Preparations for Asean Ceramics 2013 in full swing

Asean Ceramics 2013, to be held from 11 to 13 September at BITEC, International Exhibition Centre in Bangkok (Thailand), is an international exhibition of technologies and raw materials for the ceramic and brick industries and an important meeting point for the Southeast Asian ceramic industry. Organised by Asian Exhibition Services Ltd, the biennial event will also host an international conference promoted by the Materials Technology Centre (MTEC) and the Thai Ceramic Society with the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology, where around thirty internationally acclaimed experts will discuss progress in research into new ceramic materials. Thanks to Bangkok's strategic geographical position, Asean Ceramics will attract visitors from all the Asian ceramic producing countries, including Malaysia, India, Singapore, China, Japan, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea and Taiwan.

The ASEAN area (Association of South East Asian Nations), which as of 2015 will become an integrated economic community, is made up of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Brunei and Laos. It has a collective population of 610 million and an economy that grew at an average annual rate of 21.4% between 2000 and 2010, with total trade exceeding US $ 1,400 billion, including US $ 300 billion trade with China.

Ceramic production and consumption are also expanding. Thailand has an annual production of around 194 million sq.m of tiles, 7.31 million pieces of sanitaryware and 295 million pieces of tableware. Vietnam produced 447 million sq.m of tiles and 12 million pieces of sanitaryware in 2012. Indonesia has also already exceeded 300 million sq.m/year of tile production, while Malaysia produces 82 million sq.m of tiles, 13 million pieces of tableware and 3.2 million pieces of sanitaryware.