Alpaca wool sourced from New Zealand pastures is shipped to China and turned into warm home textile products; durians from orchards in Malaysia are kept fresh through cold-chain logistics and displayed at the CIIE booth; an entrepreneur from Peru brings an AI-powered supply-demand matching platform that connects buyers and farmers between China and Latin American countries... The 9th China International Import Expo coincides with the APEC "China Year." Exhibits from APEC economies cross mountains and seas, showcasing, negotiating, and matching, making booths the starting point for cooperation and exhibits the bond of the market.
As one of the important engines of global economic growth, the Asia-Pacific region is deeply integrated economically and highly interlinked industrially. Through supply-demand matching and industrial linkage, the CIIE builds a broad platform for APEC economies to share opportunities and promote common development, helping to deepen and solidify the building of an Asia-Pacific community.
Open Platform Links Asia-Pacific Resources
U.S. companies have exhibition space exceeding 50,000 square meters, maintaining first place for eight consecutive editions and an increase of 1,500 square meters from last year; Canadian and New Zealand companies have the largest exhibition areas in history; Australian companies' exhibition area expanded by 25% from last year... At this year's CIIE, APEC economies showed high enthusiasm for participation, with exhibition scales continuing to expand and exhibit content becoming more diverse.
Marriott International Group, which has participated for nine consecutive years, has witnessed the expansion of China's service consumption market. Mo Yibing, a member of Marriott International Group's Global Executive Committee and President of China Region, stated that China continues to advance high-level opening-up, the tourism market is thriving, and consumer demand is constantly upgrading, creating broad opportunities for international hotel groups to develop in China. Marriott will continue to work with local partners to meet diversified consumer needs with richer brand choices and lodging experiences, help high-quality tourism development, and promote cultural exchange and tourism between China and other countries.
At the booth of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Malaysian specialty products such as mangosteens, seafood, and charcoal-roasted coffee are displayed in abundance, with many coming from local small and medium-sized enterprises. Li Weikang, a relevant person in charge of the Diwang Agricultural Eco-Tourism Cooperative, carefully explained to buyers the characteristics of different durian products such as Musang King, Black Thorn, and Golden Phoenix. "When expanding into international markets, SMEs often face difficulties such as insufficient resources, capital, and connections, while the CIIE provides an international display and exchange platform that helps them reach a wide range of buyers in China and globally, and better understand international market trends," said Wu Yiping, President of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia.
In 2021, New Zealand Pacific Alpaca Home Textile Group brought more than 100 alpaca quilts to the CIIE and quickly sold out its 9-square-meter booth. In 2022, the company shipped 3.3 tons of New Zealand alpaca fiber to China, using China's fine fiber carding technology for processing cooperation, and in 2025 established a long-term partnership with a Chinese e-commerce platform. This year, the company is exhibiting with more diverse products including alpaca quilts, toppers, and alpaca apparel. "What we gain from the CIIE is not only a broad market, but also the opportunity to improve products together with different partners and upgrade the industrial chain and value chain," said Hu Tao, Chairman of New Zealand Pacific Alpaca Home Textile Group. The CIIE brings together buyers and various partners, allowing all parties to discuss practical cooperation around specific product needs, providing concrete paths for regional open cooperation.
At the booth of a Papua New Guinea company, specialty agricultural products such as vanilla pods, fermented cocoa beans, pea protein, and cassava starch attracted many buyers' attention. "Most of our raw materials come from local small farmers and planting cooperatives in PNG. PNG handles raw material cultivation and primary processing, Singapore handles Asia-Pacific international logistics transshipment, and Australia provides regional quality inspection and warehousing support. China is both a terminal consumer market and handles deep processing and product application development. Processed pea protein, vermicelli, cassava cat litter, and other product lines are exported to multiple APEC economies including the United States and South Korea. The CIIE helps enterprises connect with quality farmers, modern industries, and broader markets at lower costs," said Li Xueqing, head of the exhibiting company.
Australia Natural Biotechnology Pty Ltd is also a "full-attendance" exhibitor at the CIIE, and its main product Coribi honey continues to be popular in the Chinese market; Peruvian alpaca wool toys opened the Chinese market through the CIIE, and exhibition orders helped more than 200 artisan families escape poverty... Many SME exhibitors from APEC economies have found valuable opportunities to explore markets and reach the world through the CIIE. "APEC helps the Asia-Pacific region build consensus through dialogue and consultation, promoting free trade and open cooperation, while the CIIE provides an important platform for translating these cooperations into concrete results," said Wu Yiping. The CIIE not only promotes goods entering the Chinese market but also facilitates trade cooperation among APEC economies.
Innovation Drives Activation of Development Potential
After a new product launch, what is the market acceptance? What new demands do consumers have? The CIIE provides enterprises with a direct window to observe the market. This year's CIIE focuses on frontier industries and innovation fields, showcasing new technologies, new products, and new services from various economies, helping APEC economies share China's high-quality development opportunities through innovative products.
In Hall 5 of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), many exhibitors are experiencing the flagship wellness chair launched for the first time in China at the OSIM booth. After sitting down, users can intuitively see their stress data through non-contact monitoring technology, and relax body and mind with music and customized stress-relief aromatherapy. "The CIIE is the 'launch window' for global frontier technology entering the Chinese market, and also an important hub for the deep integration of China's innovation demands with the Asia-Pacific and even global markets," said Lin Xiaohui, head of management at OSIM (China) headquarters. The CIIE helps enterprises collect product feedback and use it to benefit markets in other countries and regions. "Through the CIIE, we have achieved a virtuous cycle of 'rooted in China, empowering Asia-Pacific,' allowing innovative results that integrate global technology with Chinese local needs to benefit consumers in the Asia-Pacific region better and faster."
