The 16th International Plastic Products Fair is scheduled to start tomorrow (Wednesday), with a four-day residency at the International Convention City, Bashundhara (ICCB) in the capital.

Shamim Ahmed, president of Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BPGMEA) disclosed details of the event at a press conference held on Monday.

Shamim said that there would be 961 stalls by 654 companies, the majority of them based abroad, at the fair.

Minister of Industries Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun will inaugurate the fair.

Different types of plastic products and modern equipment required for the production of plastic products will be displayed at the fair.

At the press conference, the president of BPGMEA said, 654 local and foreign companies involved in producing and supplying plastic sector machinery, moulds, and raw materials will participate in the fair.

Some 800 of the stalls will be by 600 companies coming from 20 different countries, while the remaining 161 will be spread among 54 domestic companies. Participants at the fair are divided into 15 categories. These include household products, crockery, packaging materials, plastic moulds, toys, pharmaceuticals, furniture, melamine, ready-made clothing materials, PP oven bags, automobiles and electric and electronic products.

The BPGMEA leader said that currently, plastic products are in 12th position on the list of export-earning industries.

In the 2021-2022 fiscal, plastic products worth USD $166 million crore were exported from Bangladesh. In the last fiscal 2022-2023, the figure grew appreciably to $210 million. The growth of over 26 percent year-on-year bodes well for the industry's upward trend.

Currently, plastic products made in Bangladesh are being exported to 126 countries of the world including the USA, Canada, and the European Union.

The press conference was also attended by former BPGMEA president of ASM Kamal Uddin, and other leaders of the industry.