The soaring demand for smart products at the 139th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, has reflected the evolving landscape of China's foreign trade, as artificial intelligence (AI) transforms from buzzword to business driver for exhibitors at the event.
Widely regarded as the barometer of China's foreign trade, the Canton Fair unveiled at its 139th edition several new exhibition zones for the first time, including dedicated spaces for smart wearables, advanced display technologies and consumer-grade drones.
Booths at these zones see visitors queuing eagerly to test the latest innovations.
"It's already 16:00, and our booth is still packed. People are lining up one by one to try our products," said Dong Bin, an exhibitor.
Across the new zones, AI emerged as the most frequently heard keyword. AI-powered glasses, blackboards and companion robots all draw particular enthusiasm.
Beyond these novelty items, AI has penetrated deeply into traditional manufacturing. At the fair, familiar household appliances, such as refrigerators, washing machines and ovens, have become noticeably more user-centric thanks to their intelligent features.
"At the top of the refrigerator, there is an AI Vision camera capable of identifying items you place inside, like lemons, and sends a reminder to your smartphone app when they're nearing expiration," said Zhu Yanning, product manager for the European refrigerator division of Chinese home appliance giant Haier.
"The quality is very good, the price is very competitive. So we are happy with Donper (a leading refrigerator compressor manufacturer in China). And we hope we grow the business in the future," said Hugo, a Mexican buyer.
AI is increasingly moving from concept to contract. Official data show that in the first quarter of this year, China's exports of mechanical and electrical products totaled 4.34 trillion yuan (about 636 billion U.S. dollars), an increase of 18.3 percent year on year, accounting for 63.4 percent of the country's total export value, up 3.5 percentage points from the same period of last year.
The rapid development of the global AI industry has also fueled surging demand for smart products.
"China's foreign trade products are in accelerated upgrade toward the new, green and smart directions. We're seeing faster emergence of new growth drivers, diversified market expansion, and coordinated efforts across all players. This edition of the Canton Fair features nine new exhibition zones, the largest increase since the new exhibition venue opened in 2023, fully demonstrating that China's foreign trade is brimming with new vitality and immense potential," said Xiao Lu, deputy director of the Department of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Commerce.
The Canton Fair is held twice a year in Guangzhou, the capital city of south China's Guangdong Province. It is the longest-running of several comprehensive international trade events in China.
The 139th Canton Fair runs from April 15 to May 5.
As of 17:00 on Sunday, about 167,000 overseas buyers from 216 countries and regions had attended the offline exhibition, up 5.9 percent from the same period of the previous edition, according to the China Foreign Trade Center.
AI transforms from buzzword to business driver for exhibitors at Canton Fair
