China’s Assistance Commerce Minister Ren Hongbin said that US companies are keen to participate in the second China International Import Expo (CIIE), to be held on Nov. 5-10 in Shanghai. He expects the number of US participants to exceed last year’s. He added, “for the United States, even through there are some bilateral trade frictions, it cannot stop U.S. firms from attaching importance to the Chinese market and their great enthusiasm for the Chinese market.”
Vice Commerce Minister Wang Bingnan also said China will further lower import tariffs and open up its market to foreign firms. He added, “the purpose of our holding of the import expo is not simply expanding imports, but putting more emphasis on improving import structures while keeping export growth steady.”
Separately, US trade delegation, led by Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, will arrive in Shanghai next week, for the first face-to-face meeting since Trump-Xi summit in Japan.
