The CIIE allows overseas small, medium and micro enterprises to be "visible"

At the 9th China International Import Expo, every cashmere scarf on the booth of Nepalese businessman Shankar Koirala was embroidered with the signature of the craftsman. It often takes months or even years to complete a piece of work.

As the world's first import-themed national exhibition, the CIIE not only opened up the Chinese market to Koirala, but also connected more than 600 handicraft families in Nepal with Chinese buyers thousands of kilometers away.

In most countries around the world, small, medium and micro enterprises are an important force in promoting economic growth and creating jobs. However, it is not easy to open up overseas markets due to factors such as popularity, capital and market information.

This year is Koirala’s sixth time to participate in the CIIE. "In the past, we didn't know where to promote our products, and the CIIE provides us with a platform." Before participating in the exhibition, the company he ran, Himalayan Threads, had almost no visibility in the Chinese market; now, its booth area has expanded from the initial 9 square meters to 72 square meters, and its products have gradually gained a foothold in the Chinese market.

Data shows that the first eight CIIEs have attracted nearly 13,000 overseas small, medium and micro enterprises to participate in the exhibition, and the CIIE has built a bridge for these enterprises to China, the world's second largest consumer market.

In the innovation incubation area, the reporter discovered that HaptonTech, a Dutch start-up with only four employees, is using advanced liquid crystal materials to develop screens and wearable devices with tactile feedback functions.

This technology was originally developed to help the visually impaired use digital devices. It can change the shape of the material surface to allow users to feel tactile feedback. In the future, it is expected to be used in digital interaction, robots, medical equipment and other fields.

"When we come here, the most important goal is to open the door to cooperation." said Mert Orhan Astam, the founder of the company who participated in the CIIE for the first time. "What is more important than funds and sales is to let more people know about us and be willing to cooperate with us."

In his view, the Chinese market is very receptive to new technologies and "people here are willing to try new things." Currently, the company is negotiating a cooperation project with a Chinese robotics company and is looking for manufacturing and scientific research partners to jointly explore the commercial application of this technology.

Also hoping to use the CIIE to open up the Chinese market is Luban Island, an Omani frankincense brand participating in the exhibition for the first time. At this exhibition, the brand brought 14 products. "We hope to take advantage of the CIIE to catch the 'China Express'." said the person in charge of the brand.

For companies that have already opened up the Chinese market, the opportunities brought by the CIIE are continuing. As their business expands, many exhibitors participate in the CIIE year after year. Their booths are getting bigger and bigger, their orders are increasing, and their gains have long exceeded the booth itself.

In 2021, New Zealand alpaca quilt and clothing manufacturer Pacific Alpaca Home Textile Group participated in the CIIE for the first time, bringing about 100 alpaca quilts with a booth area of ​​only 9 square meters. At that time, the company hoped to test the unfamiliar Chinese market. Today, its booth area has been expanded to 150 square meters. Hu Tao, the person in charge of the company, said that the gains brought by participating in the exhibition are not only the increase in sales, "more importantly, the spillover effect of the CIIE."

Through the CIIE, Pacific Alpaca Home Textile Group met two important partners: a textile company located in Wuxi, Jiangsu, which helped the company improve the quality of alpaca quilts; and another marketing agency located in Shandong, which helped the company develop live broadcast e-commerce channels.

In order to transform supply and demand during the exhibition into normalized trade exchanges, Shanghai is continuing to amplify the spillover effects of the CIIE through the "6+365 days" model. As of July 2026, the Hongqiao Pinhui platform, which is closely linked to the CIIE, has brought together more than 85,000 products from more than 120 countries and regions, about 70% of which have been exhibited at the CIIE.

"Such a year-round display and trading platform can transform the short-term supply and demand connection during the exhibition into long-term trade links, and also give companies more opportunities to understand the needs of Chinese consumers." said Shao Yu, chief economist of the Science and Technology Innovation Center of Fudan University School of Management.

A stable and predictable market environment, as well as preferential tariff policies and facilitated customs clearance measures, are also important reasons why companies are optimistic about the Chinese market. Shao Yu said that small, medium and micro enterprises have limited resources and relatively weak ability to withstand risks, making them more vulnerable to external shocks. "China's huge domestic market, continued consumption upgrades, and a series of policies and measures to expand imports have opened up stable and broad growth space for small, medium and micro enterprises around the world," he said.

The "Exporting China Capacity Development Report" released during this CIIE pointed out that as residents' income levels increase and consumer demand upgrades to higher-quality goods and services, China's imports still have considerable room for growth. China's demand for high-end manufactured goods and primary products also provides market opportunities for economies at different stages of development.

China has proposed in the "15th Five-Year Plan" outline that it will continue to successfully host major exhibitions such as the International Import Expo, the Canton Fair, and the Service Trade Fair. This also means that the CIIE will continue to create opportunities for global companies to connect with the Chinese market.