Polyplex said it has held up an expansion project for PET film, metalized film and PET chips.

Nevertheless, Polyplex is planning a US$19.44 million (132.74 million yuan) investment in a new silicone coating line. The Bangkok-based company will decide in the next few months whether the equipment will go to existing Polyplex plants in Thailand or Turkey.

The company already has a similar coating line at its Polyplex Corp. Ltd. plant in India.

The company also is investing US$17.2 million (117.46 million yuan) in a cast polypropylene project in Thailand. Polyplex said it has arranged financing for the project, and machinery is arriving this month.

The project will have capacity to make 15,600 metric tons a year of plain and metalized PP film.

Polyplex also said it expects to start trading in China by the third quarter of this year or early next year. It is investing close to US$1 million (6.83 million yuan) on setting up the China operation. Polyplex plans to take advantage of a reduction in duties on polyester films imported from Thailand to China under the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement.