The events are held at the International Centre of Exhibition in Hoan Kiem district by the Zhejiang Department of Commerce, the Yuanda International Exhibition Co. Ltd, and the Vietnam National Trade Fair & Advertising Company (VINEXAD).

The expo features 130 booths of over 100 exhibitors, displaying hardware products and machinery; textiles, garments and materials; interior and exterior furniture; electronics; and household appliances. It also includes various side events, such as a seminar on e-commerce; a symposium on international trade promotion and Vietnam-China business matching model; and a bicycle test tour.

Addressing the opening ceremony via videoconference, Yuanda Director General Chen Cui said the export fair is one of the largest and oldest events organised independently by Zhejiang in ASEAN, adding that it has been switched from the in-person format to a hybrid one to help continually foster the province’s economic and trade ties with Vietnam.

To Ngoc Son, Deputy Director of the Asia-Africa Market Department at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said the Zhejiang Export Fair has become an important trade promotion activity helping reinforce economic and trade links between Vietnam and China, including Zhejiang. He noted despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts and global geopolitical uncertainties, the two countries’ trade last year still grew 25 percent from 2020 to US$166.4 billion. The figure stood at US$117.3 billion in the first eight months of 2022, up 10.79 percent from a year earlier.

China remains the largest trading partner of Vietnam. It ranks first among exporters to and second among importers of products from Vietnam, he said, adding that trade promotion activities like the Zhejiang fair is important to sustain bilateral trade growth.

VNA