The ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) will be held in Shanghai from Nov.5 to 10, bringing together 162 countries, regions and international organizations and 4,142 overseas exhibitors. More than 480 products will make their global, Asian or China debuts, a record high.
Ningbo businesses have arrived at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), some as exhibitors bringing overseas brands to Chinese consumers and others as professional buyers. By the end of October, the Ningbo trade delegation has registered more than 1,500 organizations and over 5,000 buyers.
New products from Central and Eastern Europe
Ningbo hosts China's first demonstration zone for economic and trade cooperation with Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.
This year, the Ningbo Imported Commodities Center has again brought its year-round CEE specialty products pavilion to the CIIE, organizing 17 CEE traders to exhibit together. They are offering tastings and skincare trials.
"We are making the global debut of our Sofi line of Serbian beauty products," said Li Yanfen, general manager of Ningbo Xiangmiao Technology Co., Ltd. The company has prepared 1,000 free gifts — Serbian horse balm — for visitors joining check-in activities on Xiaohongshu. Li said the balm helps ease lower-back discomfort caused by prolonged sitting.
Xiangmiao's Bilibili account, "Serbia National Pavilion," has attracted 750,000 followers."More people are discovering that Serbia is not only an old friend of China, but also a source of hidden gems such as coffee, wine and horse balm," Li said.
At a nearby booth, Zhou Yue, founder of the Bulgarian yogurt brand Baojia Youge, prepared yogurt by hand with imported Bulgarian starter cultures and fresh fruit. The company is also introducing Czech cereal pillow snacks with a vanilla filling to China for the first time. Zhou hopes the expo will help it meet distributors and open franchise stores in other cities.
Zhou Yue, founder of the Bulgarian yogurt brand Baojia Youge,serves yogurt at the brand's CIIE booth.
Other CEE offerings include body mists from Bulgarian rose skincare brand Biofresh; Czech crystal jewelry brand Baoshi Aosha, making its global debut with Bohemian-inspired designs; and Mediterranean products such as Greek Odyssey ground sea salt and Olivi polyphenol-rich extra virgin olive oil. Ningbo importers'"shopping carts" are becoming more diverse.
Prague chocolate, Litovel beer and Bohemian crystal at the CEE pavilion.
French footwear brand returns
French footwear brand MEPHISTO is taking part in the CIIE's consumer goods exhibition area for the second time, promoting foot health.
China chairman Huang Yiheng, a 66-year-old Ningbo native, has worked in footwear for nearly 30 years. At the booth, he explains what makes a good pair of shoes.
"Many people have foot problems without realizing their shoes may be the cause," Huang said. "A good casual shoe is more than a one-piece injection-molded product: a steel shank in the sole supports the foot, improves posture and distributes pressure evenly — even after 30,000 steps."
Every pair of MEPHISTO shoes is handcrafted and fitted with a shank as standard, Huang said. He hopes the CIIE, a "global supermarket," will introduce Chinese consumers to the French brand and its commitment to foot health.
MEPHISTO's exhibition space has doubled from last year. The brand will globally launch its Spring/Summer 2027 collection, give a handbag to every visitor and livestream on Douyin to showcase its natural, eco-friendly shoe materials. Huang expects domestic sales to exceed 100 million yuan this year, up about 20 percent year on year, and hopes to meet more distributors and partners.
Atlantic salmon raised in Ningbo
Imported salmon is becoming increasingly popular among Chinese consumers. Nordic Aqua (Ningbo) Co., Ltd., based on Gaotang Island in Xiangshan County, is bringing its latest land-based Atlantic salmon farming technology to the CIIE. The project is described as Norway's largest single agricultural investment project in China.
The facility is Asia's first land-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) project for Atlantic salmon to achieve commercially scaled farming. It was established with investment from Nordic Aqua Partners AS, Ningbo Ocean Development Group and Xiangshan Strait Economic & Technological Cooperation Co., Ltd.
"We import Atlantic salmon eggs from Iceland, then hatch and raise the fish in Ningbo. After processing, they are shipped nationwide, reaching consumers in the Yangtze River Delta in as little as five hours," said general manager Tong Anrui. It has brought the 1.6-millionth salmon raised in Ningbo to demonstrate its capacity to supply China.
Tong said its RAS facility controls water quality, temperature, oxygen and currents to recreate the salmon's natural Atlantic environment while keeping out external pathogens to ensure quality and safety. Locally raised fish, he said, retain the taste of imported salmon.
China's salmon imports grew 37 percent year on year in the first half of 2026. Tong hopes the CIIE will help the company find partners and raise awareness of its Nordic PureAtlantic brand.
Reporter: Yan Jin Translator: Zhang Yinan