CIIE sets stage for frontier technology

At this year's expo, 3M and Chinese sportswear company Anta Sports Products Ltd will sign a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint innovation laboratory focused on applications of sustainable materials in outdoor sports.

For multinational companies returning to the CIIE year after year, the attraction goes well beyond securing exhibition space. The event offers a chance to turn new technologies into marketable products, forge partnerships with Chinese businesses and build a stronger foothold in the world's second-largest economy.

The continued enthusiasm of foreign businesses is reflected in the scale of this year's CIIE, scheduled to take place in Shanghai from Nov 5 to 10 despite persistent uncertainties in global trade.

With its total exhibition area set to exceed 440,000 square meters for the first time, this year's expo will host 4,142 overseas exhibitors and draw participants from 162 countries, regions and international organizations, according to information released by the Ministry of Commerce.

The number of participating Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders will exceed 300 for the first time, with more than 2,000 companies set to make their CIIE debuts, according to the ministry.

US exhibitors, including Tesla, Boston Scientific, Rockwell Automation and Nike, will collectively occupy more than 50,000 square meters of exhibition space at the ninth CIIE, up 1,500 square meters from last year. The US will retain the largest exhibition area among participating countries for the eighth consecutive year.

Yan Dong, vice-minister of commerce, said the CIIE is becoming an increasingly important platform for innovation, with more than 480 exhibits set to make their global, Asian or China debuts this year, a record high.

"China will respond proactively to trading partners' needs and continue to improve measures to facilitate imports," said Yan. "We will work to enable the world to share in the opportunities of China's vast market."

Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said earlier this year that China's market holds huge potential, adding that the country will increase imports of agricultural products, quality consumer products, advanced technology equipment and key components. China will also make full use of platforms such as the CIIE to expand import channels.

"Exports and imports are like two wheels of a vehicle. The more balanced they are, the smoother and farther it goes," Wang said.

China's imports rose 22.3 percent year-on-year to 16.74 trillion yuan ($2.51 trillion) in the first nine months of 2026, the fastest growth since 2021, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.

Foreign-invested businesses also saw their imports and exports rise 19 percent year-on-year to 11.69 trillion yuan between January and September, with imports up 21.1 percent. They accounted for 34.5 percent of China's total consumer goods imports during the period.

Wang Wen, dean of Renmin University of China's Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, said the CIIE has strengthened China's economic links with international markets by diversifying import sources and facilitating the entry of more foreign products and services into the Chinese market.

As the world's first national-level import expo, the CIIE has drawn participants from more than 180 countries and regions over its first eight editions, with overseas exhibitors recording around 27,000 appearances and generating a combined value of more than $580 billion in intended deals, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Leo Liu, general manager for China at Grin, a New Zealand-based oral care company and eight-time CIIE participant, said the expo has provided smaller foreign businesses with a pathway to long-term growth in China, extending beyond securing orders to expanding local investment.