Trade firms hail show prices cut

Organizers claim reduction will mean 240m-yuan saving for all participants

Exhibition fees for domestic exporters taking part in the upcoming China Import and Export Fair are being cut on the average by 18 percent, the biggest reduction in the history of the event, in an attempt to boost flagging foreign trade.

Shen Danyang, a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, said the average price of a stand at the event, more often called the Canton Fair, which starts on April 15, will be reduced by 4,000 yuan ($618) on average, which he said should mean a 240-million-yuan saving for participants.