The CIIE Bazaar at East Nanjing Road in Shanghai has been generating an average of 150,000 yuan in sales every day since it opened in April, according to its developer Greenland Global Commodity Trading Hub Group.

The 550-square-meter venue, which is a permanent retail space, features 5,000 products including food, attire, and cosmetics from 40 countries and regions.

Carlos Valera Paulino, deputy consul general of the Consulate General of the United Mexican States in Shanghai, was present at the fair on Tuesday to promote Mexican products such as high-quality tequila, coffee beans and jewelry.

"The CIIE is beyond a one-week event… it has provided follow-up support to help foreign exhibitors continue to promote these products in China," he said. "Foreign businesses can build sustained partnerships with Chinese counterparts, which are important especially in the context of the pandemic."

Paulino said that avocado and chia seeds from Mexico, which has participated in all the previous editions of the CIIE, has become increasingly popular among Chinese consumers in recent years.

Hossein Bordbar, chief representative of the Iran International Handicraft Center in China, said that the CIIE has served as a useful bridge that connects consumers and producers worldwide.

"It is one of the best expos I have ever experienced. I see the passion, cultural and economic exchange at the CIIE," said Bordbar.

At the bazaar, the company has a booth selling handmade carpets and turquoise items suitable for daily use. The company will open more shops next year, Bordbar added.

Over at the Nordic Center booth, Per Linden, chairman of Swedcham China's Shanghai chapter, was promoting a rack full of beers from Scandinavian countries. The Nordic Center will present more than 200 exhibits from 30 suppliers at the upcoming CIIE, and one of the featured products is beers from Sweden, according to Linden.

The center has been bringing businesspeople to China to attend various expos so that they can gain firsthand experience about Chinese business environment, Linden noted.

"CIIE provides a great opportunity for foreign brands to enter the Chinese market. It's necessary to come here and learn how the Chinese market works, which is different from the European market," he said.

These views were shared by Ramazan Tuzen, a Turkish businessman who has worked in cross-border trading in China for 12 years. He said China and Turkey enjoy a long history of doing business along the Silk Road, and this cultural proximity contributes to the popularity of Turkish home decorations and accessories in the Chinese market.

"CIIE truly boosts trade exchange around the world and delivers win-win results," said Tuzen.

Kuno Gschwend, deputy general manager at Swiss Centers China, said the center recently signed up for the next two editions of the CIIE, and that it will gather 15 Swiss companies to exhibit their products such as high-end stationaries and consumers goods in a booth that spans more than 200 square meters at this year's CIIE.

"CIIE really puts its 6+365 slogan into practice by continuously offering us opportunities to expand our business in China, and we will definitely seize them," he said. "It is a unique experience to exhibit in China. We have fun together in the CIIE, like a big family."

According to Greenland Global Commodity Trading Hub Group, the Shanghai bazaar is a smaller version of the many CIIE-focused centers it has built in 13 cities across the country, including Tianjin, Wuhan, Hubei province and Xi'an, Shaanxi province.

Xue Yingjie, general manager of Greenland Global Commodity Trading Hub Group, said the company will strive to become a catalyst for the expansion of international brands in China, and provide a "shortcut for foreign goods to go from exhibition to the shelves in stores."

By Xing Yi