(Yicai Global) May 6 -- Exports orders agreed at the spring session of the 125th China Import and Export Fair, better known as the Canton Fair, inched down 1.1 percent to CNY199.5 billion (USD29.6 billion), the 21st Century Business Herald reported.

The number of buyers also dropped 3.9 percent to 195,454 this year from 2018, the report said, citing the event's spokesman Xu Bing. Short and medium-term orders made up close to three-quarters of the total deals struck, he said.

Held in Guangzhou, capital city of the southern province of Guangdong, in the spring and fall each year, the Canton Fair is China's largest trade fair and is considered a gauge of the country's exports.

The latest figures indicate a slowdown in both international trade and economic growth as China faces a grimmer trade environment, Xu said. Buyer numbers also fell because national holidays coincided with the event, he added.

Export turnover is largely stable and the structure keeps improving, Xu said. Exports to countries that have joined China's Belt and Road Initiative jumped 9.9 percent to make up 35.8 percent of total turnover.

China will optimize its foreign trade policy environment in the long run and has recently cuts taxes and fees, Xu said, adding that the country supports the development of small and medium-sized firms and will improve the business environment.

Editor: William Clegg