SHANA � The 12th edition of IranPlast International Exhibition started in Tehran in a ceremony held in the presence of Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zanganeh.

Themed at �the Boom in the global business of plastic industry�, the event is being held with 665 Iranian and foreign companies from as many as 35 countries including Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Cyprus, Belgium, Serbia, Thailand, Greece, India, Netherlands, Turkey, China, Taiwan and South Korea.

Iranian and foreign petrochemical producers, industrialists, businesspersons and delegations are expected to flock the 4-day annual showcase to hunt out opportunities for their businesses.

Completion of the petrochemical value-chain, technology transfer, diversification of the finished items, finding and bonding with partners and investors, marketing and tapping new export markets for petrochemical, polymer and end-user items, machinery, equipment and services are some of the main objectives sought by holding the showcase.

This year's IranPlast is outstanding given the growing value of FOREX which makes exports more palatable for industrialists and imposition of crippling sanctions on Tehran's oil sector by the White House which offers room to petrochemical exporters to enhance their exports. Therefore, a new record in the number of exhibitors and participants at the expo is expected this year.

So far, 15 industrial and business delegations from 13 countries have finalized their applications to attend the fair. The delegations are from such countries as Iraq (two delegations), Azerbaijan (two delegations), Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Turkey, India, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Vietnam, Lebanon and Kenya.

Visitors from UAE, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Armenia, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Russia, Kuwait, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Italy, France, Germany, Romania, Spain, Croatia, Colombia , Canada, etc. have finalized their presence in the 12th IranPlast Showcase.

Moreover, officials from 4 leading petrochemical and plastics exhibitions from Germany's K Fair, Italy's Milan Plast, Arab Plast and Afghan Plast are scheduled to visit the fair which will be held at Tehran's permanent fairgrounds in four sections (raw materials, finished and semi-finished goods, machinery, equipment and services).