The 135th session of the Canton Fair, officially called the China Import and Export Fair, is scheduled to take place from April 15 to May 5 in the city of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Launched in 1957 and held twice a year, the fair is considered a major gauge of the performance of China's foreign trade.
This year’s exhibition area will be 1.55 million square meters, with about 28,600 firms participating in the export section, including more than 4,300 new exhibitors. 93,000 buyers from 215 countries and regions have completed pre-registration.
Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said that more currency exchange machines and mobile POS machines will be installed at the venue, as cash accounted for 52% of the most popular payment method used by the fair’s overseas buyers, while mobile payment accounted for 33%, and 15% used bank cards.
Officials also said they have also simplified the procedure for purchasers to attend the Canton Fair. Overseas buyers can apply for a visa to attend the fair at any Chinese embassy or consulate simply by submitting an electronic invitation letter.
