The sixth China International Import Expo will introduce a new "maternal and infant care and household paper" category to its exhibition, the organizer announced on Thursday during a promotional event for the expo's beauty and cosmetics subsection.

Representatives of more than 30 exhibitors and purchasers including Shiseido, Amorepacific and Pigeon participated in the event.

"The theme of this year's beauty and cosmetics subsection is 'creativity, specialization and sustainability'," said Ma Fengmin, financial director of the CIIE Bureau. "We welcome all exhibitors to showcase their creative ideas, demonstrate their specialization, or tell about their green and sustainable brand stories at the expo."

On show will be products for facial care and makeup, body care, daily use chemicals, professional beauty, as well as maternal and infant care, and household paper.

Ma said the inclusion of the new category is due to the increased attention and demand for maternal and infant products.

Zhou Lu, senior manager of the brand management department of Pigeon, which will be attending the expo for the first time, said the company will bring feeding products and baby care products to the CIIE.

"Maternal and infant care is an industry that is getting more and more attention. I am very grateful that this CIIE has specially set up a special area for mothers and babies," Zhou said. "We will bring our technology, original products and R&D technology concepts to the expo to benefit more domestic consumers and promote exchanges in the industry."

Yu Lili, head of Corporate Communication of Shiseido China, said that the company's technologies, new brands and new products have attracted extensive attention and acceptance from consumers. In addition, Shiseido, which will be participating in the CIIE for the fifth time this year, is now longer just an exhibitor but an investor as well.

In November, the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone Group set up an international cosmetics exhibition and trade center in the FTZ area. The center serves as a convenient platform for various enterprises to "change exhibits into commodities", and become the source of new product launches and commercial promotion, said the group's deputy-general manager Zhang Hao.

By Lin Shujuan