This year, 35 Kazakhstan food producers took part in the 3d China International Import Expo (CIIE 2020) that has completed its work today.
Bakhyt Sultanov, the Minister of Trade and Integration of RK, Kazakhstan’s Extraodinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador in China, Gabit Koyshibayev, representatives of foreign trade organizations and PwC international consulting firm partners delivered welcoming remarks at the official grand opening of Kazakhstan pavilion at Shanghai Expo on the 6th of November. More than 30 official foreign delegations participated in the opening ceremony.
This year, due to COVID-19 pandemic, only product samples have been presented at exhibition without degustation. However, this did not prevent company representatives from holding discrete negotiations with potential partners in online form using BizConf, VooV and WeChat platforms.
Conclusions. Kazakhstan pavilion has been visited by more than 1,000 representatives of Chinese companies. Such visitors included major distributors and importers of food products, representatives of large supermarket and restaurant chains. Potential purchasers received catalogues containing the detailed description of Kazakhstan products.
This year, Kazakhstan participated in China Expo within the Export Acceleration Program “QazTrade Accelerator” launched by the Ministry of Trade and Integration of RK. Food companies – Program participants presented their products at the exhibition. Chinese partners got an opportunity to become familiar with Kazakhstani products in the following categories: 1) flour-milling industry, starches and starch products, 2) meat, fish (frozen, canned), 3) beverages, 4) milk products, 5) confectioneries and honey, 6) vegetable oils, 7) sauces and salt.
The participation of Kazakhstan companies in the current year qualitatively differs from other exhibitions due to thorough preparatory processes and performance of relevant marketing works. Thus, a marketing campaign has been launched in advance on the official channels of “QazTrade Accelerator” Program on WeChat and Weibo platforms that enabled attracting potential Chinese partners. Goods promotion was supported by targeted telemarketing and advertisement in Chinese industrial magazines and business associations.
As a result, each Kazakhstan company – Expo participant has received in average 10 to 30 B2B contacts of potential Chinese partners.
Chinese companies and consumers are traditionally interested mainly in the national organic products such for example as meat and vegetable oil. Due to the high quality of national products, within this Expo, Framework Memorandums have been executed between the following companies:
- “Kustanay Milling Company” and Jiu San Group for the purchase of GMO-free sunflower oil;
- Shandong Ju He Yi declared of its intention to sign cooperation memorandum with “Rybprom” LLP for the sales of fresh-frozen fish;
- CPU Supply Chain Management Co. Ltd. is ready to sign an agreement and purchase a trial batch of meat from “Meat processing and service” LLP. In addition, Chinese side proposed to create a joint venture or a representative office within the territory of China for meat sales;
- Kunlunke business management Co Ltd. is also ready to perform the first purchase of beef meat from “Meat processing and service” LLP and present natural Kazakhstan products to Chinese consumers. The advantage of Kazakhstan meat is that it does not contain chemical additives and is an ecologically clean product.
These are only preliminary results of the China International Import Expo. PwC experts will render an active support in holding further negotiations with all business contacts received.
Besides, a stage-by-stage work is carried out on introduction of national goods to Chinese distribution networks and marketplaces.
