The 138th Canton Fair, known officially as the China Import and Export Fair, came to a close on Tuesday in Guangzhou, the capital city of south China's Guangdong Province, having seen a record number of overseas buyers attend.

By Tuesday, this session has attracted over 310,000 overseas buyers from 223 countries and regions, marking a 7.5 percent increase compared to the previous session. The on-site intended export transactions at the Canton Fair reached 25.65 billion U.S. dollars, said the organizer of the fair.

The fair saw notable growth in buyers from the European Union, the Middle East, the United States, and Brazil, according to the organizer.

Launched in 1957, the fair has evolved over the decades with improved quality as well as innovative ideas and services. It has become not only a gathering of global business partners, but also a platform showcasing China's commitment to innovation and cooperation, providing certainty and confidence for the world economy.

A PLATFORM FOR GROWTH

It has been 14 years since United Arab Emirates (UAE) businessman Anis Askerali Sajan first brought his two sons, Azhar and Sahil, to the Canton Fair. Today, the once curious visitors are seasoned buyers who represent their family company, Danube Group, which is a leading building materials and real estate firm in the UAE.

"Experience outweighs knowledge. I brought my sons here to teach them how to connect with people. Now they are confident enough to negotiate prices and even visit factories on their own," said Anis, who first attended the fair in 2000.

Over the last two decades, he has witnessed the Canton Fair expand into a larger and more sophisticated platform, and his company has grown from a small importer into a regional business powerhouse.

"The Canton Fair is a platform for growth. It's a gold mine. It's up to you what to identify," he said.

According to organizers, the 138th edition of the fair hosted more than 32,000 exhibitors, including over 1 million new products that were developed in the past year. About 800,000 items were debuted at this session.

Shantilal Patel, an Indian buyer who attended the fair for the first time, said that the vibrant booths of artificial flowers from Dongguan Rosa Import and Export Co., Ltd. had been "irresistible."

"I'm really impressed by the quality and variety of Chinese products. There's huge potential here, and the Canton Fair is a great window to explore the market," he said.

Hailed as a barometer of China's foreign trade, the fair continues to attract global enterprises seeking orders, partnerships and market insights.

"The fair remains closely aligned with the needs of businesses, with trade promotion at its core," said Zhu Yong, head of the China Foreign Trade Center. According to Zhu, multiple events have been held to connect Chinese enterprises and overseas buyers more efficiently, and to explore new cooperation opportunities.