GUANGZHOU, China, May 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

The 109th Canton Fair which officially concluded on May 5, was the most successful in the fair's history and saw unprecedented participation from domestic and international buyers and sellers.

Canton Fair plays an important role in boosting trade and economic ties between China and the rest of the world. The 109th session's attendance and trading volume increased with over USD36 billion of deals signed.

The 109th Canton Fair saw a total attendance of 24,415 domestic and foreign exhibitors, 816 more than the previous session. Exhibitors from over 53 countries participated and a total of 207,103 visitors attended the Fair - 72,431 for the first time.

Total exhibition space of 1,160,000 sqm, was increased by 30,000 sqm to accommodate 58,699 stands, an increase of 1,563 over the previous session.

Buyers attending Canton Fair enjoyed significantly improved products and services - including catering, interpretation, multi-national sourcing, e-commerce, consulting, conference, customs, transportation and postal services.

Improved e-commerce platforms and online trade matching resulted in an increase in online transactions with 123 million visits to the Canton Fair's official website, an increase of 12% over the previous session.

To encourage sustainability, exhibitors promoting eco-friendly products and low-carbon emission products were given priority in stand allocation. Trading in "green" products increased 14.6% to USD13 billion.

Domestic and international designers were also able to showcase their creativity and designs in the Canton Fair Product Design and Trade Promotion Center, which was set up to increase the exchange of creativity products and services.

Improved services drew praise from buyers. "I've been to Canton Fair many times and seen great changes taking place. The services are getting better every year," said Prakash Kirpalani, Director of P.M. HANA (HK) Ltd.

"I've come to the Canton Fair for the past seven years and witnessed many improvements. Everything is better. I always tell my customers they must come to the Canton Fair," said Mark Canales, National Sales Account Manager of Untied General Supply Co., Inc. "You're not going to believe it until you see it."

The next session of Canton Fair will begin on October 15th this year. It will be the fair's 110th Session Anniversary and is expected to attract more buyers and sellers from China and around the world.

For further information: http://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en/index.asp

SOURCE China Foreign Trade Centre (CFTC)