China's biggest regional fair goes online

The 30th East China Fair, postponed from March due to the COVID-19 outbreak, will be held online from June 1 to 5.

Exhibitors and visitors can take part via the fair’s website — www.ecf.org.cn — from 10am on June 1 to 10pm on June 5.

The online fair will have three special zones. One is for pandemic-prevention material, which will help overseas buyers connect with Chinese manufacturers; one for domestic sales of commodities originally produced for export; and the other for cross-border e-commerce. 

Companies can sign up for online "matchmaking sessions" linking buyers and exhibitors via the website from May 8 to 20. The sessions will take place from June 1 to 4.

The ECF is China’s largest regional trade fair, featuring traders from around the world, and also has the highest turnover. It is held annually in March in Shanghai, supported by the Ministry of Commerce and co-organized by nine provinces and cities including Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shandong, Nanjing and Ningbo.

Last year’s event attracted more than 4,000 exhibitors, including 452 from overseas. Trade deals added up to US$2.31 billion, of which turnover on textiles and garments was US$1.03 billion, and trade in art gifts and consumer goods US$1.2 billion.