Pinched by the world's economic woes, the country's oldest and largest trade show, the biannual Canton Fair, is offering to cut fees for the first time to entice exhibitors.
The Ministry of Commerce, which fears the mainland's export slump will shrink the budgets of exhibitors and reduce the number of visitors to the coming 105th China Import and Export Fair, will refund some exhibitor fees, according to the ministry's website yesterday.
The ministry did not specify the amount of the refund, but sources close to the organiser said the amount was about 2,000 yuan (HK$2,269) per exhibitor.
According to the ministry, Vice-Minister Zhong Shan vowed to increase the number of buyers and exhibitors and support exports during the Canton Fair in Guangzhou in April.
The fee discount was unprecedented in the fair's 52-year history, underscoring the severity of the impact of the global downturn on Chinese-made exports, economists said.
The registration date for the exhibitors of textiles, clothing, shoes and office automation products was extended by about two months to March 5, according to the Canton Fair website.