The 108th Session of Canton Fair was held in Pazhou Complex from October 15 to 19, 2010. On October 20, the spokesman Mr Liu Jianjun, Deputy Secretary of the Canton Fair, said that although the overseas buyer attendance of the first phase was less than that of the 107th session, turnover had indeed maintained recovery growth, but was yet to reach the levels achieved before the current world financial crisis.
However, a survey of exhibitors attending the fair, considered that the trade situation was improving. Statistics revealed that there were 98,000 overseas buyers from 201 countries and regions attending the fair. This was a decrease of 5.5 percent compared to that of 107th session, but an 6.5 percent increase compared to the 106th session.
However, turnover was USD 21.15 billion, up by 12.3 percent and 35.8 percent respectively compared to that of 107th session and 106th sessions. Issues as to fluctuations in the RMB exchange rate, rising labour costs and trade frictions was still of concern to foreign trade enterprises, such that exhibitors thought that future prospects were not too clear but cautiously optimistic.
