SZ firms rake in Canton Fair deals

More than 1,370 Shenzhen-based companies are taking part in the ongoing 138th China Import and Export Fair — popularly known as the Canton Fair — in Guangzhou, occupying over 3,000 booths.

The entrance to the 138th China Import and Export Fair, also known as Canton Fair, in Guangzhou. Photos from Shenzhen Satellite TV

On the fair’s opening day Wednesday, the Shenzhen delegation closed deals worth US$115 million, four times the amount recorded on the first day of last autumn’s fair, the city’s commerce bureau said.

“We took a 1,000-unit order from clients in Russia and the Middle East this morning, while buyers from Malaysia and Vietnam asked about becoming our distributors,” said Yang Shuiqing, marketing director of Cino Technology Shenzhen Ltd.

Founded in 2008, the company focuses on the design, R&D, production, sales, and service of coffee and water machines. Many customers placed orders on the spot during the opening day.

A glance at the 138th Canton Fair.

In the service-robot zone, the aisles around the booths of Shenzhen-based firms were crowded with overseas visitors. The area clusters leading firms that produce general-purpose large-model robots, collaborative robots, and commercial service robots.

A robotic arm precisely cutting a model under a human operator’s command drew eager buyers to the booth of Yuanhua Tech, Perception and AI Technologies Ltd. Founded in 2018, this Shenzhen-based company holds more than 100 invention patents.

“Our surgical robots can achieve precise operations with dynamic correction technology. They have performed over 5,000 clinical surgeries in hospitals on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong,” said Li Aili, founder and chairman of the company. Li said the firm aims to reach more international partners and deliver safer, more precise surgical solutions worldwide by participating in the Canton Fair.

                                                   Visitors flock to a robotics company’s booth at the fair.

Dobot’s AI-powered physiotherapy robot also attracted large crowds. Li Jiaxian, brand manager of the Shenzhen-based company, said their fascia-massage robot — designed for traditional Chinese medicine clinics, wellness centers, and sports-rehab facilities — uses a large AI model to intelligently adjust massage intensity and locate acupoints for personalized therapy.

“I have been to many fairs all around the world, but the Canton Fair has something different. Even though it is held twice a year, every six months you are able to find something new, something innovative,” said Canyigit Atay, chief product officer at Arzum Electrical Home Appliances of Türkiye.

                                                   A massage robot demonstrates on a visitor at the fair.

Arzum, Türkiye’s leading home appliance company, has expanded into more than 90 countries since 1990 and works closely with Chinese suppliers. This year, the company is focusing mainly on coffee machines and related products. Atay said it has already begun cooperation with a maker of robotic coffee machines seen at the fair.

Scheduled to run through Nov. 4, this edition of the Canton Fair has drawn record participation. Exhibitors top 32,000, and more than 240,000 buyers from 218 export markets pre-registered — a 10% increase from the previous edition.

Established in 1957 and held twice a year, the Canton Fair is the longest-running comprehensive international trade event in China and widely regarded as a barometer of the country’s foreign trade.