CBN丨137th Canton Fair kicks off in Guangzhou with record participation

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI.

Coming up on today’s program

• Canton Fair kicks off with record export exhibitor turnout and new thematic zones debut;
• China sees 33.4% growth in foreign visitors in Q1.

Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours

The China Import and Export Fair, also known as Canton Fair, which is one of the world's largest trade events, kicks off its 137th session today in Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong province, with 31,000 exhibitors participating, exceeding 30,000 for the first time as there are over 4,200 newcomers.

At 9 am on Tuesday, the first phase of the Canton Fair, with an exhibition area of 520,000 square meters in total, welcomed a large influx of people.

The service robot zone, which debuts for the first time, was particularly lively. Many overseas buyers held up their mobile phones to take pictures of robotic dogs, industrial exoskeleton equipment, automatic cruise robots and other scenes. The zone is dedicated to showcase a diverse array of robotic solutions for personal, domestic, and professional use. A new section for integrated housing is also introduced.

The Canton Fair, where numerous merchants gather, has long been regarded as the “barometer of China's foreign trade.” As of Sunday, more than 200,000 overseas purchasers from 215 countries and regions have pre-registered for this session.

Covering approximately 1.55 million square meters, the biannual event will present a broader scope of exhibition themes, with each of its three phases spotlighting a distinct focus: "Advanced Manufacturing," "Quality Home Life," and "Better Life,” and will feature 55 exhibition sections and 172 product zones in total, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.

Furthermore, the fair boasts higher quality participation with over 4,200 new exhibitors. Among all the exhibitors, more than 9,700 participating companies have earned national titles, such as specialized and sophisticated small and medium enterprises, manufacturing single champions, and national high-tech enterprises, a 20 percent increase from the previous session.

Nearly 3,700 companies focus on new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, solar cells, digital technology, and intelligent manufacturing. Additionally, more than 17,000 exhibitors will showcase their own brands, and nearly 22,000 companies have obtained various international certifications.

GBA express

• China Southern Airlines has boosted flights and services to support the ongoing Canton Fair, which expects to operate over 15,600 flights in and out of Guangzhou during China's largest trade show, an 18 percent increase from the previous session. The airline is also offering complimentary shuttle buses between Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and the exhibition venue for verified exhibitors and buyers.
• Dongguan in Guangdong unveiled a work plan on Monday to support stable foreign trade growth, with a focus on minimizing the negative impact of trade frictions on the city. The document highlighted strengthening ties with leading mobile phone producers to monitor supply risks and guiding key enterprises to improve their response to supply chain issues, including imbalances in raw materials, components and price fluctuations.
• Guangdong signed 30 cooperation projects worth over two billion yuan during a trade and investment promotion event held on the sidelines of the 5th China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) on Sunday. Meanwhile, at the 5th CICPE, Guangdong's exhibition spanned more than 2,300 square meters, making it one of the largest provincial showcases.
• In 2024, the Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) recorded 749.39 billion yuan in imports and exports, marking a robust year-on-year growth of 25.6 percent. This figure accounted for 8.2 percent of Guangdong's total foreign trade value and contributed 1.8 percentage points to the province's overall trade growth.

Industry and company news

• China recorded 163 million inbound and outbound trips in the first quarter of the year, up 15 percent from a year earlier, data from the National Immigration Administration showed today. About 17.4 million foreigners entered and exited the country, up 33 percent in the period.
• CATL’s net profit widened 33 percent to 14 billion yuan in the first quarter of the year from a year earlier, the Chinese battery giant said in its latest earnings report yesterday. Revenue rose 6.2 percent to 84.7 billion yuan. The US "reciprocal tariffs" have little impact on CATL's performance because its US business only accounts for a small proportion of its shipments, the firm added.
• Meituan will invest 100 billion yuan over the next three years to support the catering industry, Xue Bing, GM of Meituan’s delivery business, said yesterday. The funds will go toward consumer subsidies, merchant incentives, rewards for quality operators, and expanding open kitchens to 100,000 stores to enhance industry infrastructure.
• BASF’s Cellasto business will invest 500 million yuan to build a second plant in Shanghai to tap into China’s fast-growing EV market. The factory, set to open in 2027, will have a modern mold production line and boost overall production capacity by nearly 70 percent.
• Sinopec yesterday launched the country's first cross-region hydrogen heavy-duty truck route, spanning 1,150 kilometers from Chongqing to Qinzhou Port in southern Guangxi province, the oil giant said today. The route has four hydrogen refueling stations.
• Brazil has overtaken the US as China's largest soybean supplier despite China remaining the US' largest soybean export destination, CCTV News reported.
• Chinese cross-border e-commerce platform DHgate has become very popular in the US, climbing to No. 2 on Apple’s free app chart behind ChatGPT. Last week, it ranked 352nd among non-game free iPhone apps, according to Appfigures.
• China EximBank announced on Monday that it has issued two themed financial bonds totaling 12 billion yuan in the interbank bond market to facilitate the quality and efficiency improvements of the country's foreign trade and support connectivity in related infrastructure.
• China's services consumption is not only rebounding but evolving rapidly, becoming a key driver of overall consumption growth, according to a report released by the China Institute for Reform and Development. The report forecasts that by 2030, the per capita services consumption of China's urban and rural residents could exceed 20,000 yuan, accounting for more than half of total consumption.

Asia-Pacific highlights

• The ASEAN+3, which consists of the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China, Japan, and South Korea, remains resilient with strong economic fundamentals, as governments in the region have sufficient policy flexibility to manage short-term challenges, and their central banks have room for monetary easing and ensuring financial stability amid sweeping tariffs shock, according to the bloc's economic outlook released today. It projected the region's economy will grow more than 4 percent this year and the next, "supported by robust domestic demand, recovering investment, and low, stable inflation.” However, the US’ “reciprocal tariffs” could drag the growth to below 4 percent this year and 3.4 percent in 2026, it added.
• The partnership between Australian and Chinese companies is expected to remain "strong and flourishing" for “a high degree of complementarity”, despite intensified global trade volatility amid the US' tariff increases and lingering political uncertainties, said Vaughn Barber, chair of the China-Australia Chamber of Commerce in an interview. According to Barber, Woodside Energy's liquefied natural gas supply agreement with China Resources Gas International last month — the first time that the Australian energy giant signed a long-term sale agreement with a customer in China on a standalone basis — has showcased the strong complementarity and collaboration potential of the two countries in clean energy.
• The upcoming May Day holiday has sparked a surge in China’s short-haul outbound travel, with over 750,000 outbound and inbound flight bookings for the 5-day break. Reservations to Japan and South Korea have risen by 28 percent year-on-year as of April 9, industry data showed.
• The Chinese Embassy in Japan issued a notice on Monday reminding Chinese nationals to remain vigilant and take precautions against potential earthquake disasters following a Japanese government report released on March 31 estimating that up to 298,000 people could die in a megaquake occurring in the Nankai Trough.

Executive Editor: Sonia YU

Editor: LI Yanxia

Host: Stephanie LI

Writer: Stephanie LI

Sound Editor: Stephanie LI

Graphic Designer: ZHENG Wenjing, LIAO Yuanni

Produced by 21st Century Business Herald Dept. of Overseas News.

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