Vietnamese businesses should participate in the 134th China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou next month to seek opportunities in the lucrative market, officials from the China Foreign Trade Centre suggested at a conference to introduce the fair held in HCM City on August 16.

Zhang Sihong, deputy chairman of the agency, said the fair, scheduled to open on October 15 both onsite and online, is China’s largest and oldest trade fair, and would spread over 1.55 million square metres and have 74,000 stands and around 35,000 exhibitors.  

It will be divided into three phases, the first from October 15 to 19 showcasing products such as electrical and electronic products, light equipment, new energy resources and vehicles, smart mobility, new materials and chemical products.

Phase 2 from October 23 to 27 will display building and decorative materials, sanitary and bathroom equipment, furniture, household items, and so on.

Personal care products, toiletry items, medicines, health products and medical devices, pet products and foods, children, baby and maternity products, toys, clothing, and office supplies are among products that will be exhibited in phase 3 from October 31 to November 4.

The number of Vietnamese businesses participating in the fair is increasing year after year, Zhang said.

Wei Huaxiang, the Chinese consul in HCM City, said his country is reopening its doors to the world [after COVID] and welcomes Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic product exports.

He hoped Vietnamese products would be showcased at the fair.

Xu Feng Pei, chairman of the Chinese Business Association in Việt Nam’s Guangdong Enterprise Confederation, said the fair has become a reliable place for businesses from all over the world to explore the Chinese market.

It not only provides an opportunity for suppliers and buyers to hold exchanges but is also an ideal platform to introduce new products, discover new markets and seek new customers, he said.

At the HCM City conference, businesses that have taken part in the fair before shared their experiences there and expressed interest in participating this year.

Võ Tân Thành, deputy chairman of the Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said his organisation has in past years sent business delegations to the Canton Fair to explore opportunities.

China remains Việt Nam’s largest trade partner, and Việt Nam is its biggest partner among ASEAN members and eighth largest globally, he said.

Trade between the two countries topped US$75.5 billion in the first half of the year.

The composition of Việt Nam’s exports to China has changed gradually, with an increasing proportion of manufactured goods and agro-forestry-aquatic products and a decline in raw materials, fuels and minerals, he added.

Viet Nam News