Ninth CIIE reports 1,200 exhibitors and 340,000 sqm signed 100 days out

At a press briefing on 27 July 2026, 100 days before the 9th China International Import Expo opens in Shanghai from 5 to 10 November, bureau deputy director Wu Zhengping said preparations were progressing across the board. For the country pavilion, 57 countries and three international organisations have confirmed participation, with Moldova, Romania and the UN Development Programme taking part for the first time; Canada will serve as guest of honour for a second time. For the business exhibition, more than 1,200 companies from 99 countries and regions have signed up, over 100 more than at the same point last year, covering more than 340,000 sqm, an increase of nearly 10,000 sqm year on year. Participants include 265 Fortune Global 500 and industry-leading companies, 10 more than a year earlier, while 169 companies and 30 overseas organising agencies have attended all nine editions. Developed economies remain the main source of exhibitors, with United States companies holding the largest signed area and France, the United Kingdom and New Zealand already ahead of last year. The Asia-Africa product zone will be upgraded to help exhibitors from African countries use zero-tariff arrangements. The concurrent Hongqiao Forum will run under the theme of stable cooperation and building an open world economy, publishing the World Openness Report 2026 and, for the first time, a report on export-to-China capability.