Advertisement
Advertisement
Buyers at the Canton Fair de-stress in massage chairs. Fears over Ebola and the economy may have hit attendance. Photo: Xinhua

Ebola fears blamed for poor turnout at mainland's largest trade fair

Lack of buyers at the mainland's largest trade exhibition amid fears over disease and economy

CHIM SAU-WAI

The number of buyers attending the mainland's largest trade fair was down significantly yesterday, the first day of its autumn session, with the downturn attributed to fear of the Ebola virus and global economic gloom.

The opening of the fair coincided with reports the number of Ebola cases in West Africa could reach between 5,000 and 10,000 a week by December and that a second nurse who contracted the virus while treating a patient in Texas boarded a plane the day before she fell ill, sparking fears the disease could spread elsewhere in the US.

Exhibitors at the Canton Fair, held twice a year in eastern Guangzhou, said they had seen far fewer buyers yesterday than at the spring session in April.

"In the past the hall was full of people. There are fewer people this session, around half of that in the spring session this year," said Joyce Lin, a sales representative for Guangdong Kito Ceramics, which sells ceramics used for building materials. She said her company's exports had declined.

Canton Fair spokesman Liu Jianjun said before the fair opened that the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa could have an impact on the number of buyers arriving from Africa.

"There are indeed fewer people from Africa this time," said Mustafa Morbiwala, a buyer from Pakistan, who was visiting the trade fair for the fourth time, sourcing hardware and tools. He said he was not worried about the virus as it was not affecting Asia.

A Guangdong-based battery producer that previously focused on the African market said its orders had stopped since August because of the Ebola outbreak.

About 500,000 buyers and exhibitors attend the semi-annual trade fair, including 15,000 from Africa.

While no restrictions have been placed on visitors from Ebola-hit countries, Liu said organisers were closely monitoring those countries. Fever detection readers would be set up at fair entrances and emergency measures drawn up, Liu said.

Exhibitors also cited the gloomy global economic outlook as a reason for fewer visitors.

"It is expected that there will be fewer visitors as I have a feeling that the global economy is still weak," said Lin Jialiang, a sales manager at Guangdong Funglu, a maker of aluminium products.

"More exporters want to participate in the trade fair because they all want to sell [their products to foreign buyers] as orders have not been strong. But response from the buyers has not been good."

 

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Ebola blamed for poor turnout at Canton Fair
Post