BEIJING — About 25,000 enterprises from home and abroad will attend the 128th session of the China Import and Export Fair, popularly known as the Canton Fair, according to China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

The fair, including 50 exhibition areas for 16 categories of products, will be held online between Oct 15 and 24.

It is the second time that the fair has moved online this year since the COVID-19 outbreak. The previous online session was held in June.

The MOC said the exhibition fees will be waived in order to help enterprises explore the international market and boost business confidence.

The fair will provide round-the-clock services, including online exhibition, promotion, business docking and negotiations.

Founded in 1957, the Canton Fair is seen as an important barometer of China's foreign trade. The 127th session in June drew nearly 26,000 domestic and foreign enterprises, with 1.8 million products exhibited.