October 26, 2026. The 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE), the fair China organizes so foreign companies can sell into its market, opens in Shanghai on November 5 and runs until November 10. It will gather 4,142 foreign companies from 162 countries, regions and international organizations, according to the State Council Information Office briefing of October 16 reported by Yicai and the Shanghai government.
At the Canton Fair China sells; at the CIIE China buys.
The 9th edition in numbers
- For the first time, more than 440,000 square meters of exhibition space, over 370,000 for companies.
- More than 300 Fortune Global 500 and industry-leading companies.
- More than 2,000 first-time exhibitors and about 200 that have attended all nine editions.
- More than 480 world, Asian or Chinese premieres, according to Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong.
- 69 countries and organizations in the Country Exhibition, with Canada and Sri Lanka as guests of honor.
Yicai reports a larger agri-food area this year. According to CCTV, a new report on developing export capacity to China will be released at the parallel Hongqiao Forum.
Services for exhibitors
The fair will have 19 negotiation zones and about 3,900 volunteers, more than 130 of them speaking languages such as French, German or Spanish, plus 123 dedicated customs windows and channels, according to Yicai.
How Latin American companies can use it
Mexico was the guest of honor at the first CIIE in 2018, with a national pavilion and more than 100 business people, mostly from agri-food and services, according to the Embassy of Mexico in China.
Our take: selling to China starts long before the fair. For food, market access is the first filter: the Mexican embassy's January 2026 export guide notes that a company without valid registration with Chinese customs cannot file the import declaration, and that incorrect labeling is a main cause of rejection.
- Check market access and registration for your product with our export to China service.
- Prepare Chinese-language materials and digital presence in China before meeting buyers.
- Plan the visit with our business trips to China support: agenda, interpreter and factory visits.
