(Yicai) Nov. 10 -- This year’s China International Import Expo, which ended today, provided European firms with a platform to deepen their access to the Chinese market, secure business deals, and explore opportunities in sectors ranging from seafood and consumer goods to industrial technology and medical devices.

The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China wants to see more European businesses and new products represented at the annual event, Carlo D’Andrea, the chamber’s vice president and chairman of its Shanghai chapter, told Yicai during the expo.

Attending his ninth CIIE, D'Andrea said the Shanghai-based event provides a platform for companies, buyers, government officials, and the media to meet and interact. He suggested that additional support for small and medium-sized enterprises could encourage more European businesses to participate.

The annual expo, now in its ninth year, helps turn business discussions into commercial deals. At a China-Norway matchmaking event organized during the CIIE by the Hubei provincial government, more than 70 companies held one-on-one talks.

Xinjiangyang Group, a seafood processor based in Ezhou, signed a CNY30 million order and plans to build a salmon processing, logistics, and sales base in the city with Norwegian supplier Nordlaks. Wuhan Yihaida International Trade signed purchase agreements worth USD100 million, equivalent to about one-third of its annual purchases, according to the Hubei government.

Chinese and European Buyers

Norway's national pavilion, organized by enterprise promotion agency Innovation Norway, brought together companies and organizations including the Norwegian Seafood Council, Aker BioMarine, industrial investor Orkla, food maker Tine, and luxury bottle water company Voss, showcasing a broad range of products and solutions.

Chinese industrial technology is also drawing European buyers, including Eurogate, which operates container terminals in Hamburg, Bremerhaven, and Wilhelmshaven. The German business has taken part in every CIIE since its launch in 2018.

Chinese port equipment makers and technology suppliers are highly competitive, said Eurogate President Michael Blach, and the company is studying Chinese solutions for future terminal automation projects. Eurogate has ordered eight remote-controlled ship-to-shore cranes from China, with the first expected by the end of next year, Ingo Meidinger, managing director for sales, told Yicai earlier this year.

Other European exhibitors used the week-long event to put their products in front of Chinese buyers. Slovakia had nine SMEs in healthcare, food and beverages, and rehabilitation equipment. Moldova had a national pavilion for the very first time, displaying wines and other specialty products, while Austrian machine toolmaker WFL made its CIIE debut with the Asia premiere of the M35-G Millturn, a high-precision, multifunctional complete machining center.

Trade Dialogue Role for CIIE

D’Andrea said the CIIE should form part of broader efforts to strengthen trade ties between China and the European Union.

He pointed to a China-EU medical device matchmaking session held during the expo, which brought together more than 43 European companies and 146 Chinese buyers, alongside regulators and other stakeholders. Hosted by China’s Ministry of Commerce on Nov. 5, the session followed the second round of China-EU trade and investment consultations held in Beijing in October. 

"This is a step in the right direction," D'Andrea said, adding that the session gave European medical device makers and Chinese stakeholders an opportunity to discuss ways to expand sales in China.

He also welcomed China's participation in a consultation mechanism with the EU. "The willingness of China to discuss with the EU and to sit at the table in order to have a consultation mechanism helps to listen to our problems and not deny them," he said.

Editor: Tom Litting