Italian businessman sees bright future at Canton Fair

GUANGZHOU -- About 30 years ago, Italian businessman Enrico Lamperti arrived in China to participate in the Canton Fair for the first time. He now comes to China frequently for business meetings and factory visits, as well as for exhibitions and fairs, including the Canton Fair.

The 133rd China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) concluded on Friday in the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou. Foot traffic at the fair hit a record high of 2.9 million people, while export deals worth a total of $21.69 billion were signed at the offline exhibitions.

Lamperti was at this year's fair in search of gardening products, as well as items for babies and children. After discussions with many Chinese suppliers, he signed several intended orders.

Taking into account the long-distance transportation and the factory production period, Lamperti has to place orders for next year's gardening products several months in advance. The Canton Fair has become a good opportunity for him to browse for new ideas and new products.

"At the fair, we can meet many suppliers, see new products, and have discussions with the business partners for information about the market," said Lamperti.

Baby and child products are another core business area for his company. As an insider, Lamperti witnesses the impressive progress China has made in these products over the past few decades.

Chinese factories are adept at meeting customers' requirements and manage to provide goods that qualified for the international markets in a steady way.

Chinese factories also have a good command of production specification now. "We often suggest some new items and ideas, and we pay special attention to the manufacturing process to make sure everything follows the rules in terms of safety," said Lamperti.

In order to collaborate closely with the Chinese suppliers, Lamperti comes to China six or seven times a year for visits to factories and discussions with business partners. Various offline fairs in China are good occasions for business meetings, he said, adding that he is looking forward to seeing his Chinese friends again at future international fairs.

According to Lamperti, his first visit to the Canton Fair 30 years ago was a success. The trip not only brought him new opportunities for collaborating with Chinese suppliers but also expanded his mind with regard to new products and ideas.

"China was already famous in the 1990s as many people imported goods from the country. I believe China represents the future, and business people have to come and visit the country in order to move ahead," said Lamperti.