ADDIS ABABA, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian producers and leaders in the import-export sector have expressed interest in leveraging the upcoming 137th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, to tap into broader markets in China and beyond.
Kenenisa Lemi, secretary-general of the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (ECCSA), told Xinhua in a recent interview that the Canton Fair is "a great opportunity" for Ethiopian businesses to expand their market presence in China and explore partnership prospects with their Chinese counterparts and other international stakeholders.
Lemi said that the trade fair enables Ethiopian producers and exporters to further increase their market share in China, particularly for the country's key export commodities, including coffee and various agricultural products.
According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration, China is currently Ethiopia's largest trading partner, ranking among the top 10 buyers of Ethiopian products while holding the leading position in supplying various goods to the Ethiopian market.
Ethiopia's main exports to China include coffee, oilseeds, leather products, cotton and yarn, among others. Meanwhile, the country imports a range of industrial and manufactured products from China, including vehicles, machinery, textiles, apparel and footwear.
"The trade fair is a platform where investors and businesspeople come together to share experiences, establish business-to-business linkages, and learn from one another. Our primary objective is to connect Ethiopian products, producers, and services with Chinese counterparts," Lemi said.
Held biannually since 1957, the Canton Fair will stage its 137th edition from April 15 to May 5 in Guangzhou, covering exhibition spaces totaling 1.55 million square meters.
Tesfalem Molla, whose Yehager Import-Export Company has witnessed growing market success in China in recent years, said his company primarily exports coffee and other agricultural commodities to China while also importing industrial and technological products to Ethiopia.
Reflecting on his company's 15 years of active participation in the Canton Fair, Molla said that trade fairs like this have significantly contributed to his company's market expansion in China.
The event is "a significant global gathering with extensive representation from various sectors," Molla said, adding that "it is a great opportunity not only for buyers and exporters from Ethiopia but also for the wider African continent to do business with different manufacturers and buyers."
Last week, a promotional seminar on the Canton Fair was held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, bringing together senior Ethiopian government officials and representatives from the two countries' business communities.
During the seminar, representatives from the China Foreign Trade Center provided Ethiopian stakeholders with an overview of the Canton Fair and its potential to unlock broader market access in China and globally for Ethiopian producers and import-export businesses.
They highlighted the unique market and partnership opportunities at the upcoming event, building on the success of the 136th edition, which attracted overseas buyers from 224 countries and regions, with a record-high 253,000 onsite participants and 450,000 online attendees. ■
