Pazhou Exhibition Hall, the venue for the China Import and Export Fair. According to the organizers, the number of categories for imported goods exhibited at the latest fair has been reduced to seven from 12 last year. [Photo / China Daily]

Number of domestic buyers will reach 3,019 at Canton Fair in Guangzhou

GUANGZHOU - China's imports are expected to get a boost during the 109th China Import and Export Fair, the country's largest trade exposition.

And the number of domestic buyers targeting imported goods will hit a record high, Liu Jianjun, spokesman for the fair, said on Thursday.

Held biannually since it began in 1957, China Import and Export Fair, also known as Canton Fair, opens in Guangzhou on Friday.

"The number of domestic purchasers, who intend to buy imported goods from foreign-registered sellers, will reach 3,019 during this session, 2,991 more than in 2010 and the largest number for five years," said Liu.

He said that the import volume will witness an obvious increase and the fair will help further fuel China's imports over the next five years, as the fair is seen as a key barometer of China's trade development.