U.S. Companies Invited to Attend the 2nd Import Expo Next Year

NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- China welcomes U.S. businesses to showcase and promote their products and services at the second China International Import Expo (CIIE) to be held in November next year in Shanghai.

At a promo-demo roadshow of the second CIIE in Midtown Manhattan, the invitations were extended by a delegation led by Sun Chenghai, deputy director of the CIIE Bureau, to some 100 business representatives.

According to Sun, 174 U.S. companies took part in the inaugural import expo held in this past November, making the United States the third largest participant among 172 countries, regions and international organizations.

Honeywell, a U.S.-based conglomerate providing a wide range of commercial goods and engineering services, was cited by Sun as a successful example as it has harvested 17 contracts worth several hundred million U.S. dollars during the six-day exposition.

The New York roadshow has made some updates on the second CIIE, which will expand its exhibition area with an outdoor space for heavy machinery. A string of U.S. companies such as GE and Johnson&Johnson have signed up for the 2019 event, according to the delegation.

The Chinese Consul-General in New York, Huang Ping, says the roadshow has shown "China genuinely is and wants to be a friend with the United States, especially in terms of sharing its market, and business opportunities."

As the world's first import-themed national-level expo, the first CIIE was held in China's Shanghai from November 5 to 10 and concluded with signed deals worth about 57.83 billion U.S. dollars.

During the first day of the New York roadshow on December 10, two Fortune 500 companies have signed up for the second China International Import Expo.

Having missed the application window and hence the inaugural import expo, Estee Lauder is one of the earlier sign-ups at this roadshow. The senior vice president-Estee Lauder and China Region general manager, Fan Jiayu, says the company attaches high importance to the Chinese market and has planned to display its best products to Chinese consumers earlier on through the import expo. CIIE Bureau deputy director Sun Chenghai responds that Estee Lauder is encouraged to make the most of the opening platform of the import expos where the company can make global or Chinese debuts of its new products.

Honeywell China Region president Yu Feng says considering its sound performance and effects at the inaugural exposition, the company will pack more of its resources to the second import expo. Honeywell will get its exposition area enlarged to three times bigger than what it had in the inaugural exposition. The company will resort to creative and interactive ways to demonstrate its high-tech products.

The then Johnson&Johnson China Chairman and now Ethicon Global Company Group Chairman, Vladimir Makatsaria, says the CIIE has proved not only a demonstration arena for products and services, but also a multi-functioning and encompassing cooperation platform. So the import expo is of special importance and significance to strengthening economic and trade cooperation, promoting trade and growth, and boosting the open economy of the entire world. 

SOURCE CIIE Bureau