Trade Must Go On!

While the nation held its breath in anticipation of the 2020 election results, the Bay Area Council’s California Pavilion opened its doors at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai! For the third consecutive year, the Bay Area Council hosts California exporters promoting their products and services at the largest import exhibition in the world.

On November 5, the Council kicked off the six-day trade expo with an opening ceremony emphasizing the importance of trade between California and China. Representatives from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, San Francisco Mayor’s Office of International Trade and Commerce, U.S.-China relations champion Florence Fang, City of Los Angeles, Alameda County, Sacramento MBDA Export Center, Port of Oakland, and Fresno EDC provided remarks and joined the ceremony online. Speaking on behalf of the Chinese side, Vice President Liu Chen from the CCCME – China’s largest association of importers and exporters for machinery and electronic products, reiterated the importance of the California-China relationship and a desire to address national differences for future cooperation.  Special thanks to Royal Business Bank and Executive Vice President Simon Pang for their big support.

Chinese government officials, importers, media outlets, and other CIIE visitors attended the event in person following strict health safety protocols. The ceremony concluded with signing a partnership agreement between the Bay Area Council and MEBO International to launch California Tmall Store – an online storefront for California food, cosmetics and nutraceutical companies on China’s leading cross-border e-commerce platform.

Special thanks to the California Pavilion sponsors: Royal Business Bank, Sacramento MBDA Export Center, Port of Oakland and MEBO International! To learn more about growth opportunities in China for your company, please contact Global Programs Director Alex Foard.