A view of Haikou, South China's Hainan Province Photo: VCG

The Sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) will be held in South China's Hainan Province from April 13 to 18, with preparations progressing smoothly and exhibitor recruitment completed, a spokesperson for the Hainan provincial government said on Wednesday, noting that participation from countries and regions has reached a new high.

This CICPE will be the first to be held after the launch of island-wide customs closure operations at the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), drawing wide attention. As part of China's broader push to boost consumption, analysts said that the event will strengthen new drivers of demand while translating institutional opening-up into tangible business opportunities and deeper global industrial linkages.

This year's expo will focus on emerging sectors and cutting-edge consumption trends, with artificial intelligence (AI)-powered consumer products set to be a major highlight, including AI glasses, robotics and AI-driven fashion, spokesperson Zeng Rong told a press conference.

More global debuts, Asia-Pacific premieres and China launches are expected at the event, providing a platform for international brands to enter the Chinese market and for domestic brands to expand overseas, she said.

The number of participating countries and regional delegations has reached a record high, with delegations from Canada, Switzerland, Ireland, Russia, Italy, Japan and Singapore among those confirmed to attend. Canada will serve as the guest country of honor.

Behzad Babakhani, Consul General of Canada in Guangzhou, said in a video address at the press conference that Canada's Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu is expected to lead the country's delegation, which will be the largest Canada has sent to the expo. About 40 Canadian companies and brands will participate, covering sectors ranging from pet food and cosmetics to agri-food and health products, he said.

He stressed that the expo is "very important" to Canada and Canadian people. As China and Canada "embark on a new chapter" in bilateral relations, Babakhani said that there has been "a lot of interest and engagement and activities," noting that Canada has attended the expo every year since 2021, with its participation and footprint continuing to expand.

Following the launch of island-wide special customs operations, the expo is evolving from a traditional product showcase into a key platform linking domestic and international markets, while also helping raise the global profile of the Hainan FTP, Li Changan, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

This year's event will also highlight emerging consumption trends, including green, smart, health, digital, intellectual property-related and cultural tourism sectors, presenting new consumption scenarios and business models driven by technological innovation, cross-sector integration and upgraded consumer experiences, according to the spokesperson.

The medical and healthcare sector, a fast-growing segment of services consumption, will feature prominently. The Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, which is a special medical area within the island, will set up a dedicated sub-exhibition area - one of only two venues outside the main site - focusing on global health consumption, the Global Times learned from the pilot zone on Wednesday.

The zone aims to build an integrated exhibition-and-sales platform, leveraging its pilot policies to bring together leading global pharmaceutical and medical device companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic and Pfizer.

"We will also showcase cutting-edge products across specialties and introduce new service models, including AI-powered hospitals, highlighting trends in intelligent and precision medicine," said Fu Zhu, deputy head of the zone's administration.

The expo is expected to help improve consumption expectations, boost consumer confidence and support spending, Li said, adding that its focus on areas such as green, smart and healthcare consumption reflects the deepening interplay between consumption upgrading and industrial upgrading in China.

Co-hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the CICPE is China's first national-level exhibition dedicated to premium consumer goods and the largest of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the event's official website.

Hainan officially launched island-wide customs closure operations on December 18, 2025.

"Policy dividends from the customs closure are being steadily released, and the advantages of institutional innovation are becoming more evident. Hainan is emerging as a key destination for global investors seeking to share in China's development opportunities," Li Zhiping, deputy head of the Hainan Provincial Department of Commerce, said at the press conference on Wednesday.

Against this backdrop, robust participation by countries highlights the strong appeal of the Chinese market to foreign businesses, Li said, adding that deeper engagement with China - one of the world's key growth engines - will be critical for international companies seeking to capture new opportunities and sustain long-term growth.

That momentum is also reflected in trade data. According to figures released by Haikou Customs on Tuesday, from December 18, 2025, when the customs closure took effect, to the end of February this year, total merchandise trade by enterprises in Hainan reached 65.49 billion yuan ($9.1 billion), up 29.1 percent year-on-year, pointing to strong growth momentum.