ADDIS ABABA, July 7, 2026 – The 140th edition of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) was promoted to Ethiopian and African businesses today at a pre‑event briefing held at the African Union Headquarters.
Co‑hosted by the China Foreign Trade Centre, the African Union Commission, the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the AU and the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, the session urged African enterprises to use the 70‑year‑old trade platform to access China’s market of 1.4 billion consumers.
The event drew more than 200 guests, including diplomats from China and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, AU Commission officials, business leaders and representatives of business membership organizations.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Jiang Feng, Head of Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the AU and UNECA and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, called on African and Chinese businesses to capitalize on the Canton Fair to strengthen trade and economic ties and deepen cooperation in energy, agriculture, electric vehicles, the digital economy and other key sectors.
Speaking on behalf of business membership organizations, Kassahun Mamo, Deputy Secretary‑General of the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations, noted that China is one of Ethiopia’s strategic trading and investment partners. Ethiopia’s total imports from China in 2025 were worth over USD 8.1 billion, and China is emerging as a leading buyer of Ethiopian exports. He added that China is among the largest investors in Ethiopia, with more than 4,500 projects and the canton Fair remains to be a perfect venue to further scale up trade and investment.
The briefing featured insights and experience‑sharing from the China Chamber of Commerce to Africa, Ethiopian Airlines, the China Foreign Trade Centre and Awo Trading. Participants were informed that the 140th Canton Fair will take place from 15 October to 4 November 2026 in Guangzhou, China.
The Canton Fair is China’s largest and most comprehensive international trade event. For decades it has served as a vital bridge for trade connections and friendly exchanges between China and the world.
