THE annual China International Consumer Products Expo (Cicpe) was launched in Haikou, Hainan province, on Monday.
The event felt like a vast open market with a global twist as visitors from around the world are seeking opportunity in China’s increasingly open consumer landscape.
The Cicpe, now in its sixth edition, is the largest consumer goods exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region. This year’s event features national pavilions from 22 countries and regions, including Ireland, Switzerland, South Korea and Italy, with the number of participating delegations reaching a record high.
More than 200 product series will make their debuts, with more than 40 organizations and nearly 100 brands taking part in the launches, covering areas such as health care, jewelry and digital technology.
Amid profound shifts in the global economic and trade landscape, market access has become an increasingly scarce resource. China’s continued commitment to opening up has strengthened the willingness of companies worldwide to bring their products and services to the Chinese market, a trend clearly reflected in the strong participation at this year’s Cicpe, a Chinese expert said.
Catherine O’Grady, CEO of Glen Keen Estate Irish Whiskey, is attending the expo for the first time, hoping to explore partnership opportunities. She has brought a range of family-produced whiskies, some of which are already available in the Chinese market.
“My main focus over the six days is to build long-term partnerships,” she told the Global Times at the expo. She noted that Ireland remains overly reliant on a few key markets, particularly the US. With diversification becoming increasingly important, China is an important new market for the company to explore.
Alberto Morettini, general manager of Oleificio Toscano Morettini, represents the third generation in his family business, which has made its olive oil products available in many parts of the world, ranging from the United States to Europe.
But it is now looking into new and fast-growing markets such as China. Last year, it sold about 1,000 bottles in the China market, and it hopes to at least double this number this year.
“China is a huge market with 1.4 billion people ... we cannot miss that, which is why we are here,” he said.
Marvis, a 27-year-old businessperson from Nigeria who started her own trading company in Haikou last year, is exploring the expo with great excitement as she looks for new partnerships.
She currently trades China-made products to African countries such as Nigeria, and hopes to eventually bring African products to China, where she sees strong potential for cooperation.
As the first major event following the launch of island-wide special customs operations of the Hainan Free Trade Port, this year’s Cicpe is not only the first major domestic exhibition in the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), but also a landmark event showcasing the achievements of the customs closure while leading global consumption.
Oscar Felipe Rueda Plata, commercial counselor of the Colombian Embassy in China, told the Global Times that it is the first time for him to attend this event, but “I do believe that this exhibition is going to become more and more important, and I do believe there are a lot of opportunities for Colombian products.”
We are a major exporter of agricultural products, so we do hope to bring some of them here in the near term, he said.
