The United States has consistently secured the top ranking in terms of exhibition area at six of the seven China International Import Expos(CIIE), demonstrating the strong enthusiasm of U.S. businesses for the Chinese market.
At the exhibition booth of American Food and Agriculture, which opened on Wednesday as part of the U.S. national pavilion, U.S. diplomats have been instrumental in bridging the gap between American exhibitors and Chinese buyers.
"So we have wines from California, we have these spirits here. We also have American beef, pork, poultry, potatoes, rice, dry beans and lentils. We also have some companies from the state of Washington and the state of Idaho. And we also have cotton," said Alexander Blamberg, director of the Agricultural Trade Office of the U.S. Consulate General Shanghai.
"And as you can see, there is a lot of activities here in this pavilion. We have 240 square meters. It's much bigger than last year," said Allan Gabor, chair of the chamber of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, or AmCham Shanghai.
Last year, AmCham Shanghai and the U.S. Department of Agriculture set up this first ever official booth of the U.S. government at the 6th CIIE.
The booth has expanded this year, witnessing the signing of agreements valuing over 600 million U.S. dollars on its first day, which is already topping last year's scale.
"The total value of contracts is far more than 500 million U.S. dollars now, so we are very encouraged. The CIIE is a unique platform. It's very high-profile and efficient. So we have organized a larger exhibition this year, with more companies here. Of course, we hope for better performance this year," said Eric Zheng, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.
Jason Hafemeister, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs of the Department of Agriculture, noted at a roundtable press conference on Wednesday that China and the U.S. enjoy huge potential and promising prospects in bilateral agricultural cooperation.
"China has a large population. It has a growing economy. We helped facilitate a number of business deals between buyers and sellers. It's a great event because it brings so many buyers in one place here in China. So, where there's business to be done, we want to be part of it," he said.
"The success for ConocoPhillips here in China was thanks to the opening up and reform policies. And also, I think it has laid a foundation for China's success, and why it's such a strong and wonderful economic country today. China is opening the door wider and wider for participation and representation, and we are very encouraged to see that and we want to be a part [of it]," said Markel Hubinette, president of ConocoPhillips China.
"The Chinese market is one of our most important strategic markets in the world. In addition to the plants built in Suzhou and Changsha in 1998, the research and development center built in Shanghai in 2020, we have established an investment services delivery center in Dalian this year. These three bases combine to demonstrate our strong confidence in the Chinese market," said Cai Menghong, general manager of Herbalife China.
Themed "New Era, Shared Future", the 7th CIIE runs from Tuesday to Sunday. It has the participation of 77 countries and international organizations in national pavilions, and nearly 3,500 exhibitors from 129 countries and regions in the business exhibition.
As the world's first national-level import-themed expo, the CIIE is held annually at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai.
Since its first edition in 2018, this expo has become an important stage spotlighting China's new development paradigm, a platform for high-level opening-up and a public good for the whole world.
U.S. companies embrace CIIE opportunities with largest exhibition area
