Iran Plast 2025 kicks off in Tehran, attracting global plastics industry players

IRAN – The 19th edition of Iran Plast, one of the Middle East’s largest exhibitions for plastics and petrochemicals, opens at Tehran’s Permanent International Fairgrounds.

The event draws senior officials, petrochemical executives, and business leaders from across the globe, running until September 10.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Hassan Abbaszadeh, managing director of the National Petrochemical Company (NPC), alongside top officials from Iran’s Oil Ministry and industry representatives.

Organizers said more than 700 Iranian companies and 67 international firms are participating, reflecting the sector’s resilience despite global trade headwinds and sanctions-related challenges.

Foreign participation remains a key highlight. This year, 49 companies are directly from China and India, underscoring the two countries’ strengthening trade ties with Iran in petrochemicals and plastics.

Another 18 companies are represented through local partners, spanning South Korea, Taiwan, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Turkey.

Delegations from 18 countries, including Russia, China, Turkey, South Africa, Iraq, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, are also attending, holding B2B meetings with Iranian firms to explore partnerships in raw materials supply, equipment, and downstream plastic applications.

The exhibition is structured around three major categories: raw material suppliers occupy halls 5 through 9 and 27; machinery and equipment are displayed in halls 38, 38A, and 38B; while finished and semi-finished petrochemical products are showcased in halls 18, 31, 35, 40, 41, and 44.

Iran Plast has grown steadily since its inception in 2002, serving as a key platform for showcasing innovations in plastics, rubber, and polymer industries.

With Iran possessing one of the world’s largest proven reserves of natural gas, crucial for petrochemical feedstocks, the country has positioned its downstream industries as an economic diversification strategy beyond crude oil exports.

Analysts note that the exhibition provides Tehran an opportunity to demonstrate its industrial capacity, attract foreign technology partners, and strengthen regional supply chain networks.

For international companies, Iran Plast offers access to a market of nearly 90 million people, along with a gateway to neighboring countries in Central Asia and the Middle East.

Despite ongoing geopolitical challenges, the event highlights Iran’s ambition to be a regional hub for plastics manufacturing and innovation.

Industry watchers say collaborations forged here could shape future trade flows, especially as demand for packaging, automotive components, and construction materials continues to rise across the region.

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