Sri Lanka is one of two guest-of-honour countries at the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE), which opened in Shanghai on Thursday with the largest exhibition floor in the event’s history.
Sri Lanka shares the designation with Canada. Guest-of-honour status gives a country enhanced pavilion space, a place at the opening ceremony and dedicated promotion to Chinese buyers — a significant platform for an exporting economy seeking to widen its market access.
The opening ceremony, held alongside the Hongqiao International Economic Forum, drew participation from 162 countries, regions and international organisations, with 4,142 overseas companies exhibiting.
A record edition
According to Hiru News, this year’s expo set several records:
- Total exhibition area of 440,000 square metres, the largest in CIIE history
- Corporate exhibition space exceeding 370,000 square metres for the first time
- More than 300 Fortune Global 500 and industry-leading companies, also a first
- Over 480 products making their world, Asian or Chinese debut — the highest on record
The CIIE is China’s flagship import-themed trade exhibition, created to showcase Beijing’s willingness to buy from abroad. Sri Lanka has taken part in previous editions, with pavilions featuring Ceylon tea, spices, gems and jewellery, coconut-based products, seafood, apparel and handicrafts.
China is among Sri Lanka’s largest sources of imports, and successive governments have sought to narrow a persistent bilateral trade deficit by lifting export volumes rather than restricting inbound goods. Guest-of-honour billing at the country’s biggest import fair is aimed squarely at that gap.
The expo runs until 10 November.