139th Canton Fair Concludes Successfully, Boosting Global Trade Cooperation

The 139th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) concluded successfully on May 5, marking another fruitful chapter in promoting global trade cooperation. As of May 4, 314,000 overseas buyers from 220 countries and regions attended the fair, a year-on-year increase of 1.1% compared with the 138th session. A total of 407 leading purchasing enterprises and 154 overseas business institutions participated in groups, reflecting the strong appeal of the Canton Fair as a core global trade platform.

Xinhua News Agency reported that the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan clearly deploys key tasks for trade quality improvement and expansion, including "enhancing the functions of trade promotion platforms and continuously running major exhibitions such as the Canton Fair", which places profound expectations on the high-quality development of the Canton Fair. In the new development stage, the 139th Canton Fair adheres to the national strategic orientation, practices the concept of "continuous innovation", and deepens reform and innovation to build a new ecologically coordinated foreign trade development ecosystem.

Guided by technological innovation, the fair highlighted the vitality of foreign trade upgrading. Exhibitors closely followed the development trends of "novelty, green and intelligence", accelerating the layout of low-carbon, intelligent and high-end products. Nearly one-third of the enterprises provided "product + service" solutions, with cutting-edge products such as AI glasses and amphibious aircraft attracting widespread attention from buyers, and characteristic exhibits including lab-grown diamonds and national intangible cultural heritage bronze carvings drawing over 60,000 visits and check-ins.

China Daily noted that the fair has become a key window for Chinese enterprises to connect with the global market, helping enterprises display innovative achievements and capture market trends. Many enterprises, with strong technological support, have broken foreign technical monopolies and gained recognition in both traditional and emerging markets, further consolidating China’s position in the global industrial chain.

The fair also featured a more diversified and high-quality buyer group, with new buyers mainly coming from Belt and Road co-construction countries, and rapid growth in Latin America and Africa. Professional buyers continued to increase, with both new participants and long-term partners highly affirming the quality of Chinese products and the efficiency of supply and demand docking. Chinese suppliers’ ability to provide customized services and meet strict environmental standards has won wide recognition from global buyers.

To build an "everlasting Canton Fair", the event has continuously expanded its service chain, integrating logistics, warehousing, banking, payment and intellectual property protection services. The "Trade Bridge - China Industry Tour" activity helped buyers visit industrial frontlines, breaking supply and demand barriers and deepening practical cooperation. The Canton Fair APP and other online platforms also accurately matched supply and demand, upgrading the comprehensive trade service system.

Looking ahead, the Canton Fair will continue to adhere to innovation-driven development, optimize the exhibition layout and service quality, and further leverage its platform advantages to nourish new market entities and activate trade innovation vitality. It will lay a solid foundation for the steady start of high-quality foreign trade development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and promote mutually beneficial win-win results and new progress in global economic and trade cooperation.