ISTANBUL, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The area sales manager of Turkish company Fanset did not expect to see so many Turkish products at a Chinese trade fair held on-site for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Various vacuum cleaners, new built-in microwave ovens, hot-selling hand mixers, and many others are on display at the 133rd China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, attracting buyers from China and abroad.
Made-in-Türkiye products are popular at the fair being held from April 15 through May 5. Nearly 90 Turkish companies, mainly from textile, food and other industries, are participating.
Fanset, a small Turkish home appliance company, joined the list of import exhibitors in 2008 and has been attending the fair since then.
Canton Fair provides a platform for foreign companies and global traders to communicate in person, Fanset's Area Sales Manager Islam Elabd told Xinhua about the opportunities provided by the face-to-face version of the fair. "I am very grateful to China for sharing this valuable market opportunity with other countries."
Elabd noted that his company's products are exported to more than 60 countries, focusing more on the markets in the African continent and the Middle East. Every time it participates in the fair, the company comfortably connects to target markets.
However, COVID-19 has taken a toll on Fanset's business as the Canton Fair started to be held online in line with the prevention measures. That makes this year's reboot a fresh start for the company.
"For us, this is a good opportunity to receive customers from all over the world. For example, companies from Africa and the Middle East look forward to meeting us. They have sent us many emails expressing their plan to sign orders and maintain trade relations," he said.
The Turkish company showcased over 60 products, including vacuum cleaners, coffee machines and teapots. "The venue is very lively. Buyers from many countries come to our booth every day. For us, this is like a grand event to do business again," Elabd remarked.
Like Fanset, Ferre, one of Türkiye's largest kitchen appliance manufacturers, is not new to the fair. It has participated in about 27-28 Canton Fairs in total, and its exhibition area this time is 200 square meters, setting a record high.
According to Emir Bilal Muhammed, the regional export manager with Ferre, the company is actively operating in Türkiye. Currently, it has eight factories -- one in Istanbul and the other seven in the central province of Kayseri -- and its products are exported to 141 countries and regions around the world.
"Our main markets are Angola, Nigeria, Algeria and Russia. Although the products exhibited do not focus on the Chinese market, the strong influence of the Canton Fair around the world is of great help for product promotion," Muhammed said. In the previous offline Canton Fair, they met an average of 150 buyers from all over the world.
Meanwhile, another Turkish company Hausberg made its debut at the Canton Fair.
Hausberg's booth displayed 21 types of household appliances, including mixers and hand blenders. Sevdenur Ozdemir, the company's customer representative, was busy responding to inquiries from buyers from various countries.
In just two days, she met more than 50 buyers. "This result is in line with our expectations," Ozdemir said.
Her goal in participating in this fair is to explore the European and Chinese markets. "For me, the Canton Fair has great potential, so I will continue to participate in the next Canton Fair to tap more potential and opportunities," she said.
Launched in 1957 and held twice yearly, the fair is considered a major gauge of China's foreign trade.
This year's fair resumed all on-site activities in Guangzhou, attracting a record number of participating companies and hundreds of thousands of purchasers from over 220 countries and regions. ■