A press conference was held in Beijing on September 18 to unveil details of the 140th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair. The fair will be held in three phases in Guangzhou from October 15 to November 4, marking its 70th anniversary.
(Photo: China SCIO Press Conference)
Over the past seven decades, the fair has grown from 9,600 square meters and 1,200 buyers to 1.55 million square meters and approximately 310,000 buyers. It has been held continuously for 140 sessions and is widely regarded as China's largest and longest-running international trade fair.
As a barometer of China's foreign trade, this year's fair will place greater emphasis on innovation, artificial intelligence, and more specialized services.
(Photo: Dai Bosi)
China's exports of mechanical and electrical products accounted for 55 percent of its total foreign trade in the first eight months of this year, up by 2.5 percentage points from the same period last year. At the fair, 64 percent of exhibitors will showcase technologies such as Industrial Internet and AI. New and green products will account for 23.2 percent and 26 percent of exhibits, respectively, both record highs.
AI will also be more deeply integrated into the event. The fair will introduce 22 smart application scenarios and 16 AI-powered services, including panoramic so-site booth navigation and AR-powered booth information lookup.
The fair is also expanding trade-related services and strengthening engagement with buyers. More than 210,000 international buyers have completed pre-registration to date. New initiatives include year-round buyer registration, AI-powered invitations, and a buyer alliance featuring a points-based membership system.
Reporter | Dai Bosi
