This photo taken on Oct 29, 2023 shows the south square of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the main venue for the 6th China International Import Expo in Shanghai. [Photo/VCG]

The sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE) is being held in Shanghai from Nov 5 to 10, with 2,014 businesses and 6,300 people in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, having signed up for the annual event.

The Nantong delegation plans to make orders for food, agricultural products, medical devices, healthcare products, vehicles, and services.

Before the expo commenced, the local municipal bureau of commerce teased out the procurement requirements of key import businesses via onsite investigations and questionnaires. The bureau also arranged for more than 10 local companies to attend project matchmaking meetings and roadshows in Shanghai to further smooth out communication channels.

The bureau has also picked out some key exhibitors involved in areas related to the the city's six industrial clusters, including shipbuilding, biological medicine, new materials, and new energy.

An official from the bureau revealed that they will hold some investment promotion meetings and closely watch the procurement demands of Nantong participants to help them achieve more impressive results.

The sixth edition of the CIIE has set a new record with 289 Global Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders in attendance. Over 3,400 exhibitors and 394,000 professional visitors have registered for the event, signifying a full recovery to pre-pandemic levels. More than 400 new products, technologies, and services are on display.