The 133rd China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, has drawn over 1.26 million visits as of Wednesday, the last day of its first phase.

More than 20 exhibition booths of 12,911 companies introduced over 800,000 exhibits, a record high, covering household appliances, building materials, bathroom products, and hardware tools.

Among them, household appliances, consumer electronics, and information products attracted more than half of buyers from countries and regions along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Industrial automation and intelligent manufacturing, new energy and intelligent networked vehicles were exhibited for the first time at the first phase of the Canton Fair, which fully demonstrated the achievements China made in trade and industrial upgrading, scientific and technological innovation, and improvement of the added value of its foreign trade products.

A number of home appliance companies said that since the beginning of this year, especially in March, foreign trade orders have rebounded.

Ms. Yang, deputy general manager of Jiangmen Jinling Electrical Appliances Co. that sells sweeping robots, said 95 percent of the company's products are exported to the overseas market.

“Many customers have come to our booth these days. Most exhibitors were from countries along the BRI and very few of them come from Europe and America,” she said.

“I have been very busy these days and received many foreign buyers. The order volume has increased a lot. Domestic customers pay more attention to design, while foreign customers pay more attention to the quality of goods and delivery time,” said Ms. Zou from a small electric appliance design company in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.

Liu Bin, a researcher with the Academy of China Open Economy Studies, the University of International Business and Economics, said one of the challenges facing China’s home appliance industry is how to target high-end intelligence with China manufacturing "going out. "

Gree, a leading air conditioner manufacturer in China, showed its AI product, Clivia air conditioner, the first one in the world.

The product uses an AI algorithm to automatically learn weather, room size, and heat load except for temperature, being able to adaptively and dynamically study parameters in different environments, said a staff member at Gree.

An integrated product of embedded hood and stove manufactured by Midea also won praise from overseas buyers for its advantages, such as no open flames and better efficiency than gas equipment. Many foreign buyers have the intention to order.

In addition, Skyworth Photovoltaic brought core hardware equipment such as energy storage inverters and batteries and full-scenario solutions to show users the latest achievements of the integration of new energy and home appliance enterprises.

The 133rd Canton Fair will be held in three phases, with the second phase focusing on consumer goods, from April 23 to 27, and the third phase on textiles, clothing and food, from May 1 to 5.