The sixth CIIE kicks off in East China's Shanghai on Nov 5. [Photo/Qingdao News]

A total of 1,385 enterprises from Qingdao, Shandong province participated in the sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE), which was held in East China's Shanghai from Nov 5 to 10. 

The CIIE, first held in 2018, has leveraged the strengths of China's huge market and served as a platform for international procurement, investment promotion, people-to-people exchanges and open cooperation.

The six-day event attracted participants and guests from 154 countries, regions and international organizations. Over 3,400 exhibitors and nearly 410,000 professional visitors registered for the event.

According to statistics, the cumulative registered attendance of the previous five editions had exceeded 2 million visits. Some 131 countries and international organizations have participated in the national pavilions, and some 2,000 new products, technologies, and services unveiled. The last five editions also led to the signing of nearly $350 billion in intended deals.

The Qingdao delegation also achieved fruitful results during the past five editions. At the fifth CIIE, Qingdao's 103 purchasing enterprises made 173 orders worth over $2.67 billion with 116 companies from 37 countries and regions.

"It's been three years since we last attended, and this time we are preparing to secure several major deals," said Yu Yeshuai, general manager of Shandong Harbor Central Building Materials Group.

Yu added that the company planned to purchase $50 million in agricultural and sideline products at this year's expo.

According to official data, this year's CIIE had seen wide participation from import enterprises, trade companies, and comprehensive commercial complexes in Qingdao. The Qingdao trading group consisted of 1,533 registered units and 2,917 professional visitors. Among them were 1,385 registered enterprises and 1,996 professional visitors.