Mexican health food company to attend CIIE despite COVID-19 pandemic

Visitors walk past the booth of Mexico at the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 9, 2018. (Xinhua/Zhang Jiayang)

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Mexican agricultural company Sesajal has a shot at the Chinese market thanks to the third China International Import Expo (CIIE) in which the company is prepared to participate amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sesajal produces health food products such as chia and organic flour. This year, it hopes to keep pace with China's economic recovery to reach more Chinese consumers.

The company, founded in the Mexican state of Jalisco, sees the CIIE as a fair that can open the door to the Chinese market for Mexican companies, Alejandro Alaniz, Sesajal's sales manager for Asia-Pacific region told Xinhua.

Sesajal first participated in the CIIE in 2018, when it brought a sample of its high-quality chia, an ancient Mexican seed rich in nutrients and antioxidants.

In the second fair in 2019, the Mexican firm presented peanut oil, a product with great flavor that also helps lower cholesterol levels.

Having placed a permanent sales representative in China last year, Sesajal aims to grow further confidence among its Chinese customers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been changing ways of doing business, as Mexican companies are turning to new technologies and sales through online platforms.

Dozens of Mexican companies will participate virtually in this year's CIIE through the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment, and Technology.

The trade volume between China and Mexico increased by 4.5 percent to 60.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2019. China's direct investment in Mexico also went up to 7.4 billion dollars, according to the data compiled by the Chinese embassy in Mexico.

The CIIE, which is to be held on Nov. 5-10 this year in Shanghai, facilitates China's economic cooperation and trade with countries and regions around the world, and is now in its third edition.