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The Canton Fair is a barometer for foreign trade. Photo: Xinhua

Canton Fair expects subdued overseas interest due to uncertain global economy

Organisers of the mainland's largest trade fair, which opens on Wednesday, expect a fall in the number of overseas traders due to uncertainty in the global economy.

Organisers of the mainland's largest trade fair, which opens on Wednesday, expect a fall in the number of overseas traders due to uncertainty in the global economy.

The twice-yearly China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, in Guangzhou, is seen as an indicator of the mainland's probable export performance for the next six to nine months.

Last month, China's exports and imports fell by double digits.

The operator of the three-week-long fair warned yesterday that attendance by overseas buyers at this year's event could be the worst of recent years.

Liu Jianjun, spokesman of the fair and the deputy director-general of the China Foreign Trade Centre, said the fair hoped to attract 180,000 overseas buyers.

This compares to 188,000 last April and 202,000 in April 2013. The record was 210,000 overseas buyers in 2012.

Liu said he expected fewer buyers from most of China's trade partners, including the United States, Europe, Japan, Russia, Brazil and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

However, he said attendance by buyers from India, South America and Africa might rise. He said he envisaged weak demand from traders in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Tao Wu, sales director of Shandong Pangu Industrial, a tool maker, said the firm's foreign trade had dropped 25 per cent in the first quarter. "We have attended the Canton Fair since 1996 but business may be the worst this year," Wu said.

"We sent invitations to all our overseas clients for the fair but more than half of them refused to come."

But Wu said the fair was still the most efficient platform for the country's small and medium-sized manufacturers to promote their products to overseas markets.

"We are also thinking of attending more exhibitions in Europe and the US. It may be a useful way to attract overseas orders," Wu said.

The Canton Fair complex, also known as the China Import and Export Complex, is located on Pazhou Island.

It covers an area of almost 75,000 hectares.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Canton Fair expects subdued overseas trade
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