14 Feb 2nd China International Expo: should Australian businesses attend?
China International Expo (CIIE)
The first China International Import Expo (CIIE) was held in November 2018 in Shanghai. This six-day multi-sector trade show for imported products was co-hosted by China’s Ministry of Commerce and the Shanghai Municipal Government and supported by Austrade and the Australia-China Business Council.
The CIIE’s aim is to provide businesses with opportunities to explore selling to China’s ever-growing market, showcase their products and services and make business connections. It will be held again this year in Shanghai at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre on November 5-10 2019.
Should Australian businesses attend? We look at feedback, outcomes and the support available for Australian businesses this year.
CIIE attendance in 2018
Last year’s Expo brought together more than 400,000 Chinese buyers with foreign companies and government representatives looking to export to China. Reportedly over one million people from over 170 countries and 3,600 enterprises attended, including 160 Australian businesses and representatives from the Australian State and Federal governments.
Australian business benefits highlighted
Australian attendees were reportedly extremely positive about the event. Benefits highlighted include the sheer scale of CIIE, the opportunities it presented to reach the huge Chinese middle class consumer market, and opening the doors to make person-to-person business contacts in China.
Australian products are more sought after than ever in China due to their reputation for being clean, green and high quality. Despite the recent downturn in China’s economy and the ongoing trade war with the USA, Australia’s exports to China are projected to grow significantly due to the ballooning Chinese middle class who do much of their buying online. Amelia Williams, Australia Post’s Communication Manager who attended the Expo, said that by 2020, China’s ecommerce will be worth $1.6 trillion and Australia has a real competitive advantage to capture this market thanks to our close proximity.
Billion dollar deals from China International Import Expo 2018
At the close of the event, the CIE Bureau announced that over US$59 billion of trade deals were secured. Of these deals, the industries that stood out were smart manufacturing (almost a third of all deals at US$16.5 billion), followed by food and agriculture (US$12.7 billion), and the automotive industry (US$12 billion). Other notable sectors included consumer electronics products and home appliances (US$4.3 billion), consumer goods (US$3.4 billion), and trade services (US$3.2 billion).
CIIE 2019 exhibit categories for products and services
The exhibits this year will be divided into the following areas:
1. High end Intelligent Equipment
2. Sci-tech Life (eg smart home & wearable device)
3. Quality Life (eg beauty, clothes, leisure)
4. Automobile
5. Food and Agricultural Products
6. Medical Equipment and Medical Care Products
7. Trade in services including tourism, emerging technologies, culture & education, creative design and service outsourcing.
See the profile of the categories and booth rates below:
Austrade support for Australian businesses
Once again, Austrade is supporting Australian companies attending CIIE with national branding, business lounge facilities and networking support from Austrade’s China team. An Australian National Pavilion will serve as a focal point of Australian capability. For companies who want to find out how they can be involved and what is on offer, Austrade is offering free webinars in early June, specifically for different industries.
If you are interested in being a part of the China International Import Expo, you can find out more by visiting the CIIE website and the Austrade CIIE website.
Accru Felsers Sydney China business specialists, together with our Accru Asia network, can support your business expansion to China. Please contact an Accru Asia advisor to discuss how we can help you get started on your China journey.
By Jean Zhang, Accru Felsers Sydney & Accru Asia