French companies en route to CIIE
China International Import Expo attracting scores of enterprises about 200 days ahead of grand event
The seventh China International Import Expo is again casting France into the limelight as the expo is set to launch a promotional campaign in Paris, France, on Tuesday, presenting the world’s first national-level import-themed trade fair to French companies with an interest in exporting their products to China.
Given that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France, numerous French companies have taken steps to boost their brand and expect good returns in the world’s second-largest consumer market.
They believe that stronger ChinaFrance business ties will unleash greater possibilities and achieve fruitful results.
Key player
Hailed as a springboard for global companies looking to enter the Chinese market or expand their business, the CIIE has gained strong word of mouth around the world. It provides a platform for global companies and agencies to interact directly with Chinese consumers and to network with industry players and possible business partners.
Over the years, companies from 173 countries and regions have made appearances at the CIIE and grossed $424.23 billion in tentative transactions. More than 2,400 new products, technologies and services have debuted at the annual expo.
“The CIIE is a great opportunity for us to promote France and French companies,” said a representative of Business France, the trade and investment office of the French embassy. “Over 1,000 new French companies grow their businesses in China every year and we are very confident that more French companies will form partnerships with Chinese companies.”
Sixth-time CIIE exhibitor, French personal care giant L’Oreal has a track record in the annual trade show.
The company, which was the largest exhibitor in the consumer goods exhibition area of the 2023 expo, shined with a beautythemed show, displaying a record 270 exhibits from 22 brands and a record 18 beauty tech innovations spanning diagnostic and coaching tools as well as inclusive, sustainable and personalized Beauty Tech solutions.
“At L’Oreal, we believe that beauty is diverse and inclusive. Our 2023 CIIE theme, ‘beauty for all, beauty for each’ perfectly captures the diverse range of Beauty Tech solutions and open innovation achievements that we believe will shape the future of beauty,” said Fabrice Megarbane, former president of L’Oreal North Asia Zone and former CEO of L’Oreal China.
“For the sixth year running, the CIIE serves as an important backdrop to key milestones in our open innovation ecosystem and will continue to serve as a great platform for collaborating with new partners,” he noted.
L’Oreal has now secured an early spot at the CIIE 2024, where it is to renew its role as chair of the special committee of daily chemical consumer goods.
Along with preparing to launch additional high-end goods, L’Oreal is also ushering in more ecosystem partners, businesses, concepts and systems via the CIIE Enterprise Alliance to make the expo and the alliance more open, creative and ecologically sound, said Lan Zhenzhen, chief corporate affairs and engagement officer of L’Oreal North Asia and China.
Upbeat about the Chinese market, JeanMarc Duplaix, deputy CEO in charge of operations and finance of Kering, a Parisheadquartered luxury retailer, said during his two-day trip to the CIIE 2023 that the Chinese market holds the utmost importance for the company and Chinese consumers accounted for 26 percent of the company’s total sales for the third quarter of 2023.
Over the past five years in a row, the group has opened a luxury world at the CIIE and secured numerous deals.
Focusing on the unique history and inventiveness of the renowned Kering Houses, exhibits from the fashion houses of Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, Qeelin and Kering Eyewear have been displayed at past CIIEs.
Being a part of the expo extends beyond the business aspect. It is about establishing a meaningful connection with Chinese consumers, said Duplaix, adding that the grand event has provided an excellent opportunity for dialogues between the company and the Chinese market.
With France serving as a guest country of honor at this year’s trade show, French companies are gearing up for another rewarding run.
Over the years, Sanofi, a French multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company, has transformed several of its exhibits into commodities through the CIIE.
Paul Hudson, CEO of Sanofi, said that the CIIE provides Sanofi with an opportunity to deepen communication, reap the benefits of China’s open market and assists in the rapid development of its innovative medicines.
“Sanofi is more than ever committed to deliver on its purpose in China and that by 2025, over two dozen new products will be introduced to the market for patients to live healthier and longer lives,” he added.
France’s voice
Lesaffre, a French yeast manufacturer, made its debut as a member company at the sixth Hongqiao International Economic Forum, also known as the Hongqiao Forum, in November 2023.
“Lesaffre is a repeat exhibitor of the CIIE over the past editions, yet it is a newcomer to the Hongqiao Forum,” said Jerome Vanachter, president of Lesaffre Greater China. “It is a pleasure for us to be a partner of the much-lauded event and make contributions to global progress.”
As a crucial part of the annual CIIE, the Hongqiao Forum invites high-profile government officials, Nobel Prize laureates and senior executives of industrial pacesetters from around the world to discuss global issues.
The sixth Hongqiao Forum in 2023 saw a record attendance of more than 8,000 people and featured 22 subforums on a range of subjects such as financial reform and innovation, digital governance and green investment.
Since its second edition in 2019, the forum has developed a membership structure, through which global enterprises, including French companies like Danone, Lesaffre and Sanofi, are allowed to network and exchange industry-related ideas with heavyweights from political, business and academic communities.
“The Hongqiao Forum is showing increasingly extensive influence worldwide. We regard the forum as a premier platform to enhance global communication and promote sustainable development,” said Wang Dawei, economic affairs officer at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
Set to become a more productive event, organizers of the forum held a symposium in Beijing in early March and invited more than 130 important figures, including UN representatives, government officials and scholars, to contribute to this year’s themes and topics.
Early bookings
Sun Chenghai, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau and chairman of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the CIIE venue, announced that preparations for the seventh edition of the fair are in full swing as the 200-day countdown approaches.
“So far, more than 240,000 square meters of the business exhibition area has been booked by early exhibitors, outpacing that of the sixth edition,” Sun added.
According to Bertrand Lortholary, the French ambassador to China, some 140 French companies attended the CIIE 2023, covering a wide range of businesses involving agricultural products, luxury goods and the service sector.
Sun also expressed confidence that the CIIE 2024 will see a rise in the number of French exhibitors. “‘De la ferme française à la table chinoise (From French farms to Chinese tables)’ will become a highlight of this year’s CIIE. We expect more global brands to participate in this year’s trade fair and reap good returns in the vast Chinese market,” said Sun.