Deals worth 57.8 billion US dollars have been reached at the first China International Import Expo (CIIE), which concluded in Shanghai on November 10 with fruitful results.

A total of 3,617 companies from 151 countries and regions across the world showcased their products at the import fair. As initial statistics show, thanks to the expo, more than 570 new products, technologies and service items have been first released in the Chinese mainland or in the world. More than 3,600 overseas buyers from 72 countries and regions were attracted to the event.

According to the CIIE Bureau, the intended transaction value of high-end intelligent equipment was $16.5 billion, while that for consumer electronics and appliances came to about $4.3 billion. In the automobile exhibition area, the intended trade volume was valued at about $12 billion. The number for food and agricultural products came in at about $12.7 billion, while the figure for apparel, accessories and consumer goods reached about $3.4 billion. Medical equipment and healthcare products registered a total intended transaction volume of about $5.8 billion, while that for trade services was about $3.2 billion.

However, the world’s interest in the huge Chinese market did not stop despite the conclusion of the first CIIE. More than 200 companies have signed up for next year’s expo, among which 100 made their registration during the past week, said Sun Chenghai, deputy director of the CIIE Bureau. The second CIIE, which is slated to take place from November 5 to 10, 2019, will cover 300,000 square meters and be divided into five parts: Equipment, Consumer Goods, Food, Health Care, and Trade in services.