(Yicai Global) Jan. 11 -- Chinese companies participating in the ongoing 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this year may pack lighter as they are increasingly looking to sell and buy something immaterial, such as data tools to manage international supply chains, amid the rising global trade protectionism. 

Firms that used to come to the annual fair to exhibit hardware products, are now showcasing their smart technologies. Alibaba Group Holding, Baidu, JD.Com, Suning.Com and others have increased their presence at the fair to show off their e-commerce, intelligent warehousing and logistics services. 

As the trade frictions between China and the US lurk in the background, the number of Chinese attending companies has decreased almost 22 percent from last year to some 1,213 vendors. If the two countries cannot make a trade deal by the deadline of March 1, some US import tariffs may rise to 25 percent from 10 percent. 

Some Chinese firms aim to avert the import duties by boosting production outside China. Electrical appliances maker TCL began to bolster its production capacity in Mexico in the middle of last year, as well as in Southeast Asia and India to deal with the potential risks from the China-US trade dispute, Wu Jiyu, a general manager of the Huizhou-based firm's overseas business center, told Yicai Global.

Suning.Com joined the fair hoping to integrate more emerging foreign brands to its smart home platform Biu. The operating system will be opened for more international manufacturers, Jing Wei, the chief operating officer of the Nanjing-based online retailer said in an interview with Yicai Global.

Haier Clothing Internet Ecology penned a cooperation agreement with New York-headquartered cloud computing software firm Evrythng at the show to share data regarding hundreds of million of clothing items. The Qingdao-based consumer electronics firm has created smart washing machines that can identify the material of clothes and hence decide on an appropriate washing program. 

TV maker Skyworth introduced its Metz brand to the US market for the first time at the fair. Metz is a luxury brand that will help Skyworth penetrate into the high-end market, said Wang Zhiguo, the chairman and president of Skyworth-RGB Electronics. The Shenzhen-based firm seeks to meet diversified needs via multiple brands, according to Wang.

The CES will end today. 

Editor: Emmi Laine