Import expo gets underway

Four-day exhibition showcases latest overseas tech and equipment

The China Import Expo, Kunshan 2015 starts on Wednesday in Kunshan, Jiangsu province. During the four-day exhibition, a range of newly imported technologies, equipment and emerging industries in the province will be presented.

According to Da Jiaxiang, deputy director of the province's commerce department, the expo this year will focus on cooperation and restructuring. The major sectors displayed will include equipment manufacturing, environmental protection technologies and consumer goods. The exhibition venue this year covers 80,000 square meters.

The expo has attracted 681 companies from 43 countries and regions. Among them, 12 are countries covered by the nation's Belt and Road Initiative.

This year there will be a great number of Fortune 500 companies, most of which are leading players in the industry. The lineup includes US-based Haas Automation and Emerson, DMG from Germany, Panasonic, Fujifilm and Samsung.

Trade promotion institutions and industrial associations from 20 countries and regions will participate in the expo. Delegations from Italy, Brazil, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam are joining the event for the first time.

The expo is divided into two parts to showcase industrial products and consumer goods. Industrial products will be displayed in the Kunshan Huaqiao International Expo Center and consumer goods will be in the city's Convention and Exhibition Center.

All products are further divided into six categories of metal processing, automation, environmental protection, household products, food and beverage and electronic devices. The metal processing exhibition area will display a range of the industry's cutting-edge technologies and products, including 3D printing technology.

The environmental protection display area will feature water treatment products and technologies from north Europe. Exhibitors from Sweden and Finland are expected to bring ozone water treatment technology, water quality supervision systems and other new technologies to the expo for the first time.

Food, wine, household products and electronic devices from around the world will be presented in the consumer goods area. A new cross-border e-commerce zone will be set up this year to cover e-commerce services and products.

The International Trade Center is a UN organization engaging in trade promotion around the world. It is the first time the ITC has joined the import expo to promote products from four countries in Southeast Asia and to help exhibitors build retail networks in China.

Thirty companies led by the ITC will showcase 1,000 unique products in Southeast Asian style, including beer, coffee and pottery from Cambodia, organic black tea and rugs from Nepal, jade from Myanmar and jewelry and herbal drinks from Laos.

For the industrial products sector, imported products are expected to be the highlight. Haas, a frequent exhibitor at the expo, is sending a delegate from its Chinese headquarters instead of distributors.

The expo committee started to invite business groups and institutions to be exhibitors at the end of last year. The selection was based on successful deals from the previous three expos and is also according to demand from public participants. The expo this year expects to see 60,000 visitors, who can also join in business matching.

The expo this year will also offer professional forums and a range of fairs and business matching events.

Eleven events are confirmed to take place during the expo.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/20/2015 page24)