3M Company of the United States systematically showcased diversified innovative solutions centered on materials science. "The demand for innovative technologies and products in the Chinese market is rapidly iterating and upgrading. We will further deepen our presence in the Chinese market and create more possibilities for the development of new technologies, new models, and new business forms," said Ding Hongyu, President of 3M China.
Innovation is an inexhaustible source of Asia-Pacific development, reflected not only in technological progress and industrial upgrading but also in the continuous renewal of development concepts and cooperation models. Last year, Teo Rojas, founder of Peru's Argo brand, participated for the first time, bringing products such as cocoa powder, quinoa flakes, and camu camu powder, which received widespread attention and inspired him to build a digital information platform. This year, he is exhibiting again with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's overseas exhibition delegation and plans to launch the AI digital platform LAX86 on November 8. "This platform serves buyers, suppliers, producers, and service partners in China and Latin America, providing business information retrieval and supply-demand matching services," said Rojas. Digital tools reduce information costs, and the CIIE provides opportunities to build trust face-to-face, understand consumer preferences, and expand long-term cooperation.
As an important platform for China's high-level opening-up, the CIIE has become a window where policy orientation, market demand, and industrial innovation converge and integrate, and a bridge for two-way empowerment and co-creation of value. From bringing fewer than 15 products at its first participation to showcasing nearly 100 innovative products and solutions this year, Cargill of the United States has continuously enhanced the technological content of its exhibits. Ke Peiyu, President of Cargill Agricultural and Trade Asia-Pacific Group, said: "The CIIE provides a platform for regional enterprises to showcase innovative technologies and exchange industry practices, helping promote the exchange and application of mature technologies and solutions across different markets."
Collaborative Linkage Weaves a Dense Cooperation Network
Looking at the development history of the Asia-Pacific, open cooperation brings mutual benefit and win-win results. As a member of the Asia-Pacific family, China has always promoted Asia-Pacific cooperation with Chinese solutions, urging all parties to jointly build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future that is open and inclusive, innovative in growth, interconnected, and cooperative for win-win outcomes. This year's CIIE brings together high-quality upstream and downstream enterprises in the Asia-Pacific region to work together and continuously strengthen the stable foundation of regional industrial and supply chains.
Daily refreshment, outdoor travel, sports hydration... At the booth of Thailand's Tian Si Group, cups of beverages correspond to different consumption scenarios, and buyers and visitors directly provide feedback on taste and needs through trial drinking. Among them, the vitamin electrolyte beverage the company will launch in 2026 combines a formula validated in the Thai market with Chinese consumption scenarios and drinking habits, making it Tian Si Group's first electrolyte drink specifically developed for the Chinese market. "The CIIE transforms the open opportunities of China's super-large market into concrete cooperation scenarios for enterprises. APEC, based on regional governance, builds open consensus and multilateral cooperation frameworks within the Asia-Pacific," said Xu Xinxiong, CEO of Tian Si Group. The two have complementary positioning and coordinated linkage, jointly helping build an open Asia-Pacific economy.
As China's market demand enters corporate R&D and operations, the CIIE has also extended from a new product display window to a platform for product iteration, channel matching, and investment cooperation. As an "old friend" of the CIIE, Skechers continues to use this platform to connect consumers, channel partners, and industrial resources. Chen Weili, CEO of Skechers China, South Korea, and Southeast Asia, said the CIIE builds a complete chain of exhibiting, negotiating, stocking, and selling, as well as an efficient supply-demand bridge, allowing exhibition resources to be effectively converted into store launch and market promotion resources. Currently, more than 90% of Skechers products sold in China are made in China, and the company will also promote more innovation results and experience originating from China to global markets including APEC economies.
The Canada International Trade Promotion Association has organized Canadian companies to participate for nine consecutive editions, with this year's exhibition area reaching 442 square meters. Two of the companies also held global product launch events in the innovation incubation zone. "The CIIE is an economic and trade bridge connecting all parties," said Zheng Xiaoling, President of the Canada International Trade Promotion Association. When a product enters a Chinese household, behind it is a cooperation chain spanning multiple APEC economies. Taking Canadian seafood and fresh fruit as an example, Canadian companies handle production and quality control, Chinese partners handle import, distribution, and market sales, and economies such as Singapore and South Korea can provide financial, logistics, and testing services. Different economies each leverage their strengths at various stages, making regional cooperation closer.
"China is steadfastly expanding high-level opening-up, providing more opportunities for foreign enterprises to develop in China and injecting strong certainty into APEC regional and global trade cooperation," said Zhang Daijun, Chief Vice President of Samsung China. The CIIE is a vivid epitome of China's expansion of high-level opening-up, backed by a massive Chinese domestic market, a fully functional industrial chain support system, and a vibrant innovation chain. Today's China is already a global manufacturing hub, R&D center, and supply chain core. Zheng Yi, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, believes that APEC provides an important platform for APEC economies to conduct dialogue on trade and investment facilitation, innovation, and regional economic cooperation; the CIIE provides concrete opportunities for international companies including U.S. enterprises to showcase products, understand market demand, and expand business partners. "We look forward to the two platforms continuing to promote practical cooperation among enterprises and creating a more open, transparent, and predictable environment for trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region."
From November 18 to 19, the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will be held in Shenzhen. The procurement negotiations, technology launches, and investment implementation at the CIIE provide concrete corporate practices for Asia-Pacific cooperation. Under the theme of "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Promote Common Prosperity," the shared vision of openness, innovation, and cooperation is accumulating results through the practical actions of various economies, injecting new momentum into the common development of the Asia-Pacific.
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