Explainer: How can overseas SMEs leverage the CIIE to tap into bigger markets?

SHANGHAI, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- At a booth showcasing chocolate from the Republic of the Congo, samples ran out within just two days of the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, as curious visitors flocked to taste the African delicacy.

For overseas small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the annual expo offers opportunities to tap into China's vast consumer market. At this year's event, which has attracted 4,142 overseas exhibitors, businesses are seeking new customers, learning about market requirements and turning contacts into business opportunities.

FINDING OPPORTUNITIES

National pavilions provide smaller exporters with an avenue to reach potential Chinese buyers.

Soft-drink maker 1767 Beverages brought six zero-sugar carbonated drinks to its first CIIE through the Greek national pavilion.

"The CIIE gives us direct access to buyers and partners we would otherwise need years to reach," the company's co-founder Alexandros Koutouvelas told Xinhua.

During the expo, the company met potential Chinese importers and distributors and received feedback on its products, Koutouvelas said.

El Salvador also brought 12 entrepreneurs to this year's expo through its national pavilion, showcasing products ranging from coffee to handicrafts.

"At least three of our entrepreneurs have already found Chinese importers. We hope that after the CIIE, they will be able to begin shipping Salvadoran products to China," said Alejandro Rivas, a specialist from the Central American country's foreign ministry.

Through previous editions of the CIIE, Salvadoran businesses secured initial sales of specialty coffee and rum worth more than 50,000 U.S. dollars, he added.

LEARNING THE MARKET

Yet finding interested buyers is only one step toward getting products onto Chinese shelves.

"Where can I buy your products?" That was a question visitors frequently asked when Malaysian lemongrass tea maker Serai Malaya first attended the CIIE in 2025, said Mohd Yusof bin Abu Salleh, the company's head of corporate relations.

However, the company lacked the necessary certifications and approvals to enter the Chinese market.

Through exchanges with other exhibitors and entrepreneurs at the expo, Serai Malaya learned about the preparations needed to export to China. Upon returning to Malaysia, it immediately began working on the required certifications and market-entry procedures, according to Yusof.

This year, the company returned better prepared, bringing around 200 boxes of lemongrass tea to the expo.

Beyond regulatory requirements, understanding consumer preferences is another part of the process.

Danny Hsu, Asia trade representative of U.S. feed additive producer Dynamite, said the company had been adjusting its product portfolio to meet the needs of China's growing pet market, particularly those of cats and dogs kept indoors by urban households.

Feedback from Chinese consumers has also led the company to adjust its bird nutrition products. Hsu said some visitors at last year's CIIE found the existing packages too large for smaller parrots, prompting the company to introduce smaller sizes at this year's expo.

TURNING CONTACTS INTO BUSINESS

For some exhibitors, these efforts are already translating into tangible business results.

The delegation from the Republic of the Congo, returning to the CIIE for a second consecutive year, has reported progress in securing orders and building partnerships.

"Chinese consumers really liked our chocolate and have already placed orders for several tonnes," said Shana Ganao, CEO of Shana Design and an exhibitor at the pavilion.

Ganao said agreements had been reached and new partnerships established during the expo, with further arrangements to be made after the delegation returns home to facilitate exports to China.

Serai Malaya has also moved a step closer to foraying into the Chinese market. Yusof told Xinhua that its lemongrass tea had almost sold out and that the company had found a Chinese business partner at this year's expo.

For Dynamite, the expo has provided an opportunity to expand its existing business in China. On Friday, the Idaho-based company signed a contract worth 1.5 million dollars.

Summing up the company's ambitions in China, Hsu quoted its owner as saying, "China is the future. We want to be the future."