Firms reap benefits of digital expo

As the 129th Canton Fair continues to focus on business cooperation with countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, enterprises engaged in business with the regions have been offered valuable trade opportunities for growth, officials and entrepreneurs said.

“When we decided to expand the company’s foreign trade business in 2016, we immediately thought of Canton Fair, hoping to really branch out through this trade platform,” said Zhu Baohuan, chairman of Kunming Ansheng Industry and Trade.

Recalling the experience of his enterprise’s participation in the Canton Fair, Zhu has a lot to say. When he took part in the event at the first time, he met a group of clients from Myanmar, a country involved in the BRI.

Today, the company’s export volume to Myanmar is as much as five containers per month. And the company’s business was not affected too much during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the company’s exports are expected to reach 70 million yuan ($10.7 million).

Talking about the previous two fairs held online in 2020, Zhu said his expectations at first were not very high.

However, via the platform, the company was not only able to continue its development in Myanmar, but also found new customers in Thailand and Cambodia.

“Last year, we didn’t have the opportunity to go abroad for business in person. It was the online Canton Fair that built us a bridge. It gave us the opportunity to meet more high-quality overseas customers and enabled overseas buyers to understand our products and start cooperation through live broadcasting. Canton Fair is really an excellent platform to traders,” Zhu said.

Chen Zhiqiang, a marketing head of a food ingredient company participating in the Canton Fair, said that besides displaying new products and hunting for new customers, the company’s other key missions include conversing with overseas buyers, learning current issues regarding market sales, understanding the latest industry information and communicating with the target customers.

To develop new markets and seize new opportunities, Chen’s company is striving to increase its contact with new clients from the BRI regions and enhance business ties with them.