Amid the global tariff war, the 137th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) opened on the 15th in Guangzhou. For the first time, exhibitors exceeded 30,000. With the U.S. significantly increasing tariffs on Chinese goods, companies hope to use the fair to connect with alternative markets such as Europe, ASEAN, Latin America, and the Middle East to reduce dependence on the U.S. market. Riding the recent wave of Chinese technology, this Canton Fair has increased its technological content by establishing a "Service Robotics Section" for the first time, with companies from Hangzhou taking up 20% of the booths, attracting numerous foreign buyers.
●Companies Connect with Europe, ASEAN and Other Alternative Markets
Dubbed "China's First Exhibition," the Canton Fair welcomes its 137th session, which will be held in three phases from the 15th of April to the 5th of May at the Pazhou Complex in Guangzhou. This year's exhibition focuses on the themes of "Advanced Manufacturing," "Quality Living," and "Beautiful Life," with a total exhibition area of 520,000 square meters divided into 55 exhibition areas and 172 product sections. There are approximately 31,000 exhibitors, with the number of export exhibitors exceeding 30,000 for the first time, and over 200,000 overseas buyers from 215 countries and regions pre-registered.
The Canton Fair is seen as a "barometer" and "weathervane" of China's foreign trade, as well as a microcosm of China's participation in globalization. However, this session has encountered a tariff war initiated by the U.S. against China and other trade partners. Many participating companies expressed hope to use this "gathering of ten thousand merchants" opportunity to connect with alternative markets such as Europe, ASEAN, Latin America, and the Middle East to reduce reliance on a single market.
The Guangdong Silk Textile Group has not missed a single session of the Canton Fair since its inception. "In the face of the complex and ever-changing global economic situation, the recent tariff policy of the U.S. government poses many uncertainties for foreign trade enterprises," the group’s chairman, Li Xiaoying, told the Yangcheng Evening News. Before the opening of this Canton Fair, they have been continuously contacting customers from Japan, Australia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Pakistan, and other "Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership" (RCEP) member countries and "Belt and Road" countries to invite potential clients to discuss at the Canton Fair. Besides exploring customer sources from other countries, Li Xiaoying stated that turning to domestic sales will become an important way to seek new development space in the future.
●9 Companies from Hangzhou Become the Focus
Earlier this year, the Chinese technology wave led by "Hangzhou's Six Little Dragons" such as DeepSeek, has also spread to the Canton Fair. On the opening day of the 15th, the "Service Robotics Section" in the Friendship Hall of the exhibition center was particularly lively, with many foreign buyers raising their phones to capture Chinese-made mechanical dogs, industrial exoskeleton equipment, and autonomous cruising robots.
According to a responsible person from the Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce, this Canton Fair has set up a "Service Robotics Section" for the first time, with nine companies from Hangzhou appearing, accounting for 36 booths, or 20% of this section, ranking first in the country. Hangzhou-registered companies such as Unitree Robotics, Cloudminds, West Lake Robotics, and Taixi Intelligence all participated, hoping to expand into overseas markets.