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#Yarn & Fiber

Optimism in the air, as antibacterial and sustainable products sought after at last week’s Yarn Expo Spring

© 2021 Messe Frankfurt
The industry warmly welcomed the return of Yarn Expo Spring last week, amidst a backdrop of optimism for the domestic market’s recovery and forecast. 387 exhibitors from six countries and regions joined the fair, whilst 21,204 visitors gathered to source at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). Once again, the fair provided a series of digital options for those unable to travel to Shanghai, enhancing sourcing options and business results for all participants.

This edition, fairgoers reported an increased popularity for hygiene, anti-bacterial and sustainable products, aligning with current trends that have been propelled forward by the pandemic. Notably, many suppliers used the fair as a platform to introduce some of these latest inspirational products to the market, giving credit to its reputation for promoting innovation and development.

Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd commented after the conclusion of the fair: “We are proud that Yarn Expo has managed to support the industry throughout the pandemic, with two editions taking place in 2020, preceding last week’s Spring Edition. Despite the disruptions to the supply chain over the past year, with the domestic market steadily regaining momentum, the industry can look ahead with some confidence.”

She continued: “What has been evident at this edition is the optimism of participants. Exhibitors have noted the potential presented by pandemic-related products such as PPE and the increased demand for more sustainable, hygienic and innovative products which is set to remain in the long-term. Accompanied by feelings of continued strength in China’s recovery, hopes are high for the future of the market”.

To conclude, Ms Wen added: “Lastly, we are glad to have again been able to engage both domestic and international companies through our online services and hybrid exhibition packages. And now as we look ahead to the Autumn Edition, we hope to welcome more overseas participants, in person.”

Exhibitors’ experiences

“Yarn Expo is a leading trade fair in the industry and is an ideal platform to exchange the latest market information, to promote business interactions and meet potential new customers. In terms of products, we are focusing on anti-bacterial and lyocell products as people are now concentrated on leading healthy lifestyles due to the pandemic. I think consumer market trends will focus on health, safety, sustainability and convenience.”

Mr Simon Huang, Vice President, Commercial, Sateri, China

“We participate in this fair every year and at this edition we have met many new and existing customers. We are showcasing new products to try and stay connected with the market and to attract new customers. Due to the vaccination progress in China and the benefit of the current price trend of raw materials, I think the future of the yarn market is promising.”

Mr Wang Tao, Sales Manager, Zhejiang Huzhou Weida Group Co Ltd, China

“Although our business was affected by the pandemic in the first half of last year, there was significant recovery in the second half which reflected the market circumstances as well. At this edition, we have received a lot of enquires about our organic cotton and have met with a great number of new customers, the visitor flow has been higher than last year.”

Mr Kyle Guo, Senior Executive, Yarn, Texperts India Pvt Ltd, India

“We meet lots of new customers at Yarn Expo, which is why we have exhibited at the fair for many years and at this edition the visitor flow is high. We are confident that there will be many more business opportunities once the pandemic is stable, among them, organic and renewable products will be more popular in the market.”

Ms Huang Shao Ting, Operational Manager, Xiamen Naseem Trade Co Ltd, Pakistan

“Our company has exhibited at the fair at least 20 times, it is great for brand promotion and our theme this year is environmental protection. Since the pandemic, there has also been more interest in antimicrobial and protective products. The fair’s online platform is useful and aligns with the growth of online communication within the industry worldwide. We expect the market rebound will continue to strengthen this year.”

Mr Forest Chu, Deputy General Manager of Brand Operation, Jiangsu Shenghong Science and Technology Corp Ltd, China

“The demand for functional, environmentally friendly and organic products is relatively high now. The business for traditional cotton products has been particularly good recently, especially the demand for high-end products in China is very high. After the pandemic, there has been more demand for healthy, environmentally friendly and antibacterial products. After the launch of the vaccine, people’s confidence in the market recovery has increased, and we believe consumption will increase too.”

Ms Shaoping Li, Senior Manager, China Supply Chain, Marketing – Yarns and Home Textiles, Cotton Council International, USA



Buyers’ observations 

© 2021 Messe Frankfurt
© 2021 Messe Frankfurt



“We often participate at Yarn Expo which is an ideal platform for sourcing. Our main purpose is to keep in touch with our existing suppliers and to meet more new exhibitors. We appreciate the chance to network at this fair and the overall result has been positive with an increased visitor flow from last year.”

Mr Yan, Sales Manager, Zhejiang Henglan Technology Co Ltd, China

“Yarn Expo is an effective and one-stop sourcing platform and we’ve joined to meet existing and new customers. The concurrent fairs are beneficial as together, they cover a wide range of products, from raw materials like cotton yarn to garments. We are optimistic about our business and market forecast as we have experienced a steady growth in orders in the last few months. All in all, I think this fair is very successful and we can see the potential and positivity in the market.”

Mr Daniel Yang, Business Manager, Shanxi Qinyuan Textile Co Ltd, China 

“This is the first time we have joined Yarn Expo and the quantity and quality of exhibitors are higher than I expected. Our aim is to meet some upstream and downstream customers here and we are following market trends to focus on sourcing environmentally-friendly and anti-bacterial materials which have gained popularity recently. Although the pandemic has impacted international participation, there are still some foreign exhibitors present. I am confident about the future prospects of the market.”

Ms Lu Jingxiang, Director, Changshu Runfa Textile Co Ltd, China

Yarn Expo Spring took place alongside Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition, PH Value and CHIC. The next edition of the fair, Yarn Expo Autumn, will take place from 25 – 27 August 2021, once again at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) alongside the four concurrent fairs.

Yarn Expo Spring is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT.  For further information, please visit: www.yarn-expo-spring.com. To find out more about all Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide, please visit:

http://texpertise-network.messefrankfurt.com.



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