CIIE confirms China's commitment to opening up, say Argentine business representatives

UENOS AIRES - The China International Import Expo (CIIE) confirms China's commitment to opening up its domestic market to global producers, said Argentine business representatives.

The second CIIE, which will be held in the eastern Chinese city of Shanghai on Nov 5-10, is of "historic" significance for Argentina and other countries that are looking to diversify their global trade, said Carlos Spadone, president of the Argentina-China Chamber of Commerce, an organization founded in 1984 to boost bilateral trade between Argentina and China.

During this year's CIIE, the chamber will serve to promote business opportunities and advance partnerships between its members and Chinese companies.

"The opening up of the Chinese market to Argentine products is without a doubt very positive," especially in such fields as agrifood and energy, Spadone told Xinhua.

"The impact on these two areas is highly favorable," he added.

Argentina is one of the world's leading exporters of food products, but exporting to China represents an ambitious goal, Spadone said.

"The real challenge is being able to satisfy the quantities demanded, because most of our producers are still very dispersed and we are talking about exporting to an economy of scale," said Spadone.

Individual producers and exporters in Argentina must join hands to keep strengthening trade ties with China and its vast consumer market, he said.

"Argentina has to be able to form consortiums or export pools to be able to reach the quantities requested," he added.

China is Argentina's second largest trade partner and its main export market for agricultural goods. Last year, bilateral trade totalled $16.28 billion, up by 18.2 percent year-on-year.

Gabriel Luchessi, vice president of the chamber's Foreign Trade Commission, said this year's CIIE will draw Argentine exporters from a wide range of sectors, including packaged foods, wine, energy and mining.

The expo underscores China's "commitment to exporters around the world," Luchessi said.

"China is opening its market to the world, supporting a multilateral system of open trade and economic globalization, so Argentine companies should make the most of this opportunity," Luchessi added.