China International Import Expo

The third China International Import Expo or CIIE was held in Shanghai as scheduled this year.

The expo saw $72.62 billion worth of deals reached for intended one-year purchases of goods and services, up 2.1 percent from the last expo, during six days from Nov 5 to 10. Moreover, a total of 861 cooperation intention deals were reached at online or offline sessions attended by 674 exhibitors and 1,351 buyers.

Though restrictions were in place due to virus containment, this year's CIIE had an exhibition area of 360,000 square meters, almost 30,000 square meters larger than last year's event. Nearly 400,000 visitors from across the world signed up for the event.

Nearly 80 percent of the world's top 500 companies and industry leaders that participated in previous expos returned to Shanghai this year, and 411 new products, technologies and services were launched at the third CIIE.

Encouraged by opportunities seen at the expo, hundreds of enterprises have signed up for the fourth CIIE next year.