Record number of int'l buyers seen at Canton Fair

The 136th China Import and Export Fair, widely known as the Canton Fair, concluded in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Monday, recording a historic high in terms of overseas buyers, according to the event's organizers.

As of Sunday, a total of 253,000 foreign buyers from 214 countries and regions attended the fair, marking a 2.8 percent increase from the previous session and surpassing the 250,000 mark for the first time in the global trade event's history, the organizers said.

Buyers from countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative accounted for over 60 percent of the total, marking a 3.7 percent increase from the previous session, with the fastest growth in buyer numbers seen from countries in the Middle East, reaching 34,000 individual buyers, or a 32.6 percent increase, according to the organizers.

The fair, held twice a year in Spring and Autumn, demonstrated its significance as a vital platform for international trade, facilitating connections between international buyers and Chinese suppliers, including businesses from Brazil, said Arthur Guimaraes, general manager of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Brazil.

"We support Brazilian companies that want to find reliable partners here in China — every Brazilian buyer who attends the Canton Fair encounters countless options for every product they are looking for," Guimaraes said.

Brazilian companies often seek opportunities in the fields of electronics, renewable energy and machinery, he added.

Meanwhile, the number of buyers from traditional European and countries in the Americas notably rebounded, with 54,000 attendees, an 8.2 percent increase from the previous session, according to the organizers.

The export transaction volume rose slightly, with intended export transactions reaching $24.95 billion, an increase of 1 percent compared to the previous session, the organizers said.

Transactions with economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative accounted for over half of the total, while transactions with the traditional European and American markets saw growth, according to the organizers.

Foreign buyers had clear purchasing goals and a strong willingness to cooperate, expecting that more transactions will be achieved through on-site factory inspections and deeper engagement in the future, the organizers said.

"Based on past transaction practices, foreign customers usually visit the factories for inspection and selection of some samples, and then place orders," said Feng Yingying, a sales manager of Taizhou Shenhu Sanitary Co, based in Zhejiang province.

The company has achieved better results at this session of the Canton Fair, with three customers placing orders totaling $300,000 on-site, and another 15 customers planning to visit the factories, Feng said.

"These customers planning to visit our factories are very likely to place new orders with us," she said.