of international automakers such as Volkswagen, the consumption will increase dramatically from about 35 kg today to 55 kg.

The rise in crude oil prices is a challenge for the industry. The price of PP is directly related to the price of crude oil. If the price of PP keeps rising, its cost advantage will be lost. This will prompt the automotive industry or other industries to find more economical materials for the manufacture of auto parts. The volatility of crude oil prices is one of the most concerned issues for auto OEMs. The 2008 financial crisis proved this. In 2010, the price of crude oil changed as a roller coaster, rising from 74 US dollars per barrel of crude oil in January to 85 dollars in April, then fell again to 78 dollars in June, and began to rise again in August.

As we all know, some big auto companies such as Volkswagen, General Motors and BMW are using some advanced PPs to meet the stringent safety and environmental requirements of the company. Although these requirements are not entirely mandatory at present, in India, this is likely to become a mandatory requirement in the future. That is, adoption of advanced PP will become a mandatory requirement for manufacturers. This may further increase the cost of PP used in Indian buses in the future.

The Indian government provides practical support and benefits for the industry by encouraging the plastics industry to develop new technologies. The Planning Commission of India has approved the establishment of the country's first Advanced Plastics Processing Technology Center (APPTC), which will be established along the coast of Orissa, India. According to Indian officials, the authoritative organization CIPET of India will supervise the project according to the instructions of the Ministry of Chemicals and Petrochemicals of the Indian government. About 70% of Orissa’s plastics industry company is located in and around Belasore, which is why the Indian government decided to set up a technology center in the coastal area. In this plan, the government of Orissa agreed to share 50% of the cost and provide land for the construction of the APPTC.

With the deepening of India’s economic globalization, India is also eager to develop export markets while developing the domestic market. According to calculations by the Indian government, more than 100 plastic processing plants and "plastic parks" will be built here in the next few years. Srikant Jena, Minister of Chemicals and Chemical Fertilizers, recently stated that the technology center will meet the increasing demand for technical personnel in the plastics industry. In fact, APPTC will supplement the shortage of high-skilled personnel in eastern parts of Orissa by implementing various time-long plastics processing technology training programs.

Another attractive point is that it is easy to obtain the raw materials needed by the plastics industry in the Balasore area so as to ensure sustainable development. At the same time, in the neighboring port Paradeep, a petrochemical complex is also under construction and developed by the Indian oil company.

India's economic growth driven by consumption has also contributed to the domestic plastic mold and machinery equipment industry. According to Luo Baihui, head of the International Die & Metals and Plastics Industry Suppliers Association, India's Rajoo Engineers' molds for the manufacture of daily consumer goods have benefited from strong consumer spending. RajooEngineers President Sunil Jain (Member of the All India Plastics Manufacturers Association's Mechanical, Mould and Tools Committee**) has been urging Indian industry to develop export markets aggressively because the financial crisis has caused major damage to major competitors in the United States, Europe, Japan and South Korea. .

Thanks to the strong growth in the plastics industry, Indian machines and moulds have a competitive advantage because they are cheap, although many critics say that these products are not as advanced as similar products in Western countries. However, Luo Baihui believes that this is an excellent opportunity for India to promote its products in the international market, especially in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. On the other hand, the increase in Indian polymer consumption will also be accompanied by an increase in the demand for applicable machinery and raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products. From 2009 to 2011, approximately 30,000 sets of new plastic processing equipment will be needed, with an estimated investment of 95. One hundred million U.S. dollars.

Foreign suppliers of various plastics machinery are also benefiting from the strong growth of India's plastics industry. Bernd Steinruecke, president of the Indian-German Chamber of Commerce in Mumbai, said that India is a "very promising" market for foreign machinery suppliers. The Indian plastics market is growing, and demand for other plastics-related industries such as automotive, aerospace, and telecommunications will also grow, and the demand for plastic molds and machinery will be even greater.

