Global buyers flock to China's biggest trade fair, driving major deals on Chinese goods

China

Global buyers flock to China's biggest trade fair, driving major deals on Chinese goods

2025-04-15 17:07 Last Updated At：04-16 00:27

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.

Venezuelan acting president calls for national unity amid complex situation

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday that the country is at a critical stage and must achieve national unity, emphasizing that maintaining internal cohesion is of utmost importance.

In a televised address, Rodriguez called on the public to continue trusting the government under the current highly complex political circumstances.

Her statement comes in the wake of a January 3 military operation conducted by the United States, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and flown out of the country.

The operation resulted in at least 100 fatalities.

Rodriguez, who was sworn in as acting president two days later on January 5, framed her appeal for unity against this backdrop of external intervention.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez denounced the U.S. actions as a "war crime of the 21st century" when speaking at an international cultural event on Sunday.

Nanez condemned not only the January 3 airstrikes but also the associated cyber and electromagnetic attacks.

He accused the United States of violating international law through the forced removal of President Maduro and his wife, while attacks on civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, represent a flagrant breach of humanitarian norms.

He reiterated that the stigmatization and military attacks against Venezuela are driven by economic interests, particularly the desire to control its abundant natural resources.