At the beginning of 2026, Qingdao leveraged overseas exhibitions to seize global sourcing opportunities. A large number of local enterprises have gone abroad to explore markets and secure orders, helping the city’s foreign trade sector achieve a strong start to the new year. The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Qingdao Sub-Council (CCPIT Qingdao) will intensively organize participation in international trade fairs throughout the year, with first-quarter activities expected to help enterprises secure more than RMB 800 million in prospective orders.
At the start of the new year, Qingdao enterprises have accelerated their overseas exhibition activities. In February, several Qingdao companies showcased their products at Ambiente Frankfurt, the international spring consumer goods fair in Germany. Local stationery enterprises secured US$1.2 million in prospective orders and successfully connected with multiple internationally renowned buyers. In January, Qingdao textile companies strengthened their presence at Heimtextil Frankfurt, further consolidating their position in traditional European markets. Food enterprises participated as a group in Gulfood Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, showcasing a range of distinctive products to Middle Eastern markets and successfully developing new overseas customer bases. So far, Qingdao enterprises participating in overseas exhibitions have secured prospective orders exceeding RMB 320 million, with each participating company receiving more than RMB 2 million in orders on average.
The momentum for overseas market expansion has continued to grow after the Spring Festival holiday. From March 3 to 6, more than 60 Qingdao hardware companies formed the “Qingdao Excellent Products” delegation and participated in the International Hardware Fair Cologne in Germany. During the same month, Qingdao enterprises will also appear at specialized international trade fairs in Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Singapore and other countries, covering sectors including food, textiles and maritime industries.
To help enterprises stabilize foreign trade and expand globally, Qingdao has released a recommended list of five categories of international trade fairs, covering more than 300 global exhibitions, over 30 countries and regions, and 15 competitive industries. The initiative aims to precisely connect enterprises with both traditional and emerging overseas markets. In 2026, Qingdao plans to organize 20 overseas themed exhibitions under the “Qingdao Excellent Products” program, including seven exhibitions targeting traditional markets and 13 focused on emerging markets. This will ensure continuous overseas exhibition participation throughout the year, with more than 1,800 enterprise exhibition trips expected to be supported and targeted assistance provided to tens of thousands of foreign trade enterprises.
In addition, Qingdao has established an end-to-end service system covering the entire exhibition process — before, during and after events. Through professional services such as market analysis, buyer matchmaking, order follow-up and supporting resources, the city will continue to enhance the global brand influence of “Qingdao Excellent Products” and support the stable growth and high-quality development of Qingdao’s foreign trade.
Editor: Liu Lanxing/ Wang Yulin
