At China's big import fair, sellers try to crack a tough market

· Trade · China

The China International Import Expo in Shanghai is drawing sellers from around the world, from American soybeans and German fountain pens to vitamins from Canada, camera lenses from Japan and blueberries from Zimbabwe, according to Bloomberg. The fair is a showcase for foreign companies trying to break into China's vast but difficult consumer market at a time of weak domestic demand, a prolonged property slump and trade tensions with the US. It follows a Trump-Xi summit at which China pledged further opening of its financial market.

Why it matters：The fair tests whether China's market can still absorb foreign goods as its surplus swells and trade partners push for rebalancing.

Key points

  • The expo is being held in Shanghai.
  • Sellers range from US soybean exporters to Zimbabwean blueberry growers.
  • It comes amid weak Chinese domestic demand.

Sources (original reporting)

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