CIIE closes with a record $85.45 billion in intended deals, but growth slows to 2.3%

The 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE) closed in Shanghai on November 10 with one-year intended deals of $85.45 billion, a record and 2.3% more than the previous edition. The figure was given by Xiao Lu, Party secretary and deputy director of the CIIE Bureau, at the closing press briefing, according to The Paper, and confirmed by Xinhua. At the 8th edition, in November 2025, intended deals reached $83.49 billion, up 4.4%: the total keeps growing, but more slowly.

According to the bureau, 162 countries, regions and international organisations took part. Five figures were records: 4,142 exhibiting companies, more than 440,000 square metres of space, more than 300 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders, 485 representative products with global, Asian or China debuts, and the deal total itself. Debuts in the technical equipment section rose 18%.

On the buying side, the expo organised 51 trading delegations and more than 700 sub-delegations, and more than 470,000 visitors registered. Matchmaking sessions, selection meetings for major buyers and the buyers’ corridor produced more than 4,000 rounds of talks; 62 group signing events were held, and more than 400 cooperation intentions were reached in all. The first China–EU medical devices matchmaking session brought together about 200 Chinese and foreign companies and institutions and produced more than 100 preliminary cooperation intentions.

Guest countries reported concrete results. Among the guest countries of honour and the theme countries of the “Export to China” programme, such as Canada, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom, Canadian ice wine drew purchase interest from more than 100 customers after appearing in a new showcase of heritage national brands; sales of Sri Lankan black tea grew 10-fold year on year; a Kenyan coffee brand met more than 40 buyers; and online sales of British butter biscuits during the expo were three times their usual level. Moldova signed an inspection and quarantine protocol during the CIIE that widens access for its farm products to China.

Preparations for the 10th CIIE have started: 143 companies and institutions have signed up, covering more than 100,000 square metres of exhibition space, Xiao said. The 10th edition is scheduled for November 5–10, 2027, in Shanghai, according to a Beijing News report republished on the official CIIE website.

CSP take: the $85.45 billion is a statement of intent, not a count of contracts, and the bureau published no split by country or sector, Brazil included. For companies that want to sell to China, the more useful signals are the matchmaking figures, the 2027 dates and the new ‘Export to China capability’ report, launched at the expo’s Hongqiao forum, which according to the briefing gives trading partners recommendations to raise their exports to China. This reading is ours, not the bureau’s.