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Overseas Buyers Expected to Attend with Stable Quantity and Improved Quality
On October 10th, the Ministry of Commerce held a special press conference for the 136th China Import and Export Fair (hereinafter referred to as "Canton Fair"). According to information from the Canton Fair News Center, this session of the Canton Fair will be held in Guangzhou from October 15th to November 4th in three phases, with the online platform continuing its regular operation.
Chu Shijia, Director of the China Foreign Trade Center under the Ministry of Commerce, stated at the press conference that the 136th Canton Fair, themed "Serving High-Quality Development, Promoting High-Level Opening Up," features higher exhibition quality, greater business attraction efforts, better integration of online and offline, and an improved service experience. The three phases of this Canton Fair focus on themes such as "Advanced Manufacturing," "Quality Home Furnishings," and "Beautiful Life." Over 30,000 companies are participating in the offline exhibition, with approximately 29,400 export-oriented companies, an increase of nearly 800 compared to the previous session. At the same time, more than 8,000 companies with titles such as National High-Tech, Specialized and New Small Giants, and Manufacturing Single Champions, representing a growth of over 40% compared to the previous session. Additionally, the Canton Fair introduced a virtual digital person for the first time and launched a new Canton Fair APP.
Regarding the attendance of foreign buyers at this Canton Fair, Chu Shijia indicated that the 135th Canton Fair attracted nearly 250,000 foreign buyers, setting a historical record. Currently, judging by indicators such as the pre-registration volume of foreign buyers, hotel bookings, and flight booking rates, the 136th Canton Fair is expected to see a "stable quantity and improved quality" of foreign buyers attending.
Data shows that as of October 9th, 125,000 foreign buyers have pre-registered. Among them, countries participating in the "Belt and Road" initiative account for 75.7%, BRICS countries for 20%, OECD member countries for 17.7%, RCEP member countries for 16.4%, Middle Eastern countries for 13.4%, and Western countries for 12.5%. In terms of industry categories, foreign buyers pre-registered in electronics and home appliances, machinery, textiles and garments, daily consumer goods, building materials, and other industries are at the forefront. Additionally, 223 of the top 250 global retailers and major merchants from various countries and regions have confirmed their participation in the group, a 24% increase compared to the same period of the previous session, with an expected first-time breakthrough of over 300 major merchants attending this session.
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Chu Shijia believes that foreign buyers crossing oceans and coming from afar to the Canton Fair reflects the global business community's trust in Chinese products and confidence in China's economy.
Xiao Lu, Deputy Director of the Foreign Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce, responded to the foreign trade operation situation of our country from January to August this year at the meeting. Xiao Lu stated that since the beginning of this year, China's foreign trade has been generally stable and progressive, showing strong resilience and vitality, with characteristics of historical high scale, more diversified international markets, and accelerated release of new trade dynamics. Among them, from January to August, the import and export of goods amounted to 28.6 trillion yuan, a year-on-year (same below) increase of 6%, and an increase of over 40% compared to the same period before the epidemic (2019); from January to August, emerging markets accounted for 64.6% of the total import and export, with imports and exports to ASEAN and countries participating in the "Belt and Road" initiative increasing by 10% and 7% respectively; new energy vehicles produced in China have been exported to more than 170 countries and regions; cross-border e-commerce has developed rapidly, with more than 120,000 operating entities, and the product categories and service functions of cross-border e-commerce platforms are also further expanding.
Xiao Lu believes that at present, the external environment faced by China's foreign trade is more complex and severe, with the impact of geopolitical and trade protection still ongoing, and the number of uncertain and unstable factors has significantly increased. However, at the same time, the basic situation of China's economic development has not changed, and there is still confidence in the work for the next stage.
Xiao Lu further explained that the confidence comes from three aspects. First, the overall global trade is in the process of recovery, and international organizations generally predict that the global trade demand will maintain a growth trend in 2025. Second, China's comprehensive competitiveness in foreign trade is continuously improving. We have a solid manufacturing foundation, diverse market layout, flexible business models, accelerating greening and digitalization processes, and an increasing number of free trade agreement partners, all of which will continue to contribute new increments. Third, China has ample policy space. Next, China will release more dividends of opening up, bringing broader market opportunities for trade partners and jointly promoting the prosperity and development of global trade.
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