Chinese firms dominate at Aluminium Mideast trade fair

DUBAI -- Dozens of aluminum-related firms from China attended the biennial Aluminium Middle East trade fair which began here Tuesday.

With construction projects worth over $4 trillion in the pipeline or on the drawing board, production of aluminum outpaces demand in the Middle East, attracting 34 Chinese firms at the three-day trade fair.

China's biggest producer of aluminum processing machines CNPT from Luoyang, Henan Province, has been exhibiting for the third time this year. "But we are still looking for customers in the Gulf Arab countries. The market is very competitive," said Chu Jianhua, director of international business at CNPT.

Chu added that CNPT tries to convince potential clients with China's long-term experience in designing processing solutions.

In China, CNPT has a market share of 95 percent and is exporting its machines to 16 countries, among them Turkey and Iran.

According to the fair's organizers Reed Exhibitions, the six Gulf countries, namely Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman, will increase their aluminium production capacity by 40 percent to reach 5 million metric tons by 2014.

While the Gulf states have to import aluminium oxide, the basis for raw aluminium from Australia and Latin America, China has ample aluminum oxide beneath its own soil. Shanghai Taiyu Aluminum, which produces alu-moulds, exhibits for the first time at the fair.

"We are optimistic to find new customers, and if we do so we might open a branch in the region," said Christopher Xu, regional sales manager of Yoto, a producer of aluminium end products based in China's Zhengzhou.

Charles Lee, international sales manager at Yoto, said "We consider to establish an office either in Jebel Ali near Dubai's free port or near the Dragon Mart, the biggest mall for Chinese products in the Middle East."

The Aluminium Middle East 2013 runs through Thursday.