Greenland Group earlier this month supported the annual China International Import Expo (CIIE), assisting with the event’s organisation as well as taking part as a buyer.  Almost 3,500 companies from 154 countries and regions - including nearly 100 exhibitors from the UK - were brought together for the expo, which took place from 5th-10th November in Shanghai’s National Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Many national and international enterprises attended, such as the World Trade Organisation, the UN Development Program, and an official US trade delegation.  Among the participants were 289 Fortune Global 500 companies, including BMW and Nike.  The expo featured business and country presentations, and economic forums and exchanges.  A highlight of this year's CIIE was that more than 500 small- and medium-sized enterprises were present for the first time, and more than 440 new products, technologies and services made their debuts.  British pharmaceutical companies GSK and AstraZeneca announced new drugs at the expo.  In the food and beverage industry, Ahmad Tea and Macallan whisky were among those representing British brands.

The event’s theme was sustainability, with brands promoting their approaches to limiting their impact on the environment.  Consumer brands including Skechers and H&M led the pack, showing their commitment to reducing their carbon emissions and their use of single-use packaging.

The Executive Director of the British Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai announced that BritCham will soon be launching a pilot programme to support Chinese enterprises exporting to the UK.

Now in its sixth year, this year’s event was larger than ever before, with almost 400,000 accredited visitors, an exhibition space of 367,000 square metres, and the signing of US$78 billion in trade agreements.