PHL food delegation joins biggest import expo trade fair in China
THE Philippines is looking to tap the growing demand for tropical food in the Chinese market with its upcoming participation in the 3rd China International Import Expo (CIIE) 2020 from November 5 to 10 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, China.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), is set to highlight 40 Philippine food brands and agricultural produce in CIIE.
Food segments to be showcased in the Philippine pavilion include products from tropical fruits and vegetables, processed fruits and nuts, healthy snacks, seafood and marine products, and other premium food selections.
“CIIE is one of the top trade shows to promote Philippine food products and ingredients since there is a rising demand for tropical food in China, on top of the growing purchasing power of its huge population,” said CITEM Executive
Director Pauline Suaco- Juan.
CIIE is China’s first import-themed, national-level expo that features international exhibitors across various sectors intending to address the trade deficit of different countries to China and support trade liberalization.
In 2019, CITEM and its exhibitor companies had a meaningful and productive experience in CIIE. The Philippine participation posted notable results with the highest recorded business leads of $430 million, around $162 million of which were export sales from the 32 participating food exhibitors.
“With last year’s successful participation, CITEM is determined to continue its momentum by reinforcing the country’s food export potentials in the China market, especially now that China is receptive to Philippine food products and has growing trade relations with our country,” said Suaco-juan.
China is considered the world’s largest economy in terms of GDP based on purchasing power parity (PPP) and the world’s largest importer and consumer base. It is the Philippines’s top trading partner in the first semester of 2019 with total trade worth $16.43 billion, or 18.8 percent of the total trade.
The Philippines’s total merchandise trade with China continues to rise and it has become the country’s top bilateral trading partner, surpassing Japan since 2016. Exports to China grew 8.4 percent, with top exports mostly being electronic products at close to 50 percent.
PHL digitizes food showcase in China
IN this year’s participation, CITEM will put up interactive conference pods in the Foodphilippines pavilion to enable virtual business-matching activities. This will serve as an online touch point for buyers in China to meet with exhibitors from the Philippines. In lieu of actual Philippine exhibitors manning the booths, the Philippine commercial attaché will represent the government and exhibitors, promote exhibitor brands and products onsite, and relay all business leads and contacts generated during the show.
The Foodphilippines participation in CIIE 2020 was set in partnership with the Philippine Trade & Investment Centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong, the Export Marketing Bureau, the Foreign Trade Services Corps, Department of Agriculture, through the Office of the Agricultural Counsellor in Beijing, Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc., and the Federation of Filipino- Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc.