Record Australian Delegation Led by Trade Minister Don Farrell Attends 8th China International Import Expo in Shanghai

Australia's Largest Delegation at CIIE Underscores Robust Trade Ties

Shanghai, China – The 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE), taking place from November 5 to 10, 2025, in Shanghai, is currently hosting its largest-ever Australian delegation. Led by Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell, the delegation features a record 256 Australian companies, signaling a strong mutual interest in enhancing bilateral trade between China and Australia.

The significant presence highlights the ongoing efforts to strengthen economic cooperation and explore new opportunities within the vast Chinese market.

The 8th China International Import Expo: A Global Platform

The 8th CIIE is being held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Shanghai. As the world's first national-level expo dedicated to imports, the CIIE serves as a crucial platform for international businesses to showcase their products and services to Chinese consumers and buyers. This year's event has set new records in scale, featuring participation from 155 countries, regions, and international organizations, with 4,108 overseas exhibitors and an exhibition area exceeding 430,000 square meters.

The expo includes six main exhibition areas: food and agricultural products, automobile, intelligent and information technology, consumer goods, medical equipment and healthcare products, and trade-in services.

Australian Presence: Focus on Quality and Diversity

The Australian delegation, spearheaded by Minister Farrell, marks a historic level of participation. Austrade has played a pivotal role in supporting Australian businesses at the CIIE for the past seven years, and this year, it is leading a 'Team Australia Pavilion' located in the Food and Agricultural Product Hall. Australian exhibitors are showcasing a broad range of in-demand products, including:

• Packaged foods
• Dairy products
• Meat and seafood
• Wine and beverages
• Healthcare and consumer goods

These categories are specifically chosen for their strong appeal to Chinese consumers, who value Australian quality, provenance, and reliability. Minister Farrell noted that the record number of Australian businesses at the expo demonstrates the demand for Australia's world-class agricultural, industrial, and services exports.

Separately, Queensland has also sent its largest business delegation to China, with over 110 delegates from more than 50 companies participating in the CIIE. This initiative aims to strengthen commercial links and provide direct pathways for regional and emerging exporters into the Chinese market.

Strengthening Bilateral Trade Relations

During his visit, Trade Minister Don Farrell met with Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao in Shanghai. Their discussions focused on China-Australia economic and trade relations, as well as multilateral and bilateral trade issues. Minister Farrell emphasized the importance of the trade relationship, noting that China remains Australia's largest trading partner.

The expo is expected to facilitate the signing of commercial memorandums of understanding worth millions of dollars between Australian and Chinese businesses. This engagement follows recent positive developments in trade, including the removal of tariffs on Australian wine imports into China and the lifting of suspensions on several red meat export facilities. Both ministers affirmed the need to strengthen collaboration within regional and multilateral frameworks to uphold a rules-based multilateral trading system.