The annual China International Import Expo, the fifth edition of which will be held in Shanghai in early November, continues to receive interest from companies around the world, with newcomers applauding the robust growth and huge potential of the Chinese market.

At least 13 companies will attend the CIIE for the first time this year, including global metals and mining giant Rio Tinto Group, Japanese multinational semiconductor company Renesas Electronics Corp and German logistics services provider Flyflow Germany GmbH.

Italy's largest pet food company, Monge & C SpA, will be another newcomer at the CIIE this year. As soon as Monge signed cooperation agreements with its Chinese partner in November last year, the Italian company applied to take part in the expo, said Tang Yu, business development director for Monge in the Asia-Pacific region.

Monge's products are now available at major online e-commerce platforms such as JD and Alibaba's Tmall.

As the company aims to enrich its product portfolio in China, participation in the CIIE－a window to the Chinese market－will help to achieve that goal, Tang said, adding, "The CIIE has demonstrated China's unswerving goal of further opening-up and its dedication to promoting international trade."

For the first time this year at the CIIE, a special zone within the business exhibition area will be set up for seed suppliers and artificial intelligence companies.

Dutch vegetable breeding and seed production company Rijk Zwaan, the fourth-largest of its kind in the world, will be present in the special zone.

With extensive coverage of different industries, the CIIE will help Rijk Zwaan approach more clients, including supermarkets, importers and exporters, according to Ren Yuanyuan, team leader for marketing and communication at Rijk Zwaan (Qingdao) Agricultural Services Co.

The CIIE is also in line with the company's strategy in China to look beyond the large corporations that they have worked with since entering China in 1999 and to find new partners in the retailing end, Ren said.

The company is also looking for cooperation in modern agriculture and high-tech products, she added.

Swedish health and lifestyle company Airinum will also attend the CIIE for the first time this year. Apart from its signature patented masks, which are priced at 50 yuan ($7.40) each and mainly target fashion icons and businesspeople, Airinum will showcase branded bags and hats, the categories that the company will introduce globally later this year.

Jiang Yongxin, head of business expansion at Airinum China, said that China accounted for 15 percent of the company's annual revenue growth over the past three years, given the market's robust demand. Airinum would like to use the CIIE to explore more distribution channels in the country to better integrate online and offline outlets, he said.

The Norwegian Seafood Council also will participate in the CIIE for the first time this year as an organizer. According to Andreas Thorud, the council's China director, it has been inviting Norwegian seafood companies to attend the fifth CIIE. China is one of the most promising markets in the world, so close ties with Chinese partners are crucial, he said.

More than 85 percent of the planned exhibition area has been booked so far for the CIIE, which will be held from Nov 5 to 10, said Sun Chenghai, deputy director of the CIIE Bureau, at a news conference on July 27. Over 90 percent of those who participated in the past four years will return this year, he added.