Prior to the financial crisis in 2008, the plastics industry in Malaysia was extremely optimistic about its future growth. However, due to the global economic downturn, the Malaysian plastics industry suffered a sudden blow and total revenue dropped by as much as 10%. In 2009, it dropped to just over $4.9 billion. In 2010, the Malaysian Plastics Industry Association (MPMA) predicted that the industry would grow moderately and sales would basically reach US$5.32 billion, close to the pre-crisis level. Malaysian plastics companies and MPMA hope to greatly promote the development of the industry through exports. In addition, they also hope that the government's incentive measures will also enable mature, pioneering companies to develop their own rich natural petrochemical resources.

According to Luo Baihui, there are approximately 1,500 companies in Malaysia engaged in plastics production and processing. Small and medium-sized enterprises are the main force in the domestic plastics processing industry. Polymer production in Malaysia reached 1.8 million tons in 2009, mainly PE, PP, PVC and PS. They also produce ABS and PET. About 80% of the polymers produced are used domestically. However, in 2009, consumption was 1.7 million tons, which was 4% lower than the previous year. The decrease in consumption was due to the economic downturn, which was mainly caused by the slump in the automotive and electrical appliances and electronics industries.

Malaysia is a trading nation that mainly depends on exports. The country is also worried about low-cost production in China recently, and is worried that China will become a major competitor. In the past 10 years, the growth rate of plastics exports in Malaysia has been between 15% and 20%, and the share of the plastics industry in total industrial income has increased from 40% in the late 1990s to 60% today, although In the global economic downturn in 2008, it temporarily fell by 11%.

According to Mohd. Sabri Ab. Rahman, Malaysian trade commissioner in Frankfurt, Germany, the main application areas for Malaysian exports of plastics are soft films, sheets, bags, bottles and containers, mostly exported to the European Union, the United States, Japan and China. Singapore is also becoming an important export market for plastics in Malaysia.

In an interview, Sabri pointed out that according to the data of MPMA, it is expected that the Malaysian plastics industry's exports will further increase by 14%, and in 2010 will exceed 3 billion US dollars, reaching the level before the 2008 crisis. Malaysia's plastics imports fell to US$1.774 billion in 2009, a decrease of 9.3% compared to 2008.

Development of pharmaceutical plastics with its own advantages Malaysia's Ministry of Industry Development (MIDA), the investment arm of Malaysia, recently stated that it has found that the medical device industry has "extremely promising prospects." In 2009, the industry's turnover reached approximately $626 million. It is expected that sales will further increase significantly, and it is likely to reach 720 million U.S. dollars in 2011.

Malaysia supplies 80% of the global demand for medical catheters and 60% of the global surgical and inspection gloves market. Although gloves are mainly made of rubber, the current trend of development is to shift to plastics, especially for high-value medical gloves, sutures, surgical instruments, medical hoses and bags. About 180 local medical device manufacturing companies manufacture surgical gloves and examination gloves.

In addition, an increasing number of OEM suppliers manufacture plastic body panels, engine parts and electrical appliances, electronic components, and other automotive products in plastic. The 2009 MIDA transportation industry study shows that Malaysia is the largest car market in the ASEAN (Southeast Asian Union) region and has two OEM companies, namely Proton and Parodus. In addition, international automobile companies such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, BMW and Peugeot also have manufacturing facilities in Malaysia. Local OEM manufacturers include APM Automotive, Sepura and Delloyd.

Malaysia's large number of manufacturing companies are located in more than 200 industrial parks. With the support of the government, 13 Free Industry Zones (FIZ) are still under development. The petrochemical industry has three major parks, including Kerlith in Terengganu State, Gebeng in Pahang State, and Pasir Gudang/Tanjung in Johor State. Luo Baihui, head of the International Mould, Hardware and Plastics Industry Suppliers Association, said that the Malaysian plastics industry has been growing at an "astounding rate." This is a good development opportunity for the Malaysian plastic mold industry. The Malaysian processors are very interested in high-precision mold technology. They cannot compete with China, so they focus on high-value products. This is the route chosen by Malaysia, which is why Malaysian buyers are looking for high-tech products and suppliers. Although Malaysia's plastics industry has developed good technical and policy support, Malaysian plastic processors still face numerous challenges, such as rising raw material costs, high costs of electricity, packaging materials and transportation, and these high costs are difficult to pass on to consumers. For small and medium-sized enterprises, these challenges will always exist. In view of this, the development trend of these companies will be to cooperate with multinational companies for mergers and acquisitions.