CIIE Voices of the Week (17–23 June)

Summary

The ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) will be held in Shanghai from 5 to 10 November 2025. Between 16 and 23 June, the CIIE held consultations and roadshows in Norway, Kenya and Canada. An Ruofu, Senior Advisor at Innovation Norway, said the CIIE is a practical path for Norwegian enterprises to deepen their presence in China.

Eric Ruto, Chairman of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, described the CIIE as a core platform for Kenya’s export diversification, with a focus on high-value agricultural products such as avocados and tea. On 18 June, the Lu-Link base, jointly established by the China International Import Expo Bureau and the Lujiazui Administration Bureau, opened in Shanghai, covering 1,140 sq m to facilitate the distribution of CIIE exhibits to consumers. Yasir Naqvi, a Canadian federal member of parliament, confirmed Canada’s participation in the ninth CIIE to showcase agricultural products.

Wang Long, head of Saike International Trade Co. , said that after participating in eight consecutive CIIEs, his company’s annual turnover grew from millions to tens of millions of yuan, an increase of about 10 times. The official representative of New Zealand Manuka Honey said the CIIE helped their livestream sales exceed expectations and they will continue to participate.

Premier Li Qiang met with the prime ministers of Kazakhstan and Mongolia at the Summer Davos Forum, encouraging them to use the CIIE platform. Official bodies such as Armenia’s Ministry of Economy and the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce urged enterprises to register for the expo. For further details, visit the CIIE official website.

Commentary

For small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners in New Zealand, the CIIE continues to signal China’s opening up, directly benefiting exporters. New Zealand Manuka Honey has already received coverage from China Central Television and achieved sales breakthroughs at the CIIE, proving the platform’s effectiveness for brand promotion and channel development. SMEs can follow this example by leveraging the CIIE to tap into China’s over 400 million middle-income consumers and their demand for high-quality food.

China’s market access for beef, dairy products, honey and other agricultural products is gradually expanding, but competition is intensifying — countries such as Kenya and Norway are also actively promoting avocados, seafood and similar goods at the CIIE. It is recommended that New Zealand enterprises register early for the ninth CIIE and explore permanent exhibition bases like Lu-Link to reduce market entry costs. At the same time, indirect effects of China-EU trade frictions should be monitored, such as Latvia’s report that China is expanding imports of EU agricultural products, which could squeeze third-party market shares.

Overall, however, the CIIE remains the preferred low-risk platform for New Zealand SMEs to test the Chinese market, especially for speciality foods and natural products.

Keywords: CIIE, 9th, Chinese market, New Zealand, agricultural products, open cooperation, trade platform, SMEs, Lu-Link

Source: Sina News