Coronavirus: China’s largest trade expo postponed as Canton Fair spring session falls foul of pandemic

The spring session of China’s Canton Fair has been postponed due to fears about the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, authorities in Guangdong province say

Premier Li Keqiang had insisted early this month that the fair’s spring session would go ahead as it was crucial for efforts to ‘stabilise’ the global economy

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The spring session of China’s Canton Fair has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 4:30pm, 23 Mar 2020Updated: 11:29pm, 23 Mar 2020

The spring session of China’s largest trade expo, the Canton Fair, has been suspended over concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, Chinese authorities said on Monday.

The announcement comes amid reports that regular foreign buyers were scrapping plans to attend the event, which was due to open on April 15. The fair has held its spring session in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, between mid-April and early May since 1957.

The decision was made after considering the current development of the pandemic, especially the high risk of imported infections, Ma Hua, deputy director of Guangdong’s department of commerce, was quoted as saying on Monday by the official Nanfang Daily.

Guangdong will assess the epidemic situation and make suggestions to the relevant departments of the central government, Ma said at a press conference.

No new date for the fair was announced, but veteran traders who regularly attend the event said the Guangdong government is talking with Beijing about a new time, possibly in May.

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