Philippine micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), mostly from the provinces, that participated at the ongoing China Asean (CAEXPO) 2023 already generated an encouraging running total of $3.8 million at the world’s leading trade fair in Nanning, China. 

DTI Commercial Officer in Guangzhou Froilan Pamintuan reported that Durian, calamansi, and banana chips were getting lots of inquiries among the 15 Philippine exhibitors featured at the PH Pavilion. 

“This is still preliminary sales, but number is very encouraging,” he said. However, sales performance this year will unlikely surpass the previous highest sales pre-pandemic. 

In 2019, the Philippines sent 51 exhibitors, generating $12 million in sales from the expo. “Hopefully we can at least match that level when all numbers are consolidated and followed through,” he said.

The CAEXPO, took place offline from Sept. 16-19 and continues online until September 2024 through the CAEXPO platform. 

“The initial encouraging inquiries and initial placements made by buyers during the first days of the event show that the Philippines has to continue supporting our enterprises in truly important promotional platforms of engagement like the CAEXPO where China ASEAN policies are made relevant and put into actual action by the stakeholders, especially now that the event is back to its dynamic format where people that matter in China and ASEAN try to physically gather and network  at least once a year,” said Pamintuan.