The opening ceremony

The 99th session of China's largest export commodities fair opened Saturday in Guangzhou, and is expected to draw 180,000 overseas buyers and a record number of exhibitors.

The total number of visitors will hit 450,000, as the Guangzhou Daily reported recently.

The biannual Canton Fair, held each spring and autumn, approximately accounts for one-third of China's general export trade.

The 99th fair has an exhibition area of 270,000 square meters with 30,058 booths, 1,250 booths more than the last event. It runs in two sessions from Saturday to Thursday, and from next Tuesday to the end of this month. The first phase features manufactured goods, textiles and garments, foodstuffs and medicines, while souvenirs, gifts and household commodities will be exhibited in the second phase.

The 12-day fair will receive 177,000 overseas buyers from 210 countries and regions, as well as 11 foreign governmental trade delegations and 28 overseas industrial and commercial organizations.

Of the 13,868 registered exhibitors, 29.32 percent are State-owned companies, and 58.36 percent are privately and foreign-invested firms.

A total of US$29.43 billion of deals were signed at the previous fair in October last year. The top five purchasers were the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the United States, Taiwan Province, Japan and South Korea.

Meanwhile, Shang Ming, head of the regulations and decrees division of the Ministry of Commerce, said the ministry would fight IP infringement through a nationwide drive known as "Blue Sky Expo."

Officials from five government bodies will conduct spot checks at 20 major expos held before April next year, he said at a seminar on the sideline of the Canton Fair.

The ministry will also offer 600 million yuan (US$74 million) in subsidies this year to encourage Chinese companies to build their brand names in export commodities.

Editor: Alessia