Healthy interest Foreign guests visit and experience the international health consumption exhibition area at the Sixth China International Consumer Products Expo in Haikou, South China's Hainan Province, on April 13, 2026. Photo: VCG

A sea of people surged through the venue, voices overlapping as deals were struck and cameras flashed, with the latest products drawing eager attention. It felt like a vast open market, yet with a global twist: visitors from around the world, each seeking opportunity in China's increasingly open consumer landscape. They were gathered at the annual China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, capital city of South China's Hainan Province.

The CICPE, now in its sixth edition, is the largest consumer goods exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region. This year's event features national pavilions from 22 countries and regions, including Ireland, Switzerland, South Korea, and Italy, with the number of participating country and regional delegations reaching a record high.

More than 3,400 brands from more than 60 countries and regions are participating in this year's CICPE, with international exhibits accounting for 65 percent of the total, up 20 percentage points from the previous edition.
 
More than 200 product series will make their debuts, with more than 40 organizations and nearly 100 brands taking part in the launches, covering areas such as healthcare, jewelry, and digital technology.
 
Amid profound shifts in the global economic and trade landscape, market access has become an increasingly scarce resource. China's continued commitment to opening up has strengthened the willingness of companies worldwide to bring their products and services to the Chinese market, a trend clearly reflected in the strong participation at this year's CICPE, a Chinese expert said.

Catherine O'Grady, CEO of Glen Keen Estate Irish Whiskey, is attending the expo for the first time, hoping to explore partnership opportunities. She has brought a range of family-produced whiskies, some of which are already available in the Chinese market.

"My main focus over the six days is to build long-term partnerships," she told the Global Times at the expo. She noted that Ireland remains overly reliant on a few key markets, particularly the US. With diversification becoming increasingly important, China is an important new market for the company to explore, she noted. 

Also at the Irish booth, a Global Times reporter met with Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Ireland in China Barry Mulligan. He has been here since 2024 when Ireland was the country of honor of the CICPE.

"This year, we're focusing more on our high-quality premium products, rather than a diverse range of products," he said, giving examples of whisky, dairy products and skin products. 

In early January, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin visited China, marking the first visit to China by an Irish Taoiseach in 14 years. "Ireland and China have an ongoing very good relationship," said Mulligan, noting that China is Ireland's biggest trading partner in Asia, and it grew by 5 percent last year.

"So we see opportunities for all of our Irish companies to come to China, to invest in China, and to sell our products in China," the Irish envoy said.

Alberto Morettini, general manager of Oleificio Toscano Morettini, represents the third generation in his family business, which has made its olive oil products available in many parts of the world, ranging from the US to Europe.

But it is now looking into new and fast-growing markets such as China. Last year, it sold about 1,000 bottles in the China market, and it hopes to at least double this number this year.

"China is a huge market with 1.4 billion people… we cannot miss that, which is why we are here," he said.

A sheep mascot is seen at the Ireland pavilion during the China International Consumer Products Expo in Haikou, capital city of South China's Hainan Province, on April 13, 2026. Photo: Yin Yeping/GT

Marvis, a 27-year-old businessperson from Nigeria who started her own trading company in Haikou last year, is exploring the expo with great excitement as she looks for new partnerships.

She currently trades China-made products to African countries such as Nigeria, and hopes to eventually bring African products to China, where she sees strong potential for cooperation.

As the first major event following the launch of island-wide special customs operations of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), this year's CICPE is not only the first major domestic exhibition in the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), but also a landmark event showcasing the achievements of the customs closure while leading global consumption.

Celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, the TCP Group is participating in the CICPE for the sixth consecutive year with the Red Bull brand.

Khun Supachai Junkeiat, CEO of TCP China, commented: "Guided by China's 15th Five-Year Plan and the Healthy China strategy, China's consumer market is rapidly transforming toward being quality-oriented, health-conscious, and diverse - a direction that closely aligns with TCP Group's development positioning. We have always been confident in the upgrading potential of China's super-large consumer market. As a gateway for high-level opening-up, CICPE provides TCP Group with a valuable platform for exhibition and exchanges as well as product innovation."

Oscar Felipe Rueda Plata, commercial counselor, Colombian Embassy in China, told the Global Times that it is the first time for him to attend this event, but "I do believe that this exhibition is going to become more and more important and I do believe there are a lot of opportunities for Colombian products." 

We are a major exporter of agricultural products, so we do hope to bring some of them here in the near term, he said.

More and more brands from countries and regions around the world are coming to the expo, a trend that once again reflects growing confidence and willingness among global suppliers to tap into China's consumer market, Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Monday.

Moreover, China has continued to lower import tariffs and expand imports of a wide range of goods from various countries, providing important support for overseas consumer goods suppliers to meet China's regulatory requirements and expand exports to the Chinese market at lower costs, Zhou said.

These developments suggest that despite ongoing uncertainties in global trade driven by unilateralism and protectionism, the world's second-largest economy's continued opening-up provides a stable and sustainable pathway for companies worldwide to share in its opportunities, said Zhou.