Global Sources to launch China Sourcing Fairs in Miami to serve buyers in North and Latin America

USA - English

• USA - English

HONG KONG, Aug. 9 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Global Sources (Nasdaq: GSOL) (http://www.globalsources.com ) has scheduled the simultaneous launch of five China Sourcing Fairs in Miami in 2011. The shows will enable exporters from China and elsewhere to meet face-to-face with American, Canadian, and Latin American buyers.

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The China Sourcing Fairs are scheduled for July 11-13, 2011 at the Miami Beach Convention Centre. The scheduled shows include: Gifts & Premiums, Home Products, Fashion Accessories, Garments & Textiles and Baby & Children's Products.

For consumer products, while the United States is China's largest single-country market, the Latin American market for these products is growing fast -- and is approximately twice the size of the Indian and Russian export markets combined. Latin American imports in 2009 from all sources totaled US$642 billion, and in 2010 and 2011 the World Bank estimates Latin American imports to grow by 10.3 percent and 5.6 percent respectively, led by Brazil and Mexico.

"Everyone understands the huge potential in North America but for many exporters, the Latin American opportunity is an equally exciting aspect of the new shows," said Tommy Wong, President of Global Sources Exhibitions.

Miami is well known as the trade gateway to Latin America, and hosts more than 1,100 global companies with offices or Latin American headquarters. Miami is the ideal location for the shows and is a convenient trip for buyers in the USA, Canada, and Latin America. The Miami International Airport offers more direct flights to Latin America than all other U.S. airports combined, is the number one international freight airport in the Americas, and China is the Port of Miami's top trading partner.

A recent survey of Chinese exporters by Global Sources found that the top three factors limiting exports to Latin American are: understanding local business customs (60%); finding buyers who have strong import experience (59%) and adapting products to the needs of local buyers and consumers (48%). "By enabling exporters to meet face-to-face with buyers at the China Sourcing Fairs in Miami, they can overcome many of the challenges inherent in selling to Latin America," said Wong.

Wong added: "Global Sources has online marketplaces, digital and print magazines, and Private Sourcing Events for each of the vertical markets represented by these shows -- and accordingly, a large and highly qualified audience of importers that we will be inviting to the shows. In addition, we are constantly adding value as the shows become increasingly 'digital'. Buyers can search online for exhibitors, view their products, and make appointments and inquiries. Our shows also feature digital displays of products that are not physically at the shows."

Global Sources' Chairman & CEO Merle A. Hinrichs, said: "We are scheduled to go from 30 shows in 2009 to 60 in 2011. Since import buyers do not place large volume orders through online marketplaces, suppliers want the face-to-face opportunities at our shows -- where they can negotiate with buyers and win orders. Also, with various media integration initiatives underway, the expanded show schedule will provide tremendous additional exposure and sales leads for all of our advertisers."

More information about the China Sourcing Fairs is available at: http://www.chinasourcingfair.com .

About Global Sources

Global Sources is a leading business-to-business media company and a primary facilitator of trade with Greater China. The core business uses English-language media to facilitate trade from Greater China to the world. The other business segment utilizes Chinese-language media to enable companies to sell to, and within Greater China.

The company provides sourcing information to volume buyers and integrated marketing services to suppliers. It helps a community of over 888,000 active buyers source more profitably from complex overseas supply markets. With the goal of providing the most effective ways possible to advertise, market and sell, Global Sources enables suppliers to sell to hard-to-reach buyers in over 240 countries.

The company offers the most extensive range of media and export marketing services in the industries it serves. It delivers information on 4.5 million products and more than 256,000 suppliers annually through 14 online marketplaces, 13 monthly print and 15 digital magazines, over 80 sourcing research reports and 21 specialized trade shows which run 56 times a year across 9 cities.

Suppliers receive more than 136 million sales leads annually from buyers through Global Sources Online (http://www.globalsources.com ) alone.

Global Sources has been facilitating global trade for nearly 40 years. Global Sources' network covers more than 60 cities worldwide. In mainland China, Global Sources has about 2,500 team members in more than 40 locations, and a community of over 1 million registered online users and magazine readers for its Chinese-language media.

    Global Sources Press Contact in Asia:
     Camellia So
     Tel:   +852-2555-5021
     Email: [email protected]

    Global Sources Press Contact in U.S.:
     James W.W. Strachan
     Tel:   +1-480-664-8309
     Email: [email protected]

    Global Sources Investor Contact in Asia:
     Suzanne Wang
     Tel:   +852-2555-4747
     Email: [email protected]

    Global Sources Investor Contact in U.S.:
     Kirsten Chapman & Timothy Dien
     Lippert/Heilshorn & Associates, Inc.
     Tel:   +1-415-433-3777
     Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Global Sources