The 31st East China Fair (ECF) will kick off at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre on July 12 and run for three days until June 15.

With the theme of "Embark on a new chapter of renewal, and open up a new prospect of foreign trade", this year’s fair is focused on the economic revitalization policies of the government, and will feature a host of well-known brands.

The organizer of the event recently invited 12 exhibitors to participate in an interview themed "Me and the 31stECF" in Pudong, Shanghai. During the interview, exhibitors showed their latest products, including long-haired plush toys that are popular in the European market, trendy women's apparel made with recycled yarn, noiseless water heating blankets, and food storage boxes. Past and new participants of the fair also discussed opportunities and development plans presented by China Homelife.

"We participated in the ECF for the first time in 2018 and unexpectedly received an order on the same day," said Xiao Xiao, marketing director of Shanghai Haifiou Craft Gift Company. Xiao believes that the ECF is a platform full of opportunities and the first stop for foreign trade companies to show their latest products to buyers.

Like many domestic and international trade enterprises, Haifeiou has set its sights on the international market this year and has been expanding into the Nordic market.

"We have found that, against the backdrop of global carbon reduction, some Nordic countries have very high demands for green and low-carbon products, and the order volume is small. However, our advantage lies in innovation and focus on the 'small and refined' path. Once we secure such orders, the pressure of subsequent competition will be lessened,” said a company representative.

Among those attending the expo for the first time is Shanghai Jinhui Apparel Company. Established in 2013, it is a company mainly engaged in the export clothing like sweaters, casual knits, hats and miscellaneous goods.

"We have been preparing for this exhibition for three years. This year, we are mainly participating in the exhibition to expand cooperation with some new brand merchants," said Tao Shuli, CEO of Shanghai Jinhui Apparel Company.

"In the past, our products were mainly targeted at the Japanese market. This year, we hope to try to reach out to the European and American markets while also maintaining our existing market layout," according to Tao.

This year's event has a total exhibition area of 105,200 square meters and will be divided into four major professional sub-exhibitions: clothing and apparel, household items, textile fabrics and decoration gifts. There will also be two major professional exhibition areas for overseas exhibitions and cross-border e-commerce exhibitions. The organizers will also release related videos of the event on WeChat video and Douyin platform in the future.