Eco-friendly products have enjoyed high popularity at the ongoing Canton Fair in Guangzhou City, south China's Guangdong Province,as more foreign buyers are becoming increasingly focused on sustainability.
The 135th session of China Import and Export Fair, known widely as Canton Fair, is running from April 15 to May 5. Boasting around 74,000 exhibition booths, the fair has attracted buyers from more than 200 countries and regions.
"We're buying here [for] maybe more than 40 years. It's a really big change towards European style -- sustainable. We are Europeans and we're Germans [who] like to make sustainable [products]," said Alfred Gruber, a buyer from Germany.
Over one million new products are on display at this year's fair, and nearly half are categorized as being green and low-carbon.
"The quality is good.I think that this is a country that is looking for the future, and this is the right place to be," said Francesco Albonetti, buyer from Italy.
But expansion is an uphill battle amid weak global demand and ongoing geopolitical tensions. The tariffs imposed by the United States on hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of Chinese imports remain in place, and businesses say they are still paying the price.
"Some countries blocked the Chinese products, so we've been having a little problem at customs. You can see this is my 15th year in China, at the Canton Fair. China is heaven of the business. You can find [the] best suppliers, best factories, best partners, you can find here," said Boyraz Mustafa, a buyer from Türkiye.
"Because of politics, we haven't seen many U.S. clients here. And our European clients are also reducing Chinese orders. But we've seen substantial growth in Southeast Asia and South America. So we are thinking of building factories overseas. Our headquarters will remain in China, because I believe with our strong design capabilities, China remains a top choice for high-end bags," said Li Rongda, general manager of the La Pearl International Ltd.
Despite the challenging conditions, China's foreign trade demonstrated resilience and grew by five percent year on year to reach 1.4 trillion U.S. dollars in the first quarter, the fastest pace in nearly two years.
"Chinese manufacturing has become very advanced thanks to decades of accumulated experience in technologies, market understanding, and management practices," said Chen Zhuming, professor of the College of Management of the Sun Yat-sen University.
Launched in 1957, the Canton Fair is held twice a year with spring and autumn sessions. The long-running exhibition is widely seen as a barometer of China's trade.
Eco-friendly products grow in popularity at Canton Fair as more businesses go green
