When fabric exporter Xie Jun registered early for the Canton Fair, he had high hopes for finding more clients – particularly those from overseas – at China’s oldest and largest trade expo.
But the seemingly endless back-and-forth between Beijing and Washington, with one tariff increase after another, has left him deflated.
Now that securing new orders has become almost impossible in the frenzy of the trade war, Xie – based in China’s eastern province of Zhejiang – said he is more interested in talking with peers from various industries to find common ground.
“I want to know if others are feeling the same level of confusion and panic,” he said.
“And I want to hear what Plan Bs others are considering.”
The three-week spring session of the Canton Fair, set to commence on Tuesday in the southern city of Guangzhou, is widely viewed as a barometer for the health of China’s foreign trade.
