China's manufacturing draws global attention at Canton Fair

GUANGZHOU -- To Li Yuting's delight, even on the last day of the second phase of the 133rd Canton Fair, visitors still made inquiries at the booth of Tianjin Golden Success International Corporation, where she worked as a salesperson.

The 133rd Canton Fair, also known as the China Import and Export Fair, concluded on Friday in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong province.

The long-standing fair has seen a full resumption of on-site activities this year. With its offline exhibition venues spanning 1.5 million square meters, it welcomed about 35,000 exhibitors, as well as purchasers from over 220 countries and regions, during three separate phases held between April 15 to May 5.

Golden Success, a kitchen appliances provider, has attended the fair for over 10 years. The company sees the Canton Fair as a great opportunity for displaying its latest products and expanding connections with foreign buyers, said Li Yuting.

The popularity of the Canton Fair is encouraging, she said, pointing to the many clients that she dealt with.

The number of visitors to the 133rd Canton Fair, according to official data, exceeded 2.9 million, setting a new record. During the offline exhibitions, export deals worth a total of $21.69 billion were signed, which was better than expected, said fair spokesperson Xu Bing.

According to Nirose Paramabtah, a buyer from the United Arab Emirates, any customized needs for products can be satisfied by China's sophisticated industrial chain. He said the purchasing team sent to the Canton Fair always returns satisfied.

During the third phase of the fair, which focused on food, textiles and medicines, dozens of international buyers were drawn to the coffee and candies produced by Tommy&Tim Industrial Co Ltd based in Shantou city, Guangdong province.

"This is the first time we have participated in the Canton Fair, and we have received many intentional orders," said a member of the sales team at Tommy&Tim's booth. "We are confident that we can offer customized products that suit the needs of our customers."

Adi Dagan, an Israeli buyer, was attracted by a large inflatable pool in the toys section. As an experienced buyer at the fair, he focused mainly on innovative and high-quality products.

"There's no substitute for the fair. I am very happy to be able to talk with people and touch the products again at the offline event," said Dagan, adding that it feels good to see many guests coming to the fair.

For French perfumer Janek Kozeluh, who has been attending the fair since the 1980s, the goods on display at the Canton Fair only represent a small sample of what China can produce. He has forged solid partnerships with many Chinese suppliers for raw materials and accessories for cosmetics.

"It is very important to select the right partners to collaborate with and try to develop new products. I'm glad that every time I meet with my regular Chinese suppliers and customers, we bring each other new ideas and products, and we grow together," said Kozeluh.