Chinese Commodities Fair Sharjah gets underway

Present at the inauguration ceremony were Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Mr. Saif Al Midfa, Director General of Expo Centre Sharjah, and officials of various government departments, and members of the diplomatic corps and trade associations.

The CCFS is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah. It is a five-day event jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China, and the SCCI, and organised by Chinamex and Expo Centre Sharjah.

'The CCFS has been functioning as a very effective platform for promoting trade between China and the GCC region as a whole and the UAE in particular, since 2002, the year the event made its debut in Sharjah,' said Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, Chairman of the SCCI, after the opening ceremony.

'The event, besides establishing itself as the region's most comprehensive source for high quality Chinese products and services, has very successfully highlighted the facilities and the investment opportunities that exist in China and the UAE. Since its debut, the event has continually witnessed an increase in the both number of exhibitors and visitors, a clear indication of the interest that it has been able to generate among Chinese companies for the region and vice versa. The event has no doubt injected vitality in UAE-China relations,' he added.

In the first six months of 2006, trade between the UAE and China increased by 28.6 % to USD $ 6.7 billion. By the end of 2006, trade between the two countries is expected to grow by 50% over 2005 to USD $ 15 billion.

Trade between China and the GCC states as a whole increased 34 % to USD $ 21 billion in the first six months of 2006.

In 2005, trade between China and the GCC states amounted to USD $ 32 billion of which USD $ 10 billion was with the UAE. From 2001 to 2006, Chinese exports to Middle East increased by 30% annually.

At present, there are over 3,000 Chinese companies registered in the UAE.

The current edition of CCFS is featuring over 600 reputed enterprises from more than 29 provinces and municipalities of mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.

Products on display at the Fair include vehicles and parts, hardware and tools, machine tools and parts, household electrical apparatus, electronic products, foodstuff, medicines and health products, garments, household textile, yarn, daily commodities, utensil and kitchen articles, lights and decoration products, building material and building pottery, decoration materials, and household furniture.

All the products and services are being showcased under three categories - high tech machinery and electronics, hardware and textile products, and building material and furniture.

Among the major Chinese companies that are participating in CCFS are Huaqi Information Digital Technology Company, Beijing Double-Crane Pharmaceutical Company, and Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group, Beifang Chuangye Corporation, Yu'an Group, Zongshen Group and Great Wall Automobile Corporation, to name a few.

'CCFS has been a true reflection of the warming ties between UAE and China,' said Mr. Saif Al Midfa.

'The current edition of the event is relatively more focused than the previous editions. Over 10,000 products and services are on display. The Fair is occupying two exhibition halls in Expo Centre Sharjah besides space in the adjacent Chinamex complex. With regard to visitor turnout this year, we expect a 15-18% increase over the last edition. We are also confident that compared to previous shows there will be a substantial increase in business generation at this year's show,' he added.

The last four editions of the CCFS had attracted over 6,000 representatives from more than 2,800 Chinese enterprises as exhibitors. With regard to visitors, there were more than 100,000 trade visitors from 65 countries, with large numbers from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The total value of deals during the last four editions of the show amounted to USD $ 4.6 billion. The fourth edition of CCFS alone attracted 48,646 visitors.

Mr. Saif Al Midfa also said: 'The UAE and China have been progressing very rapidly in terms of enhancement of bilateral trade and investment cooperation. CCFS, which is China's biggest trade platform in the entire Middle East, has been in perfect alignment with that pace. The coming editions of CCFS will also be reflecting that momentum.'

Commenting on CCFS' role in boosting trade between UAE and China, Mr. Miao Lin , Vice-General Manager of Chinamex Group, said on the occasion: 'It is not only a platform for Chinese enterprises to display their products, but also a window for Mid-east, North Africa and European countries to get familiar with China. For Chinese enterprises, CCFS is platform for entering the Middle East and North-Africa markets. For the region's merchants, the event provides favourable opportunities for trade and investment in China.'

The CCFS 2006 will be open from 10 am to 1 pm for trade only and from 5 pm to 9 pm for both trade and public. Children below 16 years will not be allowed.