UPDATE (February 24, 2020 3.10pm CST): Preparation efforts for the 127th China Import and Export Fair (also known as Canton Fair) have been unaffected by the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to Li Xingqian, director-general of the Ministry of Commerce’s Department of Foreign Investment Administration, as cited by GRT Radio. The Ministry of Commerce is expected to release specific dates for Canton Fair at a later date, with the first phase said to be held in mid-April.
On Monday, February 3, the venue that houses Guangzhou’s Canton Fair, also referred to as China Import and Export Fair, announced that all fairs and festivals will be suspended indefinitely as the Pazhou-based complex looks to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
In an official WeChat post by the venue, provincial government documents were shared that show the venue’s halt on public gatherings and events. The announcement additionally notes that the complex will keep in close contact with authorities and update everyone as soon as normal operations are resumed.
Although not explicitly stated in the post, Canton Fair 2020 Spring, which was scheduled to begin on April 15, could potentially be cancelled if activities do not resume in time.
On the fair’s official website, pre-registration is still up and running, as of February 5. Although, we’d imagine that even if the fair does go ahead as planned, attendance would likely be impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.
Image via Wikimedia
The last session of the Canton Fair, held from October 15, 2019 to November 4, 2019, brought in over 186,000 overseas buyers and nearly USD30 billion in business turnover, according to their official website.
For regular updates on the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, click here.
[Cover image via @deco_agent/Instagram]
0 User Comments