— The 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE) will be held in Shanghai from November 5 to 10. What are the key highlights of this year's expo? At a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on October 16, officials outlined preparations for the event and answered questions from the media.
On October 16, the State Council Information Office held a press conference in Beijing to brief the media on preparations for the 9th CIIE. Yan Dong, Vice Minister of Commerce; Lu Shan, vice mayor of Shanghai; Xiao Lu, deputy secretary of the Party Committee of the China International Import Expo Bureau; and Shen Weihua, director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, introduced the latest developments and answered questions.
A Stronger Commitment to Openness, with More Than 4,100 Overseas Exhibitors
Yan Dong, vice minister of commerce, said preparations for the expo are basically complete. A total of 162 countries, regions and international organizations are expected to participate, with 4,142 overseas companies exhibiting. The total exhibition area will exceed 440,000 square meters for the first time.
The Country Exhibition has attracted 69 countries and international organizations, more than last year. Canada and Sri Lanka will serve as the Guest Countries of Honor, while Moldova, Romania and three other countries, along with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will make their debut at the expo.
China Pavilion will be a major attraction in the Comprehensive Country Exhibition. Under the theme "Breaking New Ground for a Shared Win-Win Future,” it will highlight the new blueprint for China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), presenting a forward-looking perspective, a global vision and a commitment to opening-up.
The Enterprise & Business Exhibition will also scale new heights, with its area exceeding 370,000 square meters for the first time. Companies from the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and France will lead in terms of exhibition space. U.S. companies will occupy more than 50,000 square meters, retaining the top spot for the eighth consecutive year and expanding their exhibition space by 1,500 square meters compared with last year.
Xiao Lu, Deputy Party Secretary of the CIIE Bureau, said the expo's special sections for Asian and African products will be further upgraded. Exhibition space occupied by African companies is also expected to increase steadily, while the area of free booths provided to least-developed countries will grow by 17%.
The Hongqiao International Economic Forum, held alongside the expo, will issue the Export-to-China Capacity Development Report for the first time and continue to release the World Openness Report.
"One report takes a global perspective and focuses on shared openness, while the other centers on China and emphasizes win-win cooperation. Together, they will contribute insights to global openness and cooperation while helping participants seize opportunities brought by the Chinese market,” Yan said.
Photo caption: The south square of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) on July 27.
Stronger Innovation Momentum, with a Record Number of Global Debuts
The Enterprise & Business Exhibition will retain its "6+1” layout, comprising six major exhibition zones-technical equipment, consumer goods, food and agricultural products, automobiles and smart mobility, medical equipment and healthcare products, and trade in services-alongside an Innovation Incubation Special Section.
Yan noted that for the first time more than 300 Fortune Global 500 firms and industry-leading enterprises will participate this year. Nearly 200 companies and institutions will have attended all nine editions of the expo, while more than 2,000 first-time exhibitors will bring fresh faces to the event.
More specialized displays: The expo will further strengthen its full-industry-chain display arrangement, expanding from individual technologies to broader industrial ecosystems and their supply chains. The Intelligent Industry & Information Technology Exhibition Area, for example, will cover the entire semiconductor value chain, from materials and equipment to design and finished products, while showcasing technological advances in next-generation mobile communications, artificial intelligence and other fields.
More innovative exhibits: Split-type endoscopic surgical robots, cochlear implants capable of detecting sound from 360 degrees, and 6G terminal prototypes are among the highlights. As of the latest count, more than 480 representative exhibits are scheduled to make their global debut, Asian debut or China debut at this year's expo, hitting a new record.
More targeted business events: The expo will continue to hold key events including product-selection sessions for major buyers to facilitate trade matching. Country-specific cooperation events will include dedicated matchmaking sessions for the Guest Countries of Honor, medical devices from the European Union, and agricultural and food products from Asia and Africa. The Innovation Incubation Special Section will host around 20 roadshows and business networking sessions.
China's 15th Five-Year Plan outline calls for actively promoting the debut economy, which focuses on introducing new products, technologies and services to the market for the first time. The CIIE has become a major global platform for product launches, while Shanghai is leveraging the debut economy to amplify the expo's spillover effects.
Shanghai has established a "6+365 (six days plus 365 days)” Permanent Exhibition and Trade Mechanism. At Hongqiao Pin Hui, more than 6,000 brands from over 120 countries and regions offer roughly 85,000 products showcased at the CIIE.
The city has also introduced pioneering measures to streamline inspections of imported consumer goods making their debut in China, reducing customs clearance time from a minimum of seven days to as quickly as the same day.
Lu Shan, Vice Mayor of Shanghai, said the city will take the CIIE as an opportunity to build itself into a global launchpad for new products.
Photo caption: A container ship carrying the first batch of exhibits for the 9th CIIE berthed at Yangshan Port in Shanghai on October 12.
Upgraded Services to Ensure the Expo Continues to Improve
Lu said preparations for the city's supporting services are largely complete.
To help exhibitors achieve better outcomes, Shanghai will strengthen targeted supply-demand matchmaking, striving to secure more on-site deals and hit a new high in the value of intended purchases.
To improve the experience of participants and guests, the city will integrate multiple transportation options and provide end-to-end travel services covering rail transit, buses and shuttle services. A total of 3,900 CIIE Volunteers, nicknamed the "Little Leaves,” will be deployed to support the event.
To strengthen links between the expo and the city and maximize its comprehensive economic impact, Shanghai is preparing a "1+2+X” system of meetings and events. It will also host activities including "Shopping in China: 2026 Quality Consumption Month and Shanghai CIIE Consumption Carnival.”
So far, more than 5,000 merchants have rolled out special offers under Shanghai's CIIE ticket-stub promotion program, covering retail, dining, cultural and museum exhibitions, major shopping districts and other consumption scenarios.
Shen Weihua, Director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, said exhibitors and visitors can scan a QR code on the promotional leaflet attached to their CIIE credentials to access the dedicated CIIE ticket-stub section of the "Shopping Shanghai” platform. There, they can browse city-wide consumption activities, claim special offers and experience Shanghai's urban vitality and consumption appeal.
Contact Info:
Name: Huang Yuxuan
Email: Send Email
Organization: CHINA INTERNATIONAL IMPORT EXPO
Website: https://www.ciie.org/zbh/en/
Release ID: 89206728
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