GUANGZHOU, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The 137th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, kicked off on Tuesday, with the number of export exhibitors exceeding 30,000 for the first time in the history of this famous event.

Scheduled to take place from April 15 to May 5 in the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou, this edition of the fair has attracted about 31,000 participating firms, up by nearly 900 compared with the previous fair.

More than 200,000 overseas buyers from 215 countries and regions have preregistered, with the lineup featuring the likes of retail giants Walmart and Target from the United States, Carrefour from France, Tesco and Kingfisher from Britain, and Germany's Metro.

This edition of the fair is divided into three phases. The first will focus on advanced manufacturing, the second on quality home furnishings, and the third on products that promote a better quality of life.

The event will involve 172 product zones, including, for the first time, a special zone for service robots focused on showcasing the latest achievements of China's AI development efforts.

Xinhua reporters at the fair witnessed an exhibition hall becoming packed with participants just after 9 a.m. Notably, the exhibition area focusing on service robots was especially busy. Many overseas buyers used their mobile phones to capture images of robotic dogs, industrial exoskeleton equipment, automatic cruise robots, coffee-making robots and other products, while asking exhibitors for more details about their functions.

"This Canton Fair is held in the year when China's '14th Five-Year Plan' nears completion -- which is of great significance in promoting the innovative development of trade, thus ensuring stable foreign trade volume and improving foreign trade quality," said Zhang Sihong, deputy director of the China Foreign Trade Center.

He noted that the large gathering of global buyers at the fair underlined the trust of the international business community in made-in-China products.

Guo Yanhu with Gree, a leading home appliances enterprise, said that through green technology innovation and AI intelligent upgrading, the company provides users with efficient and low-carbon solutions, having sold products to more than 190 countries and regions in 2024.

The Canton Fair has always been an important driver of global trade, said Andre Rocha, president of the Federation of Industries of the State of Goias, Brazil. Here, people can learn about the major global development trends and cutting-edge technologies, as well as solutions that can actually boost industrial development, he added.

Established in 1957, the Canton Fair is held twice a year in Guangzhou. It is the longest-running of several comprehensive international trade events in China and has been hailed as the barometer of China's foreign trade.

Despite the weak momentum of global economic growth, intensified trade protectionism and geopolitical tensions, China's foreign trade has maintained stable growth.

According to the General Administration of Customs, China's total goods imports and exports in yuan-denominated terms expanded 1.3 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2025. China's exports rose 6.9 percent to 6.13 trillion yuan (about 850.1 billion U.S. dollars) during this period, while imports fell 6 percent to 4.17 trillion yuan.

In addition, the fifth China International Consumer Products Expo, being held on the tropical island province of Hainan in south China this week, has also reaffirmed China's position as a vital marketplace for global enterprises. It has drawn record participation from over 4,100 brands across 71 countries and regions, reflecting the expanding international appetite for engagement with China's vast consumer market and its evolving landscape.