International buyers are driving business activity at the 137th China Import and Export Fair, with veteran attendees expanding orders and newcomers discovering competitive Chinese products, injecting fresh momentum into global trade recovery.
Also known as the Canton Fair, the expo kicked off on Tuesday, with the number of export exhibitors exceeding 30,000 for the first time in the history of this famous event.
Scheduled to take place from April 15 till May 5 in the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou, this edition of the fair has attracted more than 200,000 overseas buyers from 215 countries and regions.
Jordanian businessman Arafat is a veteran who has participated in over 50 editions of the fair. Following his successful acquisition of water tankers from a Chinese partner last year, he is now on course to finalize a 500,000 U.S.-dollar deal for innovative energy buses made in China.
Arafat revealed that his company aims to boost the procurement of Chinese vehicles and machinery by up to 30 percent this year.
"Chinese buses offer outstanding cost-performance ratio. Compared with similar models, they deliver excellent performance at very competitive prices, truly worth every penny," he said.
Meanwhile, the manufacturing company's sales director underscored China's impressive foreign trade growth, pointing to its continued expansion and strong upward momentum in recent years.
"Our foreign trade has maintained strong growth momentum since 2023, with annual expansion rates consistently exceeding 25 percent through 2025," said sales director Zhu Meili.
Akash from India is attending the Canton Fair for the first time. He expressed excitement about exploring consumer electronics to boost business opportunities in his home country.
"I'm feeling so excited. I'm looking for consumer electronics, as we know that consumer electronics (have many business opportunities right now) in the market. So that's the reason we want to explore a few different electronic gadgets to make market in my country," Akash said.
Bekzat from Kazakhstan praised the exceptional quality and affordability of Chinese products, calling the Canton Fair one of the greatest platforms for global trade.
"The Chinese products are one of the best qualities and the prices are, like the demanded prices are really affordable. That's why we are here. I think the Canton Fair is one of the greatest inventions right now," he said. Established in 1957, the Canton Fair is held twice a year in Guangzhou. It is the longest-running of several comprehensive international trade events in China and has been hailed as the barometer of China's foreign trade.
Global buyers flock to China's biggest trade fair, driving major deals on Chinese goods
