The State Council Information Office (SCIO) holds a press conference on preparations for the 9th China International Import Expo, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 16, 2026. (Xinhua/Pan Xu)

BEIJING, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. companies will top the exhibition area at the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) for the eighth time, with their area up 1,500 square meters from last year, an official said on Friday.

The ninth CIIE will be held in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to 10. Launched in 2018 as the world's first national-level expo dedicated to imports, the CIIE was designed to expand China's opening up and turn its vast market into a shared opportunity for the world.

Preparations for the ninth CIIE are basically complete. A total of 162 countries, regions and international organizations will take part, with 4,142 overseas companies exhibiting, China's Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong told a press conference.

The overall exhibition area will exceed 440,000 square meters for the first time. In the enterprise exhibition, companies from the United States, Germany, Britain and France will lead the pack in terms of exhibition space.

For the first time, the number of Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders attending the event will surpass 300. Additionally, over 2,000 companies will be exhibiting at the CIIE for the first time.

This year's CIIE will feature over 200 representative global debuts and first-time exhibits. A variety of cutting-edge innovations that empower industries and enhance people's lives will be showcased together, including endoscopic surgical robots and cochlear implants.

Ahead of this year's CIIE, matchmaking sessions themed under "export to China" were held in countries including Egypt, Germany and Britain, bringing procurement talks to the doorstep of trading partners.

The CIIE is a prominent example of China's efforts to expand imports and provide more channels for quality products from around the world to enter the Chinese market. This commitment has remained high on China's agenda, and the results are tangible.

According to the General Administration of Customs, China's imports reached 16.7 trillion yuan (about 2.48 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first nine months of this year, up 22.3 percent, the fastest growth since 2021.

Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said earlier this year that China's market holds huge potential, adding that the country will bring in more agricultural goods, quality consumer products, advanced technology equipment and key components. Meanwhile, platforms like the CIIE will be fully used to expand import channels, he said.

"Exports and imports are like two wheels of a vehicle. The more balanced they are, the smoother and farther it goes," Wang said.