On October 15, the 115th National Sugar and Wine Commodity Fair grandly opened at the Nanjing International Expo Center. As one of the key events under the Ministry of Commerce’s “Export to China” initiative and hosted on the platform of the 115th National Sugar and Wine Fair, the “Export to China” Sugar & Wine Industry Matchmaking Event took place on the afternoon of October 15.

Co-organized by the Foreign Trade Development Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce, the Organizing Committee of the National Sugar and Wine Fair, and the Yangtze River Delta International Chamber of Commerce Alliance, and undertaken by COFCO Exhibition (Beijing) Co., Ltd., the event follows the tenet of “Connecting Global Food Sources, Empowering Trade with China, and Building a Win-Win Ecosystem”. It focuses on integrating resources across the global food industrial chain, precisely matching high-quality overseas food supply with diverse consumer demands in China. The event attracted numerous overseas exhibition delegations, imported food exhibitors, domestic channel procurement representatives and industry association representatives.

Boosting In-depth Engagement between the Global Food, Alcohol and Beverage Industry and the Chinese Market

Deng Bo, Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Trade Development Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce, stated in his address that the “Export to China” series of activities is a practical initiative taken by China from the perspective of its trade partners to expand imports and promote balanced import and export development. It aims to share the development opportunities of China’s market with stakeholders worldwide, help countries expand export channels to China, enrich commodity supply in the domestic market, and better meet people’s aspirations for a better life. As the implementing agency of the Ministry of Commerce’s “Export to China” program, the Foreign Trade Development Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce is committed to supporting premium products from all countries, including those in the food, alcohol and beverage sectors, to enter and explore the Chinese market.

Chen Gang, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy General Manager of COFCO Group, said in his speech that this year’s National Sugar and Wine Fair has been included in the annual event list of the Ministry of Commerce’s “Export to China” initiative for the first time. This marks a concrete action of the National Sugar and Wine Fair to serve the country’s high-level opening-up, as well as an important measure to advance deep integration of the global food, alcohol and beverage industry with the Chinese market. COFCO Group will continue to uphold its mission of “Dedication to national development, commitment to people’s wellbeing, and benevolence to the world”. Leveraging its global layout and full industrial chain advantages, COFCO will work with all partners to continuously raise the international, professional and market-oriented standards of the National Sugar and Wine Fair, deliver tangible results from production and marketing matchmaking activities at the fair, and contribute more to smoothing the domestic and international dual circulation and meeting people’s needs for a better life.

Xu Feng, Member of the Standing Committee of the Nanjing Municipal Party Committee and Vice Mayor of Nanjing, delivered an address noting that as a central city in the Yangtze River Delta and an international comprehensive transportation hub, Nanjing is accelerating its development into an international consumption center city. The combined strengths in location, transportation, consumer market and industrial support provide solid backing for global food and beverage enterprises to cultivate the Chinese market. Committed to building a two-way opening hub with global cohesion, Nanjing will fully implement national arrangements to expand imports, amplify the platform effect of the “Export to China” initiative, and adopt more effective measures and better services to facilitate global food and beverage industrial cooperation.

Luo Qi, Vice President of NielsenIQ China, delivered a report titled A New Growth Landscape for Imported Food amid China’s Evolving Consumption and Distribution Channels, analyzing trends of imported food penetrating markets from first-tier cities down to lower-tier regions. He explained that China’s consumer market has undergone structural shifts, and competition across sales channels has grown more complex. Snack store chains have developed rapidly since 2021 and are now moving toward market concentration among leading players, laying a foundation for the distribution of imported food. Healthy and high-quality snacks enjoy large premium margins and represent a key growth area for imported food brands. To reach more price-sensitive and younger shoppers, imported food brands are advised to deliver novel consumer experiences alongside properly priced products and tailored packaging combinations.

Two-way Engagement between Overseas Exhibitors and Chinese Buyers

“Two-way engagement” emerged as the core theme of this matchmaking event. On one side lies global supply; on the other, China’s demand. Overseas participants bring premium global products, while Chinese buyers represent China’s huge consumer market.

Wang Hao, Deputy Secretary-General of the Organizing Committee of the National Sugar and Wine Fair, introduced that the “Export to China” Sugar & Wine Industry Matchmaking Event featured 512 products from 96 overseas brand exhibitors representing 27 countries, among which 56 products made their debut in China.

The matchmaking event gathered premium food and beverage products sourced from more than 20 countries. Quality goods from South Korea, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Italy, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain and other countries were showcased.

Overseas exhibitors presented a rich variety of food products covering four major categories: alcoholic beverages, snack foods, drinks and condiments. Overseas brand owners and agents brought their products to the event to tap into the potential of China’s consumer market.

Chinese professional buyers also formed a strong delegation. More than 100 domestic purchasers attended, covering four channel types: traditional distribution, offline retail terminals, online e-commerce and new retail, and special channels. They came with clear procurement requirements to discover imported products and explore international cooperation channels.

Product display zones on both sides of the venue showcased products from key partners of the National Sugar and Wine Fair. Serving both as product showcases and on-site launch and selection booths, exhibits were arranged following supermarket shelf logic, allowing buyers attending the matchmaking event to browse, inspect samples and select goods intuitively just like shopping in a supermarket.

One-on-One Precision Matching to Advance Cooperation Intentions

Through pre-event bilateral matching, market trend briefings and on-site exhibition and negotiation sessions, the event built an efficient, practical and precise platform for communication and cooperation. It enabled overseas high-quality suppliers and Chinese purchasers to communicate face-to-face and engage in targeted talks, helping translate more cooperation intentions into concrete results.

Over 100 exhibitors took turns for one-on-one matchmaking sessions to precisely align with buyers’ product selection needs. Exhibitors fully presented their flagship products while purchasers elaborated on their sourcing requirements. Both sides discussed immediate orders as well as long-term partnerships, working together to introduce high-quality global food, alcohol and beverage resources into China and develop business in the Chinese market.

“This is a highly professional matchmaking event. The organizers made thoughtful arrangements and offered one-on-one matching services. This approach helps us connect with suitable and interested potential partners and raises the chance of successful deals. I am delighted to have met several prospective partners. I look forward to making progress and carrying out in-depth cooperation with Chinese counterparts,” shared Cathie Tan, a business representative from Malaysia.

The “Export to China” initiative welcomes enterprises worldwide to share China’s vast market. Global businesses have cast votes of confidence with their actions: they are optimistic about China, committed to expanding their presence here, and ready to embrace global opportunities based on the Chinese market. Supported by the National Sugar and Wine Fair platform, premium global food and beverage products keep coming into China, while opportunities in China’s consumer market continue to be shared with the rest of the world.