9th CIIE Set to Showcase Record Product Debuts and Historic Scale in Shanghai

Par Ouyang Jie, People's Daily

The 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE) will take place in Shanghai from November 5 to 10. A total of 162 countries, regions, and international organizations are expected to participate, with the exhibition area surpassing 440,000 square meters for the first time.

China's Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong stated that this year's CIIE will focus on becoming more market-oriented, distinctive, and professional, anchored by three key highlights.

A stronger commitment to openness. The Country Exhibition of the 9th CIIE will bring together 69 countries and international organizations, marking an increase from last year. Canada and Sri Lanka will serve as the guest countries of honor, while Moldova, Romania, and three other countries, alongside the United Nations Development Programme, will participate for the first time.

At the Business Exhibition of the 9th CIIE, U.S. companies will occupy over 50,000 square meters of exhibition space, maintaining their top spot for the eighth consecutive year with an expansion of 1,500 square meters compared to last year. The concurrent Hongqiao International Economic Forum will release a report on China's export capacity development for the first time.

Stronger momentum for innovation. More than 300 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders will participate in the expo for the first time. Nearly 200 companies and institutions that have participated in every previous edition will return, while over 2,000 companies will make their debut.

To date, more than 480 products have been confirmed for their global, Asian, or China debuts at the expo, setting a new record.

More opportunities for shared growth. Six international organizations, including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, will participate in the expo. Government departments and local authorities will collaborate to organize more than 40 trade delegations and over 600 sub-delegations to explore business and procurement opportunities.

The Business Exhibition of the 9th CIIE will exceed 370,000 square meters for the first time. A total of 4,142 companies from 148 countries and regions have signed up, representing the highest number in the event's history.

Xiao Lu, deputy Party secretary of the China International Import Expo Bureau, noted that exhibition areas for medical equipment, healthcare products, consumer goods, and food and agricultural products have all been expanded. The Asia-Africa Products Zone will also be upgraded to offer more space for African exhibitors, while free booth space for companies from least-developed countries will increase by 17 percent.

More than 200 products making their global debut or first appearance at the expo will be showcased, including a cochlear implant capable of detecting sound from all directions, a prototype 6G terminal, and a water treatment system that softens and remineralizes water simultaneously.

For the first time, the expo will feature a global consumer brands showcase.

"Around 100 long-established, high-quality brands with strong consumer recognition have been selected, with a focus on the guest countries of honor and those featured in this year's 'Export to China' theme," Xiao said.

The CIIE Shanghai Events and Conferences will provide exhibitors and business visitors with an efficient platform for exchange. Nearly 100 events are planned, featuring the release of research reports on companies expanding overseas and bulk commodity price indexes.

New platforms and services will also be launched, including a cross-border data compliance platform and a digital credit insurance service on the China (Shanghai) International Trade Single Window, facilitating the signing of numerous cooperation agreements.

In the first eight months of this year, Shanghai's imports reached a record 1.87 trillion yuan (about $280 billion), accounting for 12.8 percent of China's total imports. As the host city, Shanghai is exploring new avenues to further expand imports.

Lu Shan, vice mayor of Shanghai, stated that the city is working to accelerate quarantine approval for imported goods and streamline the transition of items temporarily imported for exhibition into regular domestic market imports. It is also upgrading the Waigaoqiao, Hongqiao, and Huaihai Xintiandi National Import Trade Promotion and Innovation Demonstration Zones.

On the supply-chain front, Shanghai is attracting and developing leading supply-chain enterprises to bolster its global sourcing and distribution capabilities.

The city has introduced 18 measures to facilitate customs clearance and established 123 dedicated customs service desks and channels for the CIIE, enabling exhibits to be inspected and released upon arrival. Business negotiation areas have expanded to 19, covering a total area three times that of the previous edition.

Lu noted that an increasing number of exhibitors are shifting from temporary participation in the six-day expo to establishing a permanent presence in China and scaling up their investments.

During the first eight months, actual utilized foreign capital in Shanghai reached $11.59 billion, up 6.9 percent year-on-year. The city is now home to 1,120 regional headquarters of multinational companies and 675 foreign-funded R&D centers.

Leveraging the CIIE, Shanghai is advancing institutional innovation, strengthening financial support, and improving business services to foster a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and aligned with international standards.

The city has introduced streamlined inspection procedures for imported consumer goods making their debut in China, cutting customs clearance times from a minimum of seven days to as little as same-day release, helping more than 30,000 new products enter the market faster.

Since 2018, Shanghai has attracted more than 1,700 high-profile flagship stores making their debut in China, Asia, or worldwide.