China’s biggest trade fair breaks records despite US tariffs
Canton Fair’s strong overseas attendance figures surprised exhibitors and analysts, but transaction volume failed to beat pre-pandemic heights
Despite the absence of most American buyers, China’s largest trade fair achieved surprise growth in deals signed during its three-week spring edition – driven by a record high in overseas attendance.
Overall transaction volume at the spring edition of the biannual Canton Fair, held between April 15 and Monday, rose by 3 per cent year-on-year to US$25.44 billion, according to data released by the fair’s organiser.
The number of visiting overseas buyers reached a record high of 288,938, up 17.3 per cent year-on-year. Among them, 171,750 buyers were attending for the first time, accounting for over 59 per cent of all overseas buyers.
The organiser did not provide a breakdown of overseas buyers by country, but there were few US attendees, according to the Post’s on-site observations.
Over 64.9 per cent of foreign visitors were from countries taking part in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and were involved in deals accounting for more than 60 per cent of total transaction volume.