The 123rd China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) has officially kicked off in Guangzhou, China.

Held in three phases categorized by products and industries, this year’s Canton Fair has an exhibition area of 1.185 million square meters encompassing 60,475 booths and 25,171 companies, and includes 152 specialized product zones – 12 more than last session.

“During the past 40 years of reform and opening up, Canton Fair has served domestic and international enterprises and has played an active role in China’s opening-up policy and social and economic development,” said Wang Bingnan, Deputy Director of the Commerce Department and Deputy Managing Director of the Canton Fair.

“Canton Fair provides innovative systems and business models, improves service quality, and promotes and balances international trade. It has become an important platform for China to open to outside world.”

Of the 2,149 brand companies exhibiting in the National Pavilion, more brand exhibitors are highlighting “Chinese Smart Manufacturing”. An increasing number of high-tech and environmentally-friendly products with self-developed intellectual property are featured as well.

The International Pavilion (the Pavilion), a 20,000-square-meter area with 992 exhibition booths, features 617 companies from 34 countries and regions showcasing their products. Buyers will have the opportunity to talk with vendors and groups from Ukraine, Thailand and Nepal for the first time at the Canton Fair. A comprehensive health industrial cluster, which will gather high-end, organic everyday chemical brands from the US, France, and Germany, will also be launched at the Pavilion.

The 123rd Canton Fair will also host themed forums and industry summits covering issues such as international market development, design innovation, brand marketing, fashion trends, technology, local industry promotion, and enterprise quality control improvement. In addition, the Canton Fair will organize series of design thematic activates and original design fashion show, demonstrating works from 102 design companies from 12 countries and regions.