International / China Commodity Fair 2024: promising niches and opportunities for international cooperation

Home goods, health and beauty products, household appliances and gardening supplies, gifts and souvenirs, and clothing for children and adults are the key categories that this season’s Chinese consumer goods exhibition will offer to visitors.

China’s exports to Russia are on the rise, according to the International Working Committee of the BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry: both countries quickly overcame the decline in trade turnover that was observed this spring. In the first two quarters of this year, the total volume of China’s exports to Russia increased by 2 percentage points compared to the previous year, amounting to 366.81 billion yuan, or USD 51.7 billion at the current exchange rate.

The prospects and challenges of trade relations between Russia and China amid the current geopolitical and economic environment will be discussed by manufacturers, suppliers, sellers, and heads of relevant organizations—including representatives of government agencies—at the International / China Commodity Fair 2024. This year, the event will take place for the first time at the new Timiryazev Center exhibition venue in Moscow from November 12 to 14.

The national exhibition is organized with the support of the Ministry of Commerce of the PRC, the Department of Trade Development, the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products, and trade committees of Chinese provinces, as well as with the support of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia. The exclusive operator of the China Commodity Fair 2024 is Gefera Media.

As of today, nearly two hundred exhibitors have already confirmed their participation in the exhibition, including technology companies, manufacturers of household appliances, and consumer electronics from China.

Traditionally, the most represented product groups at the exhibition are home goods and kitchenware, currently making up 40% of the lineup. In this segment, the key target visitors are representatives of supermarkets, shopping malls, retail chains, HoReCa, and online marketplaces. Similarly, the second largest group among confirmed participants is household appliances and electronics, accounting for 20% of the exhibition.

For example, rice cookers, multicookers, coffee makers, bread makers, electric grills, and other appliances will be showcased by Elecpro, a major manufacturer of kitchen appliances with thirty years of market experience. In the past ten years, the company has been a leader among rice cooker exporters in China and one of the top suppliers of electric grills to Europe and the USA, earning the trust of prominent international brands such as Panasonic, Spectrum, Conair, Delonghi, Severin, and Breville.

Over 12% of this year’s exhibitors are companies presenting gifts and souvenir products. For instance, Yiwu Jialan Package, a long-time partner of Disney, Macy’s, Playwrite, and Hallmark, will showcase an array of gift boxes, packaging, and paper bags in various designs.

Zhongcai Stationery, a major marker manufacturer with an annual output of more than one billion units, will also present its products. Visitors can test felt-tip pens, acrylic and colored markers, watercolor pens, fineliners, whiteboard markers, and more at their booth. Their products are exported to 60 countries and comply with safety standards such as CPSIA, ASTM, and TRA/F963 in the USA and EN71, BS7272, and REACH in Europe.

Another exhibitor, Fenghua Technology Development, has been producing and supplying self-adhesive materials worldwide for nearly 40 years. You can find their products on the shelves of IKEA, Walmart, and, in November, at the International / China Commodity Fair 2024, where the company will feature lint rollers and adhesive traps.

Exhibits in health and beauty, gardening, and outdoor leisure products each account for 10% of the exhibition. Clothing and foodstuffs make up about 5% each.

While these statistics are preliminary—the exhibition itself is still a couple of months away—the breakdown clearly reflects the results of investment rankings, according to which Chinese entrepreneurs show a major preference for the retail and wholesale consumer goods trade. In fact, among the top 10 most popular industries, trading activities occupy eight positions. In total, nearly 2,500 Chinese trading companies have been registered in Russia over the past two years.

«In recent years, we have indeed seen an undeniable increase in Chinese companies’ participation in our exhibitions, highlighting the mutual benefit and interest from both exhibitors and visitors. The exhibition offers wide opportunities for direct contact with verified Chinese manufacturers and suppliers, helping businesses find alternative solutions that are so necessary in these challenging times,» commented Anna Goncharova, Commercial Director of Gefera Media.

In today’s world, as many events happen in a single year as used to occur over a decade. Technology plays a key role in this— with the boom in digitalization, the growth of e-commerce, and the rising popularity of neural networks, among others. At this very moment, Russian businesses find themselves at a crossroads: on one hand, they must constantly adapt to progress, experiment, and try out new tools; on the other, they are constrained by strict sanctions that have significantly altered logistics chains, necessitated the search for new partners, and driven the need for import substitution.

At the same time, these new economic realities have impacted traditional markets, intensifying competition—a trend that can, overall, be considered positive. Progress and restrictions are two different forces shaping the development of Russian business. What transformations are markets going through, what challenges are entrepreneurs facing, and what new directions should businesses focus on in today's environment? These and many other questions are proposed for discussion at the Russia-China Business Forum.

Invited business owners, representatives of e-commerce platforms, and active sellers will share how to build effective team management and production cycles on marketplaces, as well as which tools help maximize earnings during sales campaigns while maintaining customer loyalty and generating positive reviews. Experts from Ozon University, Alfa Bank, MarketGuru, and other leading companies have already confirmed their participation.

The development of e-commerce is also linked to the growing trend of actively using AI technologies—for example, when filling out product cards on marketplaces. Today, artificial intelligence stands out as a separate trend in the implementation of business projects, making it a must-discuss topic in business forums. Speakers from marketplaces, analytics services, and fulfillment providers will share practical advice on how to use neural networks to manage business processes. In everyday life, meeting with these marketplace representatives can be difficult—but at the exhibition, all interested participants will have the opportunity.

Throughout all days of the exhibition, there will be panel discussions, strategic sessions, and expert roundtables where current issues for entrepreneurs will be discussed and specific case studies analyzed at the request of participants. These formats always resonate with the audience, as the ability to negotiate with suppliers and assess risks are essential skills—especially for newcomers in business.

That’s why, today, participation in industry exhibitions—which opens new horizons for international cooperation—is equally important for both large companies and local players. In this respect, the International / China Commodity Fair 2024 provides an effective platform for networking and practical business development. In fact, last year, the exhibition attracted nearly 10,000 visitors.