Foshan News Network Report, by Xu Xuyi, Li Nianzhi (Zhujiang Times), Correspondent Wang Yabo
The 124th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) opened yesterday. A total of 143 enterprises from Nanhai took part in the event, occupying 418 booths. Compared with the previous session, the number of participating enterprises increased by 11 and booths by 32, hitting a record high in booth scale.
Many Nanhai‑based enterprises stated that they are setting their sights on global markets to maximize their international business partnerships.
Building Brand Influence
A full reassessment of booth qualifications was carried out for this Canton Fair, the first such review since 2012. Following the reassessment, brand‑designated booths among Nanhai’s total 418 booths rose to 111, an increase of 16 over the last session. The brand‑booth evaluation adopts a strict scoring system covering six major dimensions: export turnover, domestic‑and‑overseas trademark registration, brand building, R&D innovation and independent intellectual property rights, international certification, and industry self‑discipline.
This shows that through years of persistent participation in the Canton Fair, some local Nanhai enterprises have upgraded from ordinary booths to brand‑designated booths and built solid brand influence.
Foshan Suoer Electronics Industrial Co., Ltd., Guangdong Weiye Aluminium Factory Group Co., Ltd. and others secured brand‑booth status for the first time this year. Benefiting from premium locations, larger space and better publicity exposure of brand‑designated booths, these enterprises aim to better promote their brands worldwide and secure more orders.
“This year we are showcasing our newly‑developed water‑pump inverters, targeting overseas markets mainly in Africa, the Middle East and South America,” said Yang Shanquan, General Manager of Foshan Suoer Electronics Industrial Co., Ltd. Boasting higher solar‑panel energy‑utilization efficiency, the products drew numerous inquiries at the show, with strong interest especially from South American buyers.
24 Nanhai Enterprises Make Their Canton Fair Debut
Alongside established and robust local enterprises, 24 new‑comer companies from Nanhai took part in the Canton Fair for the first time following the latest booth‑qualification reassessment. Guangdong KANGLONG Hi‑Tech New Materials Co., Ltd. is among them.
As a high‑tech enterprise integrating R&D, manufacturing, sales and services, KANGLONG Hi‑Tech produces new ceramic materials, precision ceramics, plastic‑modified ceramics, functional ceramics, metallized ceramics, advanced composite materials, electric‑light‑source ceramics, electronic‑appliance ceramics and related components. Lamp bases represent its flagship product, with an annual output capacity of 100 million units.
“Exports account for roughly 40 % of our total annual turnover,” said Chen Wenguang, Product Manager of the Marketing & Development Center at KANGLONG Hi‑Tech. Most of its current export business is concentrated in Europe. Participation in the Canton Fair supports its push into other international markets, including the Middle East, Africa and countries along the Belt and Road Initiative.
Foshan Jialeshi Electric Appliance Co., Ltd. also made its debut at this Canton Fair, displaying multiple juicer models. “Eighty percent of our products are for export. The juicers on show are designed mainly to meet the preferences of European and American customers,” a representative from Jialeshi booth commented. Its existing export business focuses largely on Europe and North America.
Shifting Strategic Focus to Global Markets
Amid sustained China‑US trade frictions, several Nanhai enterprises have broadened their horizons to explore new markets worldwide.
A representative from Chigo Group remarked that the Canton Fair has virtually become Chigo’s global business summit. While continuing to scale up brand investment in key markets such as the United States and Europe, the group is actively expanding into Belt‑and‑Road‑related countries. It has set up subsidiaries and agent teams overseas to build a new “global partner” model. In 2018, Chigo achieved widespread growth across global markets. From January to August alone, its sales in Canada and the United States rose by 11.51 % year‑on‑year; growth exceeded 65 % in Afghanistan, Palau and other regions, while North Africa, Brazil, Argentina and other American markets registered around 30 % growth.
“Given the current situation, it is wiser not to put all eggs in one basket,” Yang Shanquan commented. Suoer Electronics pursues a global‑oriented strategy instead of over‑reliance on individual overseas markets. Beyond the Middle East and Belt‑and‑Road‑related economies, the company is also developing business in China‑US trade‑related markets and North America.
“Historically the US market accounted for 30 % of our overseas sales, though this share has declined recently,” said Wang Qingping, Chairman of Foshan Lisheng Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. Fluctuations in overseas‑market proportions are normal. The company is advancing global brand promotion and building an international footprint.
Nanhai’s Foreign‑trade Volume Rose by 6.8 % Year‑on‑Year (Jan‑Aug)
The rising number of Nanhai‑exhibiting enterprises and booths, together with their active global‑market exploration, reflects local businesses’ confidence in foreign‑trade prospects.
From January to August, Nanhai District recorded RMB 98.21 billion in total import‑and‑export volume, a year‑on‑year increase of 6.8 %. Exports stood at RMB 70.18 billion and imports at RMB 28.03 billion. Statistics show Nanhai’s foreign trade maintained steady development.
Against uncertain and volatile global economic‑trade conditions, Nanhai has rolled out multiple measures to stabilize foreign‑trade performance. To foster new‑type foreign‑trade formats, the district encourages local enterprises to seek new growth drivers via cross‑border e‑commerce. On the import side, the operating entity of Guijiang Vehicle Inspection Station obtained qualification for a “cross‑border‑e‑commerce direct‑import & retail‑export supervision site”, which began trial operation on May 11, boosting local cross‑border e‑commerce direct‑import business.
For exports, Nanhai promoted the establishment of a Cross‑border E‑commerce Chamber of Commerce. Supported by chamber‑of‑commerce services, local foreign‑trade manufacturers are directly connected to international B2C platforms such as Amazon and eBay, cutting intermediate links for local‑made goods and driving export growth through diversified channels.
Nanhai Economy‑and‑Promotion Bureau conducted systematic research on local foreign‑trade enterprises. Working together with customs authorities, officials visited companies on‑site to assess impacts and deliver targeted services. Multi‑department policy briefings were held covering cross‑border two‑way RMB capital pools, export tax rebates, export‑risk prevention and export‑credit insurance. Enterprises were encouraged to make full use of supportive foreign‑trade policies, mitigate negative impacts from China‑US trade frictions, safeguard legitimate interests, strengthen independent innovation and advance corporate development.
Related Event Information
The 124th Canton Fair was held in three phases:
Phase 1 (Oct 15‑19): Electronics & home appliances, lighting, vehicles & accessories, machinery, hardware tools, building materials, chemical products, energy‑related products.
Phase 2 (Oct 23‑27): Consumer goods, gifts, home‑decoration products.
Phase 3 (Oct 31‑Nov 4): Textiles & garments, footwear, office bags & leisure articles, medicine & healthcare products, food.
(Editor: Guan Aiying)
