According to Reuters on October 30, a large number of foreign buyers returned to China to participate in the autumn activities of the world's largest trade show, and the number was close to the level before the COVID-19 epidemic. The organizers said that from the opening of this year's Canton Fair to the end of the second phase on October 27th, a total of 157200 foreign buyers attended the fair. The total exhibition area exceeds 1.5 million square meters, equivalent to the size of over 200 football fields. The number of visitors to this Canton Fair increased by 53.6% compared with the first Canton Fair after the COVID-19 epidemic this spring. David Holmes, a British buyer who has been purchasing for hotel companies in the UK and North America, has been at the Canton Fair for over 15 years. He said, "You thought the epidemic had never happened before," Holmes carefully searched for glass and ceramic products in tens of thousands of stalls selling everything from tents and kitchen countertops to small monster clothing. He said, "As inflation rates decrease, people hope to make things easier. The current situation will improve, and consumers will have more confidence at that time. They want to save all their money for heating and supporting their families." The 10 exporters who usually do most of their business in Europe said that their sales have decreased this year. The report quoted a boss named Jimmy Chen as saying, "Everyone is affected because electricity prices have increased significantly, and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is still ongoing. Now, coupled with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, many people are very afraid." Jimmy Chen stood in front of the Santa Claus dolls and the stuffed elves sold by his company and said that sales have decreased by about a tenth. He also said, "We do a lot of business with German customers, and if they can't, it feels like Western Europe is also unstable." The latest trade data shows that China's import and export downturn is gradually easing, with exports decreasing by 6.2% year-on-year in September, narrowing the decline from August's 8.8%. The report also stated that a recent factory survey showed an improvement in the status of new export orders last month, partly due to the peak export season of Christmas products and favorable base effects. Although overseas procurement for this Christmas season has ended, Jimmy Chen still holds hope for improvement in the second half of 2024. Xiao Haicheng, from Foshan Gaoming Yuehua Sanitary Ware Co., Ltd., said that the company selling massage bathtubs and luxury shower rooms planned to promote its products to countries participating in the "the Belt and Road" initiative, helping offset the decline in European sales this year. He said, "We need to find a place to make up for the losses, but we are definitely more optimistic than during the epidemic