GUANGZHOU — The 129th session of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, concluded online on April 24.

This is the third time for the fair to be held online following two virtual events held in June and October last year.

A total of 26,000 participating companies submitted more than 2.76 million exhibits, which is 290,000 more than that of the previous session, said Xu Bing, spokesperson for the fair.

The 10-day online event received a total of 35.38 million visits on its official website, and its livestreaming programs attracted 880,000 viewers.

The latest edition has taken multiple measures to facilitate foreign trade. Domestic buyers placed nearly 2,000 intended orders with participating exhibitors at the fair. Meanwhile, 12,000 domestic buyers such as supermarkets, retail chains and e-commerce platforms, communicated with 340 exhibitors from 28 countries and regions to help overseas enterprises explore the Chinese market.

Founded in 1957, the Canton Fair is seen as an important barometer of China's foreign trade. The 128th session attracted approximately 26,000 domestic and overseas enterprises showcasing more than 2.47 million products.