What’s new: Canton Fair, China’s biggest trade fair, saw more than 60,000 overseas buyers turn out as of 5 p.m. on Monday, the opening day of its spring session, signaling continued improvement in exports as the country tries to drive post-Covid economic recovery.
The turnout was up 18.5% compared to the same period during last year’s autumn session, figures from the organizer show.
The strong footfall shows China’s continued reopening efforts are having an impact, including easing visa requirements and speeding up the recovery of international flights.
The spring session, scheduled to last until May 5, attracted registrations from international buyers from more than 200 countries and regions, said Chu Shijia, director-general of the China Foreign Trade Centre, at a press briefing on April 1.
The background: Established in 1957, the twice-yearly trade fair held in southern metropolis Guangzhou is a big contributor to China’s exports, and so, is widely viewed as an indicator of the country’s foreign trade.
Last year, the autumn fair hosted nearly 198,000 overseas buyers onsite, up 53% from the first in-person expo after the pandemic held in spring.
Contact reporter Qing Na (qingna@caixin.com) and editor Jonathan Breen (jonathanbreen@caixin.com)
