A company representative from Nantong talks with overseas buyers at the matchmaking event held on Oct 17 during the 140th China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

A matchmaking event for Nantong's electromechanical industry was held in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Oct 17 alongside the 140th China Import and Export Fair, or Canton Fair, connecting 37 overseas buyers from Latin America, Africa and other regions with 48 local suppliers.

The event promoted Nantong's industrial clusters to support cluster-based international expansion and raise the "Nantong Electromechanical" brand profile.

Electromechanical products are Nantong's largest export category. In January-September, exports reached 141.75 billion yuan ($21.19 billion), ranking among top prefecture-level cities in the country. Its power tools and general machinery clusters include more than 200 enterprises above designated size, with local supply chains covering over 2,000 components and annual output exceeding 45 billion yuan.

Qidong, a county-level city of Nantong, is recognized as "China's Power Tool Capital". Its leading brand Dongcheng has topped domestic and international sales for 13 consecutive years in China.

After the matchmaking event, Nantong Sesame Tools said it matched well with several buyers and has scheduled follow-up talks at its booth. Meanwhile, a procurement director at Indonesia's Kawan Lama Group said he plans to visit Nantong early next year after learning more about its power tool industry.