Italian exhibitors to further explore Chinese market

Guglielmo Giacconi (1st L), export area manager of Monini, an Italian olive oil producer, introduces products to a visitor at the third China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province, on April 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhou Huimin)

HAIKOU, April 14 (Xinhua) -- An Italian artisan has created an exquisite cameo out of a small piece of conch shell, using simple but versatile tools. His work has caught the curiosity of many visitors at the pavilion of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce.

The ongoing third China International Consumer Products Expo held in Haikou, capital of south China's island province of Hainan, has been filled with similar scenes. This has encouraged Italian exhibitors to further explore China's unmissable market, which is also an unrivaled magnet for global businesses.

"Chinese consumption potential is extraordinary and there is no limit," said Marco Russo, CEO of Russo Cammei, a jewelry maker headquartered in Naples of Italy with a business partner in Shanghai.

Russo is highly optimistic about the expo due to the intriguing Chinese market and the Hainan market. He expressed confidence that his company will have a more promising future in the Chinese market. "We want to expand our business in China."

China's solid strides in building the free trade port made Hainan an important province for our company, said Russo. He added that this expo is a significant opportunity for the company to expand beyond Shanghai and explore new areas in the super large market.

As the guest country of honor at this year's expo, Italy built a pavilion covering approximately 1,800 square meters and featured 147 participating brands -- both figures more than double that of last year's edition.

At the pavilion of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, Monini, an Italian olive oil producer, also enjoyed a high level of popularity and traffic.

"Actually it's way better than expected because there is a very huge crowd and many interested potential customers," said Guglielmo Giacconi, export area manager of Monini, who attended the expo for the first time.

"China is a market that is so big and full of opportunities that we want to find as many partners as possible to cover all the main channels in the market," said Giacconi.

In recent years, Chinese consumers' higher income levels and their interest in pursuing a higher quality of life have made the Chinese market more attractive to healthy food producers like Monini.

He believes that healthy food has unlimited market potential in China as Chinese consumers become more concerned about their health. "I really cannot wait to join the expo next year."

At the national pavilion of Italy, coffee giant Illy made its debut at the expo and welcomed a big crowd of visitors every day.

"We participate in the expo because it's a very big platform," said Walter Lumino, managing director of Illycaffe Shanghai Co., Ltd. "We believe in China, and Hainan is a new opportunity."

He said China has already opened the door to all kinds of brands and showed its willingness to cooperate, which he thought is very positive.

Speaking to Xinhua, Lumino said that it's not only the main cities such as Shanghai or Beijing in China that are welcoming foreigners. Hainan is also a good and open platform for foreign companies, and its location in the south is very strategic. The taxation and the duty-free policies make it very attractive.

Having lived in China for 17 years, Lumino has already seen China as his second home. "I would like China progresses well. I will also be proud if I can give a small contribution to China to develop more."

People visit the pavilion of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce at the third China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province, on April 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhou Huimin)

An Italian handicraftsman makes a cameo at the pavilion of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce at the third China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province, on April 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhou Huimin)