Beyond Price: Building Long-Term Trust in the South Asian Plastics Machinery Market
Many people assume that customers in South Asia are highly price-sensitive and difficult to work with due to strict payment terms. This perception is common in the plastics machinery industry. However, our recent experience tells a very different story.
What customers truly care about is not just price, but reliability. They want to know whether the supplier can be trusted, whether the technical team is professional, and whether problems will be handled quickly and responsibly.
When we first entered the plastics machinery industry, several experienced colleagues advised us to be cautious about developing the South Asian market. Despite these concerns, we soon began working with a state-owned enterprise in Bangladesh. The project was carried out under 100% payment by letter of credit, and throughout the cooperation, the customer demonstrated a high level of professionalism and trust. Price was never the only deciding factor.
Over time, this customer placed three separate orders for HDPE pipe production lines. To ensure stable operation and long-term performance of the equipment, our technical team visited the customer’s factory multiple times for on-site installation, commissioning, and technical support.
Today, our relationship has grown far beyond a simple buyer–supplier arrangement. It is a long-term partnership built on mutual trust, technical competence, and consistent communication. Along the way, we have also developed a genuine friendship.
After many years in the plastics machinery industry, we have learned an important lesson: making quick assumptions about a market or customer type can cause companies to miss valuable and lasting opportunities. In international cooperation, professionalism, responsibility, and trust will always matter more than stereotypes.
