Goodbye,“cheap China”myth

China Trade Week changes misconceptions in Ethiopia

INSPIRED by the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s four-year-old blueprint for multinational trade and economic development, the China Trade Week (CTW), is making its mark in Africa. Besides dispelling the misconception that Chinese manufacturers produce only cheap and low-quality items, the event is also a platform to introduce companies from different provinces in China.

Ethiopia had its first CTW - Ctw-ethiopia 2017 - in Addis Ababa from July 4-6, inspired by the CTW’S success in Kenya at the end of June and encouraged by the African Union, according to Michelle Meyrick, International Event Director at MIE Events, organizer of the trade show.

Supported by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the debut focused on business-to-business pairings, offering a channel to the local business community to meet Chinese manufacturers to discuss future trade relations, Meyrick said. Visitors were encouraged to take advantage of the event’s quality as well as competitively priced products by meeting, talking and developing trade and business relationships.

“It’s an opportunity for the local business community to develop direct trading links with high-end Chinese product manufacturers,” Meyrick said. “We have nearly 40 exhibitors from China to get a taste of the local market and see what the local business community needs.”

The exhibitors came from a wide range of industries. Besides construction materials and machinery, smart electronics, clothing and textile, they also covered lighting and energy, health and agricultural machinery. The goal is for a bigger CTW next year with 200 exhibitors.