The Canton Fair attracted 480 firms from 57 countries and regions, offering business people an opportunity to purchase commodities worldwide.

Chinese products are favored by global buyers at the major import and export fair in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, despite a few product recalls of Chinese products this summer.

Export transactions at the first phase of the autumn session of the Canton Fair, ending on Saturday, soared to US$24.97 billion, up 12.5 percent over the last autumn fair. The number of overseas buyers reached more than 123,000, up 1.3 percent.

"Thousands of people are basically here for Chinese goods. They are not looking for foreign goods," said Steve Barek, President and CEO of the Florida-based Microflock Textile Group Corporation.

Barek said he plans to increase procurement by about 50 percent at the fair.

To restore confidence in Chinese-made products, the country has staged a slew of measures, including recall systems, a four-month nationwide product quality campaign, and intensive training courses for domestic manufacturers.

Cristina Goereescci, representative for Romania Flyfish Sanitary Ware, said compared to goods in Romania, Chinese goods are usually available with the same quality but lower prices.

"These days we visited many Chinese factories. Their production ability is approaching European standards," said Rainer Muller from the German trade company Modena GmbH.

"We think that they have good quality. Now we buy more and more goods from China, such as refrigerators, microwave ovens, and dishwashers," he said.

Israel businessman Eli Tubul said he is not only interested in Chinese goods.

"I also want to buy goods by non-Chinese producers since there are so many imported products on display," he said.

"We have prepared an abundance of high-quality products for the booming Chinese market," said Harvey Dubrofsky, president of Canada's household utensil firm Dusco.

Not far from his booth was a household electric appliance company from Italy, surrounded by a flock of gabbling visitors.

Giovanni Crialesi, manager of the Italian firm, said Chinese people, especially those living in big cities, are buying more expensive kitchen utensils, so they may also need stoves or ovens of European style.

Besides Chinese consumers, 200,000 buyers from all over the world also gathered here, providing an enormous business chance for us, Dubrofsky said.

During the fair, Dubrofsky talked with a dozen clients from China, India, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia who showed interest in his product.

The fair has helped the company attract more clients worldwide to grab a share of the vast international market, he said.

To attract more business people from less developed countries in Asia and Africa, the fair organizer offered them favorable policies, such as discounted or free renting fees for exhibition booths.

Formerly known as the Canton Fair, the country's oldest trade fair officially changed its name to the China Import and Export Commodities Fair earlier this year.

It was seen as a move to show the world China's efforts to increase imports and reduce trade surplus, which has triggered trade disputes with other countries.

After the Canton Fair added an import section to its exhibition, other major trade fairs, including the China International Fair for Investment and Trade and the China Hi-tech Fair, followed suit.

(Xinhua News Agency October 22, 2007)