As the global flooring industry navigates an increasingly complex business environment shaped by geopolitical shifts, evolving trade regulations, sustainability requirements, and rising quality expectations, independent quality assurance has become more important than ever. Manufacturers, distributors, and buyers are under growing pressure to ensure product consistency, regulatory compliance, and supply chain reliability while remaining competitive in international markets.
Against this backdrop, DOMOTEX Asia/CHINAFLOOR 2026 once again demonstrated its role as one of the world’s leading flooring exhibitions, bringing together key industry stakeholders from across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Oceania, and the Americas. The event provided a valuable platform for market intelligence, networking, business development, and discussions about the future of the global flooring sector.
During the exhibition, MENA Covering spoke with Mrs. Arezoo Sharifi, Marketing Director at IFL, and Mr. Marco Piombo, General Manager at IFL, to discuss the company’s experience at the show, emerging trends in China and Southeast Asia, the growing importance of quality assurance, and why independent inspection, testing, and auditing services are becoming increasingly critical for flooring manufacturers and buyers worldwide.
How do you evaluate DOMOTEX Asia/CHINAFLOOR 2026 overall?
Arezoo : From IFL’s perspective, DOMOTEX Asia/CHINAFLOOR 2026 once again confirmed its position as one of the most important flooring exhibitions in the world. The event successfully brought together manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, and buyers from across the global flooring industry, creating a valuable platform for business development and knowledge exchange.
This year, we observed particularly strong interest in product quality, compliance, sustainability, and supply chain reliability. Visitors were increasingly focused on technical requirements, certifications, and risk management, reflecting the growing importance of quality assurance in international trade.
The exhibition also provided an excellent opportunity to gain first-hand insights into evolving market trends, customer expectations, and the challenges facing the industry. For IFL, it was encouraging to see quality and compliance increasingly becoming strategic priorities, rather than being viewed solely as operational requirements.
Overall, DOMOTEX Asia/CHINAFLOOR 2026 delivered a dynamic and professional environment that continues to foster innovation, collaboration, and business growth across the flooring sector.
Read more : Beyond Price Wars: How Quality Control Is Reshaping the Global Flooring Supply Chain
How do you assess the current flooring market in China and East Asia?
Marco : The global flooring market is currently facing significant geopolitical and economic uncertainty. Key challenges include evolving trade policies, such as EU anti-dumping duties and US tariffs, as well as increasing regulatory requirements. Furthermore, in the most mature markets, the industry is shifting from a purely volume-driven model to one focused on sustainability, compliance, social responsibility, and value-added manufacturing.
China and Southeast Asia, where the majority of flooring production originates, have been actively adapting to these changes. In this environment, the ability to anticipate emerging trends and respond quickly is becoming increasingly important.
China remains the most mature sourcing destination in terms of quality, cost competitiveness, and supply chain efficiency. However, geopolitical developments and trade measures have encouraged many companies to diversify their sourcing strategies toward Southeast Asia, a trend that continues to accelerate.
Within Southeast Asia, we are seeing production volumes increase as companies diversify their supply chains away from China. Interestingly, Thailand is currently strengthening its position and gaining market share relative to Vietnam.
Looking ahead, the industry faces three major challenges:
- Geopolitical uncertainty and shifting trade policies.
- Increasingly stringent environmental and compliance regulations.
- Rising quality expectations driven by intense market competition.
Companies that can anticipate these changes and adapt quickly will be best positioned for long-term success.
How successful was this year’s exhibition for IFL?
Arezoo : DOMOTEX Asia/CHINAFLOOR 2026 was a highly successful exhibition for IFL. It provided an excellent platform to reconnect with existing clients, strengthen relationships with industry partners, and engage with many new contacts across the global flooring supply chain.
We were particularly encouraged by the strong interest in our inspection, laboratory testing, audit, and quality assurance services. Many of the meetings translated into concrete project discussions, particularly with manufacturers and buyers seeking to strengthen their quality control systems and reduce supply chain risks.
We also noticed a particularly strong presence of visitors from Australia this year, which reflects a market that appears to be becoming increasingly active and showing strong growth potential within the global flooring supply chain.
Beyond the immediate business opportunities generated during the show, the exhibition significantly enhanced IFL’s visibility within the industry and reinforced our position as a trusted independent quality partner.
We are very pleased with the quality of the meetings held and the opportunities identified, and we look forward to further developing these discussions in the months ahead.
Why do flooring manufacturers, distributors, and buyers need IFL’s services?
Marco : Flooring manufacturers, distributors, and buyers need IFL’s services because we provide comprehensive, end-to-end quality control solutions tailored specifically to the flooring industry.
We act as our clients’ trusted quality partner on the ground, ensuring consistency in every shipment. IFL’s services are an insurance policy against risk, as a single major quality issue can jeopardize years of hard-earned success.
Our services cover the entire production lifecycle:
- Audit: We assess factory production and quality management systems, as well as chain-of-custody requirements for critical topics such as EUDR compliance, illegal logging, and social responsibility, including child and forced labor.
- Inspection: We conduct thorough inspections throughout the production process, from raw materials, mid-production, end production and container loading.
- Testing: We perform more than 180 tests according to international standards and can tailor testing programs to meet specific customer requirements.
For manufacturers, we help raise quality standards and improve access to premium international markets. Ultimately, IFL provides peace of mind through independent, flooring-focused quality assurance delivered by an ISO-certified third-party organization.
