(Yicai) Oct. 27 -- Ten heavy trucks carrying the first batch of exhibits rolled into the North Plaza of the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, marking the start of preparations for the ninth China International Import Expo.

Booth construction for this year's CIIE entered full swing with the first exhibits arriving on site early yesterday, according to the Shanghai government's Information Office. Structural work on all booths is expected to be mostly complete by Oct. 31, while most exhibits should be in place by Nov. 3, with the event running from Nov. 5 to 10.

The first exhibits delivered to the venue are mainly for the Technology & Equipment and Food & Agricultural Products zones, said the event's organizer CIIE Bureau. Highlights include Austrian machine tools, Dutch-made Blueseal 3.0 T helium-free magnet, Michelin tires made with 75 percent renewable and recycled materials from France, and organic bananas from Peru.

Many items will make their global or Asia debut at this CIIE, including WFL Millturn Technologies' compact M35-G MILLTURN turning-milling composite machining center.

China ranks among WFL's top three overseas markets, a representative from the Austrian company pointed out, adding that the firm has strong confidence and high expectations for its business development in the country and aims to leverage the CIIE to further expand its footprint across the Asia-Pacific region.

Exhibits from German valves and system solutions maker Hans Sasserath, which has taken part in all editions of the CIIE, also arrived yesterday, with its newly unveiled building water supply system making its Asia debut.

The new product's main unit is manufactured in Germany while its application system was developed in China, a senior executive at Hans Sasserath's country arm said on site. "We have combined German standards with local application scenarios, translating them into Chinese standards, and will launch the solution at this CIIE, where we expect to sign the first sales contract for the unit."

Regarding the CIIE, the organizer said service standards will be comprehensively upgraded this year, with more than 2,600 new temporary guidance signs added and over 120 volunteers providing on-site guidance from 23 service desks across the venue. In addition, Wi-Fi coverage spans the entire exhibition hall and its concurrent user capacity has been raised to 100,000 from 50,000 last year.

Editor: Martin Kadiev