Canton Fair Photo: VCG

Exhibitors are eagerly anticipating the 134th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, which is set to open on October 15. With a high level of openness, the fair serves as a crucial platform for promoting global trade, offering overseas companies the opportunity to share in China's development.

The trade fair will be held in Guangzhou from October 15 to November 4, featuring a larger scale and more participants, officials told a press conference in September. 

The exhibition space has expanded by 50,000 square meters from last exhibition. And, the number of exhibitors has exceeded 4,900 for the first time.

The number of overseas buyers has significantly jumped, spanning 215 countries and regions, up 23.5 percent from the previous edition. 

Registered buyers from Europe and the US have soared by 20.2 percent, while those from the countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative have risen by 33.6 percent, and those from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership have jumped by 21.3 percent.

Exhibitors reached by the Global Times view the long-running biannual trade fair as a chance to reconnect with old contacts, enhance trade relationships, and secure more orders during the upcoming fall edition. 

A sales manager named Zhu from Weihai Lion Toy Co told the Global Times on Sunday that the company has prepared a wide range of plush toy products and is ready to welcome global buyers during the Canton Fair.

"We anticipate seeing more clients and orders compared with the spring season. The challenges we faced during the spring, such as visa application difficulties and expensive airfare, which may have resulted in fewer customers attending our event, have been addressed," Zhu said.

Officials from the Ministry of Commerce have announced plans to make it more convenient for overseas traders to travel to the fair, including green channels for visa applications and discounts for air tickets.

Despite the global economic downturn and weak demand from Western countries, exhibitors at the fair maintain a positive outlook on trade growth, which is in line with China's thriving economy.

Zhu said that the Japanese market has outperformed Europe and the US. 

"Over the past two years, Japan has become one of the main drivers of our export growth. We have developed products and offerings tailored for the Japanese market, and the outcomes have been favorable," Zhu said.

A representative from Liao Yang Fei Tian Co, a glass handicrafts manufacturer based in Northeast China's Liaoning Province, told the Global Times that the Canton Fair is a significant event for reconnecting with old clients, and discussing orders and trends for the upcoming year.

The company engages in the production and export of glass and crystal handicrafts, with the US being one of its most important markets. 

"This year, our overseas orders continue to recover to near pre-pandemic levels," the representative said.

China's imports and exports beat expectations to sustain an upward trajectory in August, as the country's foreign trade structure improved while a host of targeted measures to bolster the economy showed results.

In August, exports rose 1.2 percent month-on-month to reach 2.04 trillion yuan ($279 billion), while imports rose 7.6 percent to reach 1.55 trillion yuan, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs.