I arrived at the Canton Fair early yesterday morning. Is this what you call a small crowd?
To be honest, I was a little worried before coming. At last spring’s fair, buyers from the Middle East replaced European and American buyers as the largest group. But things have changed this year.
Some latest immigration data from Guangzhou shows:
Since April, passenger flow from
Belt and Road countries has increased sharply, up 26.09% year-on-year. Emerging markets including ASEAN, Latin America and Africa now make up
50.08% of total visitors.
Meanwhile, European buyers are returning strongly. European passenger flow in April jumped 44.03% year-on-year.
I arrived at the registration hall around 8 a.m., and buyers were already lining up. I saw fewer Middle Eastern faces, but many new buyers from India, Latin America and Africa.
By 9:15 a.m., waves of buyers were rushing into the halls from the subway station. In previous years, hardly any buyers showed up that early on the first day.
Change 1: Old buyers returning, new buyers growing rapidly.
Change 2: Strong buying enthusiasm.
While I was filming with a DJI Osmo, an African buyer asked to buy the camera right from my hand and wanted me to take him to the booth.
At another booth selling exoskeleton equipment, a buyer tried it on and immediately said “buy one”, then began discussing payment methods.
Popular sections such as small home appliances, robots, new energy, auto parts and agricultural machinery were full of buyers in deep negotiations. With better quantity and quality of buyers, securing orders has become easier.
In today’s unstable global situation, China’s stable supply chain makes it the top choice for international buyers. In the first quarter, China’s import and export growth hit a 5-year high: exports to ASEAN up 17.5%, to the EU up 18%, and to the UK up 15.3%.
Some exhibitors mentioned that many new orders may be buyers restocking inventory or even ordering ahead for the second half of the year. What do you think?
Change 3: Buyers are more integrated into China.
Several foreigners stopped me and spoke clear Chinese to ask for directions or ask me to take photos. I even hesitated whether to reply in Chinese or English.
This year, many Chinese booths also hired foreign sales staff, making it sometimes hard to tell who is a buyer and who is a seller.
China’s foreign trade is becoming more international than ever.
