Event brings confidence back for trade

The ongoing 129th China Import and Export Fair is not only helping to stabilize the country’s foreign trade development but shore up the confidence of foreign trade enterprises.

The fair, running from April 15 to 24, is China’s flagship trade event. This is the third time for the fair to be held online due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

While many countries have seen a resurgence in COVID-19 cases recently, participants expressed their confidence in the fair.

A manager from Anhui Light Industries International said his company held more than 700 live broadcasts to display and promote products during the past two sessions of the fair last year. At the 128th session alone, the number of broadcasts reached 505.

These efforts brought in lots of orders and profits.

In 2020, the company set a record with nearly $800 million in export and import volume. From April to December last year, its cross-border e-commerce business saw a sixfold increase in profits compared with the same period in 2019.

To prepare for this year’s fair, the company has recruited many young employees who have a good understanding of e-commerce and live broadcasts.

“We plan to hold more live broadcasts at this session,” said the manager.

These young people are expected to offer new ideas and broadcast methods to expand the market for the company, he added.

“We also designed a WeChat mini-program to help hosts book studios and coordinate activities. Viewers can learn about the broadcast information through the program,” he said.

Another optimistic participant at the fair is Li Guang, manager of Dingzhou Fukang Metals.

Li said their network and equipment have been upgraded to ensure live broadcasts go smoothly.

According to Li, more than 70 percent of the company’s products are exported to countries in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

“We have launched a variety of new products for different markets,” Li said. “We are confident of receiving a large stack of orders at this year’s fair.”