(Yicai Global) Oct. 20 -- Several companies have told Yicai Global that their exports have grown thanks to an uplift from the 132nd China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Kennede Electronics has received purchase interest from firms in places including Africa since the Canton Fair started on Oct. 15, a company representative said, adding that the Guangzhou-based electrical appliance maker has also noted a big improvement in export efficiency with member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as it kept trade contacts with Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

More than 35,000 domestic and overseas businesses exhibited a record 3.1 million products at the five-day Canton Fair that ended yesterday. The number taking part in the export exhibition soared 40 percent on the previous event. The fair’s online platform was also extended to five months from 10 days to continue providing some export services.

Chaozhou-based Jinyuan Solar Energy exports solar panels to many countries and regions in Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and South America, said manager Li Zhongxian. Sales are expected to remain unchanged or increase slightly as a result of the Canton Fair compared with last year, he noted.

Cayi Vacuum Container was the first foreign trade enterprise in Zhejiang province to obtain the RCEP’s certificate of origin for export. The company has trade contacts with Japan, South Korea, and some ASEAN countries, said business manager Gu Lili. The firm mainly does business with Japanese customers to enjoy benefits from the RCEP, the first free-trade deal between China and Japan, Gu pointed out.

Launched on Jan. 1, the RCEP groups the 10 countries of the ASEAN, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.

The ASEAN region became the top export destination for China after the RCEP came into effect, followed by the European Union and the United States, according to the third-quarter report on foreign trade published by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. Their shares of China’s exports stood at 30.6 percent, 30.55 percent, and 25 percent, respectively.

In the first eight months of this year, the ASEAN was China’s largest trading partner, jumping 14 percent to nearly CNY4.1 trillion (USD567.2 billion) from a year earlier and accounting for 15 percent of China’s total foreign trade value in the period, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.

Editors: Shi Yi, Futura Costaglione