Many overseas buyers at the Canton Fair have expressed their desire to strengthen cooperation with Chinese companies, with large numbers of orders already agreed to at the ongoing biannual trade event.
The 137th Canton Fair, officially the China Import and Export Fair, kicked off its second phase on Wednesday, showcasing an extensive range of home life products.
A representative for a furniture company exhibiting at the fair emphasized that they first successfully opened up to the European and U.S. markets through the Canton Fair around ten years ago. Now, with the U.S. market in flux due to tariff policies, the company is again using the fair as a platform to adjust its market layout and has already received immense interest from new customers.
"Today, many exhibitors from the UK, France, Germany, the Middle East, and Africa came to our booth. People from all over the world came to China and the Canton Fair, so we are full of confidence," said Mou Shuangsheng, the company representative.
Some overseas buyers are attending the Canton Fair for the first time, with many deeply impressed by the products and scale.
"I feel super good, it's the biggest fair I know in my life and it's very good for the product. I come here to buy the items, to use for the spices and for the tea. I'm looking for the other products. We are (keeping our) mind open for business," said a French merchant.
Other overseas buyers said that they come to the Canton Fair every year, stressing that Chinese suppliers have become important partners.
"It's a very important fair for us. We come every year. we have important suppliers in this fair. We are investing heavily in new collections, so it's a very important country for us for sourcing," said a Brazilian merchant.
The 137th fair is divided into three phases: the first, running from April 15-19, focuses on advanced manufacturing; the second, from April 23-27, focuses on quality home furnishings; and the third, from May 1-5, on products that promote a better quality of life.
The Canton Fair spans 1.55 million square meters of exhibition areas, with about 74,000 booths, including nearly 73,000 for exports and about 1,600 for imports.
Established in 1957, the Canton Fair is the longest-running of several comprehensive international trade events in China and has been hailed as the barometer of China's foreign trade.
Chinese exporters enjoy ample interest from overseas merchants at Canton Fair
