The 140th edition of the biannual China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, opened to visitors in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, on Thursday, with innovative, green and smart products and technologies presented by the more than 32,000 exhibitors drawing about 340,000 overseas buyers.
Marking its 70th anniversary this year, the fair covers a total areas of 1.55 million square meters and runs in three phases through Nov. 4.
More than 11,000 of the exhibitors are leaders in niche markets or quality enterprises that use specialized and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products.
About 64 percent of the exhibitors apply new technologies such as the industrial internet and artificial intelligence (AI). New and green products account for 23.2 percent and 26 percent of the exhibits, respectively, both hitting record highs.
In addition, more than 700 new-product launch events will be held during the event, with the number of products to be unveiled rising 15 percent.
The first phase runs from Thursday to next Monday, with advanced manufacturing taking the center stage.
More than 12,000 companies are exhibiting across 520,000 square meters, with over 25,000 booths in 19 exhibition areas covering products including electronics, home appliances and industrial automation. It also features 17 dedicated sections for emerging industries such as service robots, drones and display technologies.
In the past few days, an influx of buyers has boosted traffic at airports in Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
Many buyers have shown strong interest in China's smart products such as electric vehicles, robots and home appliances, seeking long-term partnerships with Chinese businesses.
"I'm attending the Canton Fair now. We are looking for machinery and construction machinery. We make construction in Mexico. Then, we expect to have good contacts and business contacts too," said a Mexican buyer.
"It's my first time at the Canton Fair. I've heard many stories [from] my friends who were there. And now, I'm very curious to see the reality," said a Swiss buyer.
"As the Canton Fair draws near, a large number of buyers are entering China through the Shenzhen airport. Since the beginning of October, we have inspected 31,000 border entries by foreigners, an increase of 21.4 percent year on year. The proportion of them entering China visa-free increased by 34 percent year on year," said Wu Xiaoling, a customs officer.
Held twice a year, the Canton Fair is China's largest and longest-running international trade fair, serving as a barometer of the country's foreign trade.
Canton Fair lures global buyers with innovative, green, smart exhibits
Buyers and exhibitors began making valuable new connections on opening day of the 140th Canton Fair, where international attendees discovered the latest products ranging from AI glasses to air conditioners.
About 86,000 overseas buyers from 208 countries and regions traveled to south China’s Guangzhou to attend the first day of the event, also known as the China Import and Export Fair.
Throughout the full multi-phase event, more than 30,000 exhibiting companies and about 340,000 overseas buyers are expected to attend.
Serving as a barometer of China's foreign trade, this year's fair, marking its 70th anniversary, features innovation, intelligence, greater specialization and higher quality. The Canton Fair is one of the world's few one-stop trade platforms offering a complete range of products and technologies.
Among the exhibitors, over 11,000 are niche-market leaders or specialized enterprises known for sophisticated technologies and novel products. Technology adoption runs high, with roughly 64 percent embracing innovations such as the industrial internet and AI. New and green products also set records, appearing at 23 percent and 26 percent of exhibits respectively, with more than 700 launch events planned.
At the "home appliances" exhibition area, a Chinese foreign trade company brought its newly launched solar-powered air conditioner. Against the backdrop of continuously rising energy prices, this category of products is increasingly popular among overseas customers.
"We buy air conditioning split units. We've been having very good feedback from our customers when we were coming here. Everyone is coming to Canton Fair, everyone is buying some goods and it's a very good business. And also there are many opportunities, and anything you bring from Canton Fair, there are very good profits," said Mohannad Waia, a buyer from Dubai.
In order to further expand the market, Chinese foreign trade enterprises are adapting to the needs of different regional markets through product innovation, and their overseas markets are continuously expanding.
"Based on the special needs of many countries, for example, this year we focused on launching this split air conditioner that requires no professional installation and no drilling for the European market. In fact, the industry as a whole has seen quite rapid growth this year. As for our company, we achieved an overall growth rate of 26 percent," said Liu Rongqiang, an exhibitor.
Since the beginning of this year, the import and export of AI products have maintained a momentum of rapid growth. Many Chinese companies in this sector have substantially enhanced their capacity for international operations by developing new products and improving production quality and efficiency.
"Our products mainly focus on AI and wearables. We have carried out product development spanning from hardware to software to the cloud. Through the Canton Fair, we have developed business contacts with clients from Brazil, Russia, and the Middle East over the past few years," said Zeng Zhitao, another exhibitor.
The 140th Canton Fair runs in three phases in Guangzhou from Oct. 15 to Nov. 4.
Over the past 70 years, the Canton Fair has grown into China's largest and longest-running international trade event, with the most complete product range, the largest number of buyers and the highest transaction volume.
Over 80,000 overseas buyers seek new partnerships on Canton Fair's opening day
