China’s Premier Import Expo Creates More Space for Global South, But Hurdles Remain

People visit the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, China, 8 November, 2025. (Photo by stringer / IC photo / Imaginechina via AFP)

The China International Import Expo (CIIE), which concluded early this week, was mainly taken as a litmus test of Beijing’s trade relations with conventional partners amid ongoing tariff disputes.

Chinese importers signed $83.5 billion in import deals at the expo in Shanghai. Global North suppliers made up the bulk of these deals.

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