The International Trade Centre (ITC) is supporting the participation of 100 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) from various developing countries in the 2nd China International Import Expo (CIIE) on 5-10 November 2019 in Shanghai, China.

China has become the second largest consumer and importing country in the world. CIIE is the largest import expo in the world. This creates enormous export opportunities for MSMEs from developing countries. At the first edition of CIIE in November 2018, the MSMEs supported by ITC initiated deals worth over USD$ 116 million. The CIIE 2019 will be co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (MOFCOM) and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government. Government officials, business communities, exhibitors and professional buyers across the world are expected to participate in CIIE. In 2018, the event gathered 150,000 domestic and foreign professional buyers, as well as exhibitors from 100 countries. It provided an unprecedented opportunity for companies to make inroads into the Chinese market.

Objectives:

  • ITC will support 100 MSMEs from developing countries to participate in CIIE 2019. MSMEs will be able to:
    Promote their products and services with good export potential to China, focusing on:
    1. Processed food and agricultural products
    2. Quality life products i.e. apparel, accessories, consumer goods
    3. Services i.e. tourism, education-related services and ICT
  • Familiarize themselves with Chinese market requirements including product quality, delivery conditions, export pricing, market trends and offers by competitors.
  • Meet potential Chinese and international business partners.

Programme:

ITC’s support to MSMEs will consist of:

  • Training to prepare for their participation in the Expo, via e-learning, through online courses, between February and September 2019;
  • Exhibition space (2 companies share 9 square meters) and set-up for the whole duration of the Expo, from 5 to 10 November;
  • Assistance for the expo registration and issuance of visa invitation letters for company representatives;
  • Accommodation in Shanghai for one company representative for the duration of the Expo;
  • Information to facilitate product customs clearance, inspection and quarantine to China;
  • Promotion, in cooperation with Expo organizers, of the products and services of the participating companies to professional buyers prior to and during the event;
  • Advisory support prior, during and after the Expo.

Conditions for Participation:

To be eligible for receiving ITC’s support, MSMEs should:

  • Originate from a developing country;
  • Offer products or services in the following sectors:
    • Processed food
    • Quality Life products i.e. apparel, accessories and consumer goods
    • Services, i.e. tourism, education related services and ICT
  • Be export-ready, preferably with export experience to China and/or developed countries;
  • Participate in CIIE with a representative with decision making authority and proficient in English and/or Chinese;
  • Confirm that the products offered can access the Chinese market;
  • Follow and complete the 2 online training courses offered by ITC;
  • Prepare marketing materials (i.e. posters/flyers/visiting cards etc.) in English and preferably also in Chinese;
  • Select and exhibit representative product samples during CIIE 2019;
  • Cover their costs for their travel (flight) costs to/from Shanghai, local transport in Shanghai, meals and miscellaneous expenses. Company representatives may be expected to arrive in Shanghai a few days before the opening of the Expo, for booth set-up with ITC support;
  • Organize and cover the costs for the transportation of their product samples to the Expo;
  • Take care of their visa applications and pay for any visa fees, once they receive the confirmation from ITC and the organizer.

Companies, which have already registered/rented booths with the Expo organizers directly, are not eligible for ITC support.

Participation is by invitation only. The company selection will be confirmed by ITC.

How to apply:
Interested companies fulfilling the above-mentioned criteria should electronically complete the attached Company Questionnaire and send it to ITC at the following ITC email address: ciie@intracen.org by Friday, 22 February 2019.
The Company Questionnaire can also be downloaded at: http://www.intracen.org/uploadedFiles/abmfiles/CompanyProfileForm.doc