The 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE), world’s largest import-themed event, scheduled from Nov. 5 to 10, was open in Shanghai yesterday. More than 3,000 enterprises and corporate giants from 127 countries and regions around the globe bring their competitive products and state-of-the-art technologies to this year’s expo. Among them, Pakistani handicrafts, jewellery and agricultural products etc. are received favorably at this CIIE.
Hanging high on the wall, stunning carpets from Pakistan is drawing the crowd. “Pakistani handmade wool carpet is of extremely high and fine quality, and forty to fifty years is the minimum time that you can use it,” Pakistani exhibitor Habib ur Rehman told CEN. Here they not only have classic carpets but also newly designed modern ones that are perfectly match with modern home decoration and furniture, displaying Pakistani traditional products’ competitiveness of innovation.
Besides wool carpets, Habib also brought Himalaya salt lamps to CIIE. The natural feel and healthcare function make these lamps popular among visitors. “This is my first time to attend CIIE. The environment here is excellent and it’s a very big platform. I hope we could find more business opportunities here,” he said with great expectations.
It’s the fourth time that the Pakistani exhibitor Bhat Muzaffar Ahmed has attended CIIE. Lately the COVID-19 pandemic returned to China again. “But China is doing very well in controlling the virus spreading. I am positive about this year’s expo,” he said. According to him, with China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) develops, beautiful Pakistani cashmere carpets and scarves are being transported to China at much lower costs.
To tap the huge Chinese market is the main reason why Pakistani exhibitors come to CIIE. “China has a population of over 1.4 billion and a middle-income group of more than 400 million people. Our annual import in goods and services is valued at around $2.5 trillion. All this offers an enormous market,” Chinese President Xi Jinping made a keynote speech at the 4th CIIE opening ceremony.
Going forward, China will open more demonstration zones for creative promotion of import trade, optimize the catalogue of retail imports via cross-border e-commerce, encourage the on-site processing of imported goods from trading between border residents, and increase imports from neighboring countries. “China will better integrate its domestic and foreign trade, speed up the development of international consumption center cities, promote Silk Road e-commerce, build modern logistics systems, and shore up the capacity of cross-border logistics,” President Xi remarked.
As per China Customs, Pakistan’s exports to China in the first three quarters of 2021 amounted to $2.52 billion, a skyrocket year-on-year growth of about 76 percent, which exhibits the FTA Phase Ⅱ’s effective facilitation for Pakistani businesses to improve their economic presence in the Chinese market. It is expected that the number for the whole 2021 will surpass the milestone of $3 billion.
