China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, was established in the spring of 1957. Co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of PRC and the People’s Government of Guangdong Province and organized by China Foreign Trade Centre, it is held every spring and autumn in Guangzhou, China. The Canton Fair is a comprehensive international trading event with the longest history, the largest scale, the most complete exhibit variety, the largest buyer attendance, the most diverse buyer source country and the greatest business turnover in China. Hailed as the barometer of China’s foreign trade, it is the window, epitome and symbol of China’s opening up. The Canton Fair serves as a vital platform for China’s foreign trade and opening up, and a prime channel for Chinese companies to develop international markets.

The 132^nd Canton Fair will open virtually on October 15. The 50 exhibition sections will accommodate 16 product categories of the National Pavilion and 6 themes of the International Pavilion. 132 Cross-border E-commerce Pilot Zones and 5 cross-border e-commerce platforms will continue to join this session to create a synergy of activities. In the meanwhile, services of freight forwarder, financial institutions, credit insurance agencies, certification institutions, overseas warehouse owners and shipping service providers will also be available on the official website. The 132^nd Canton Fair will continue to set up the “Rural Vitalization” zone to support exhibitors from formerly poor regions. To make the virtual 132^nd Canton Fair a success and help foreign trade companies obtain more orders, specific measures have been rolled out:

I. Enlarge the Scale of Exhibitors

Apart from the original 25,000 exhibiting companies of the virtual Canton Fair, 10,000 new exhibitors will join the 132^nd Canton Fair, including little giant companies that specialize in niche sectors, high tech companies and manufacturing single champions, etc.

 II. Extend Duration of the Virtual Canton Fair

The duration of the 132^nd Canton Fair will be extended. Functions such as live-streaming and scheduling appointment will last for 10 days. All other functions of online display, instant messaging, trade matchmaking and other services will be available for 5 months. Exhibitors and buyers of the virtual Canton Fair can enjoy related services from October 15, 2022, to March 15, 2023.

III. Optimize Functions of the Official Website

The 132^nd Canton Fair will continue to optimize the algorithm to improve search efficiency. Many new functions have been developed in VR Exhibition Hall to enable targeted and efficient management of products for exhibitors. Online AI service, staff service on telephone, social media and other services of multiple channels will be provided to enrich service for users. All these efforts will help buyers and exhibitors to better use the website.

IV. Improve Marketing Results

The Canton Fair Global Cooperative Partnership Program will be advanced and a mix of tools including marketing network, new media, “Trade Bridge” promotion activities and emails will be leveraged to conduct multi-dimensional marketing. The 132^nd session will step up efforts to invite such professional buyers as top multinationals, retail chain cross-border e-commerce platforms and overseas chambers of commerce in China to attend the Fair. Briefings of “Trade Bridge” tailored sourcing events will be launched to further enhance the quantity and quality of professional buyers.

V. Exempt Fees for Exhibitors

The 132^nd Canton Fair will continue to exempt fees for exhibiting companies, in a bid to facilitate enterprises to secure orders and grow markets.

We sincerely invite friends from the global business community to attend the 132^nd Canton Fair for more opportunities, reciprocal cooperation and win-win outcomes.