A business delegation to Germany, comprising 13 Malaysian companies from the plastic and rubber product sectors, has identified RM20.4 million in potential sales in original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and contract manufacturing projects.

The projects were identified during the companies' eight-day participation in K 2010 –- the world's largest international trade fair for plastics and rubber industries -– from 27 Oct. to 3 Nov. in Dusseldorf, Germany, said Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) in a statement on 22 Nov. 2010.

Matrade chief executive officer Datuk Noharuddin Nordin said the demand for plastics and rubber products from Germany was huge and Malaysian companies are ideally placed to supply their requirements for value-added and highly engineered products and components.

"Although it is a huge market with vast opportunities for Malaysian plastics and rubber companies to explore, Germany and other European Union (EU) countries are challenging markets and Malaysian companies need to continue to invest in innovation and value-added attributes to convince these markets to move their OEM and contract manufacturing requirements to Malaysian sources,? he added.

Malaysian plastics and rubber products sought by German buyers included natural and recycled rubber, plastics and rubber parts, stretch film, plastic water handles and precision products.

(Syed Rashid Ali, Karachi, Pakistan)