The 93rd China Export Commodities Fair, which ran from April 15 to 30, scored US$4.42 billion worth transactions, said Xu Bing, deputy secretary-general of the fair.
Xu said 23,128 businessmen from 167 countries and regions had participated in the fair by Tuesday. None of the participants was reported to be infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus.
Though influenced by SARS and the Iraq War, the fair still achieved its anticipated foreign trade goal, Xu said.
Business at the fair mainly involved machinery and electronic products, textiles, and farm produce, with their trade volumes respectively amounting to US$2.04 billion, US$810 million and US$230 million.
Xu admitted that the number of overseas visitors to this year's fair declined noticeably compared with last year. However, he pointed out that the trading efficiency was much higher.
In addition, special websites for the fair reached intended export agreements involving US$310 million.
(People's Daily April 30, 2003)
