As the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) prepares to open its doors in Shanghai, excitement is already building across the city. One of the most eye-catching events leading up to the expo is the CIIE Bazaar City Arena on Nanjing Road East, where visitors can purchase products identical to those that will be showcased at this year’s exhibition. The marketplace, which opened in May 2024, has become a vivid example of the CIIE’s lasting spillover effects and a symbol of China’s continued commitment to expanding imports.
Every year, the CIIE serves as a major platform for China’s opening-up to the world, drawing thousands of global enterprises eager to showcase new products, cutting-edge technology, and innovative services. Yet, what happens beyond the exhibition halls also tells an important story — one of sustained policy support, institutional innovation, and an unwavering determination to keep the Chinese market open and accessible to international business.
Behind the journey from “exhibition samples” to “everyday products” lies a broader transformation. Chinese consumers are showing growing enthusiasm for high-quality imported goods, while the country’s trade facilitation and supply chain systems continue to improve. Authorities have built on the expo’s momentum by introducing a range of reforms that make cross-border trade faster and more efficient.
One example is an innovative customs supervision model that streamlines declaration, inspection, and clearance procedures. This reform has significantly shortened delivery times for imported goods. New Zealand dairy brand Theland, for instance, can now deliver fresh milk to Chinese consumers within 72 hours of production — a result of smoother and more responsive trade processes.
These measures have extended the CIIE’s influence far beyond the event itself, transforming it into a long-term mechanism that consistently releases the dividends of opening-up. As a result, China’s import facilitation system has become more resilient and sustainable, providing global businesses with a predictable and stable environment for investment and growth.
According to Vice Commerce Minister Sheng Qiuping, this year’s CIIE will feature 4,108 overseas exhibitors from 155 countries, regions, and international organizations, covering a record exhibition area of 430,000 square meters. These figures not only highlight the event’s growing scale but also reflect the firm confidence of global companies in China’s massive consumer market.
Products from across the globe — from Chilean cherries and Peruvian grapes to Brazilian coffee and European medical devices — will be showcased at the expo. These high-quality imports not only cater to China’s rising consumer demand but also strengthen industrial and value chain integration between China and its global partners.
The growing influence of the CIIE illustrates a virtuous cycle: as China continues to open its market, consumer demand for premium products expands, which in turn encourages further trade and innovation. This interaction between market opening and consumption upgrading is driving China’s evolution from the “world’s factory” into a “global marketplace” that brings together quality goods and innovations from around the world.Through the CIIE and related trade facilitation measures, China is sending a clear message — its market is open, inclusive, and full of opportunities. Amid global economic uncertainty, the vitality of China’s import market provides much-needed stability and growth momentum. As China’s economy keeps expanding, its large, dynamic market continues to offer the world both new opportunities and renewed confidence in global trade.
