* As a major event showcasing the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) after it fully launched island-wide special customs operations in December last year, the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) kicked off on Monday in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, attracting more than 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions.

* The sixth CICPE has expanded in scale, with an exhibition area of 143,000 square meters, up 13,000 square meters from the previous edition. International exhibits account for 65 percent of the total, an increase of 20 percentage points from last year. More than 200 new products are expected to make their debut, double last year's number and spanning fields including healthcare, jewelry and digital technology.

* As China's first national-level exhibition centered on consumer goods, the CICPE is not only a window into new consumption trends, but also a gateway to the vast opportunities in China's large market.

HAIKOU, April 14 (Xinhua) -- As a major event showcasing the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) after it fully launched island-wide special customs operations in December last year, the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) kicked off on Monday in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, attracting more than 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions.

Themed "Opening Up Drives Global Consumption, Innovation Empowers A Better Life," this year's expo runs from April 13 to 18. Meanwhile, the 2026 "Shopping in China" International Consumption Season was launched simultaneously.

The sixth CICPE has expanded in scale, with an exhibition area of 143,000 square meters, up 13,000 square meters from the previous edition. International exhibits account for 65 percent of the total, an increase of 20 percentage points from last year.

Last week, China launched the China (Inner Mongolia) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in north China, further refining the country's opening-up landscape. Days after the CICPE's launch, the 139th edition of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, is set to open, with its exhibition scale surpassing previous levels. These successive initiatives and grand events convey to the world China's unwavering resolve and commitment to expanding high-level opening up.

SETTING NEW TRENDS

Since its launch in 2021, the CICPE has become an important platform for multinationals to stay abreast of consumer trends in China's gigantic market, with over 3,800 enterprises and more than 12,000 brands from 92 countries and regions participating over the past five editions.

At this year's expo, more than 200 new products are expected to make their debut, double last year's number and spanning fields including healthcare, jewelry and digital technology.

The Taobao and Tmall Group, notably, is taking part in the event as both an exhibitor and a buyer. According to Yan Jia, the group's general manager of public affairs, the group will highlight its AI-driven innovations in smart consumption and industrial empowerment.

"Through the CICPE platform, we aim to collaborate with global partners to drive the deep integration of technology, ecosystems and consumer scenarios, helping bring more smart products to market," Yan said.

More products of intelligent manufacturing in China have entered the global spotlight at this year's edition. Among the exhibitors, Chinese motorcycle maker ZXMOTO stands alongside global giants like Aston Martin and Bombardier, demonstrating the rising technological prowess and overall competitiveness of made-in-China products.

Health consumption and the "experience economy" have also emerged as highlights of this year's CICPE. These trends are reflected beyond the main venue in Haikou, with a health exhibition area in Hainan's Boao featuring 120 international pharmaceutical and medical device companies, and a yacht show in Sanya, also in Hainan Province, hosting over 200 yachts.

"The CICPE serves as a fast track for global quality consumer goods into China's market, while injecting sustained new momentum into consumption upgrading and unlocking the potential of China's enormous market," Vice Commerce Minister Sheng Qiuping said.

SHARING NEW OPPORTUNITIES

As China's first national-level exhibition centered on consumer goods, the CICPE is not only a window into new consumption trends, but also a gateway to the vast opportunities in China's large market.

Canada, this year's guest country of honor, has organized its largest-ever delegation, with around 40 companies participating in sectors including cosmetics, agricultural products, health products and pet food.

"China is Canada's second-largest trading partner," said Maninder Sidhu, Canada's minister of international trade, at the launch event of the sixth CICPE. "It has what Canada's businesses want: skill, ambition, and a growing consumer class that is sophisticated and looking for top quality Canadian products and services."

Russia and Bulgaria are among nations setting up national pavilions for the first time, while official delegations from 12 countries and regions, including Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Ireland, are attending the 2026 event.

Last year, China's total retail sales of consumer goods topped 50 trillion yuan (about 7.28 trillion U.S. dollars). In the period from 2021 to 2025, the country's cumulative imports of consumer goods had exceeded 9 trillion yuan.

China's 15th Five-Year Plan outline, released last month, includes a special section on expanding high-level opening up and forging a new landscape for win-win cooperation.

Singaporean massage chair brand OSIM has participated in the CICPE for six consecutive years. Deserine Lim, OSIM general manager of HQ Management and East China, said that in OSIM's global strategy, the Chinese market "has always held an irreplaceable core position."

"China has long transcended the role of a major sales market. It has become a source of inspiration and a strategic high ground for global innovation," Lim said. "Many of our deep insights into family health scenarios and product innovations stem from a profound understanding of Chinese consumer needs."

Lim added that the company is very optimistic about the potential of China's consumer market. "We believe that a Chinese consumer market pursuing higher quality of life and greater focus on physical and mental health will bring the brand long-term and stable growth opportunities," she said.

Sheng noted that the expo has become a "bridgehead" for high-level opening up, with over 230,000 domestic and overseas buyers participating in the five expos to date.

This edition, for the first time, has set up a buyer service center on site, providing exhibitors and buyers with full-process, all-round supply-demand matchmaking services. Additionally, an online supply-demand matchmaking platform has been established, leveraging digital technology to enable one-click matching of needs.

"An estimated 65,000 professional buyers will attend this year's expo, a 10-percent increase from the previous edition," said Lu Min, director of the Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development. "We also plan to hold more than 10 supply-demand matchmaking events to effectively enhance the sense of fulfillment for both buyers and exhibitors."

A TWO-WAY BOOST

On Dec. 18, 2025, the Hainan FTP fully launched island-wide special customs operations. "It signifies a new phase for the CICPE, one that is more international, professional and market-driven," Sheng said.

With the continuous release of policy dividends from the Hainan FTP, exhibits are able to benefit from fast-track customs clearance, bonded exhibition, instant sales at the expo and duty-free sales, effectively transforming exhibits into goods. In turn, the CICPE's "spillover effect" is also being felt, with over 70 leading companies having set up operations in Hainan after taking part in the expo to date.

"The sixth CICPE is an incredibly important event for our company and underlines our commitment to Hainan as a critical hub in the global travel retail sector," said Matthew Growdon, president for Asia-Pacific and Travel Retail Worldwide at the Estée Lauder Companies, a six-time CICPE exhibitor. Since opening its first store in Sanya in 2009, the company has seen steady growth and expansion.

OSIM opened its first directly-operated store in Haikou after the inaugural CICPE. "The customs clearance operation of the Hainan FTP is expected to bring greater convenience in trade, investment and the movement of people, creating broader development space for international brands including us," Lim said.

Avolta, a world-leading travel retailer with more than 16 years of presence in the Chinese market, is making its debut at this year's expo. "We are highly confident in Hainan's development prospects and have a clear intention to ramp up our investment in the region," said Michael Wong, the company's managing director for North Asia. "This is exactly why we are taking part in the CICPE."

Bateer, executive vice governor of Hainan, said the province will aim to build a high-standard free trade port and take more proactive steps to advance reforms in six key areas, namely trade, investment, cross-border capital flows, personnel movement, transportation, and secure and orderly data flow.  

(Reporting by Cui Enhui, Zhu Shaobin, Zhong Qun and Zhou Huimin; Video reporters: Zhou Yang, Sun Biao, Xu Siyuan, Zhao Yuhe, Guo Liangchuan and Pu Xiaoxu; Video editors: Hong Ling, Zhu Cong, Zhang Mocheng and Liu Yutian)  ■