Source: CCTV.com 04-21-2009 13:31

Sales have fallen at the first phase of the China Import and Export Fair, commonly known as the Canton Fair. They reached 13 billion US dollars, down nearly a fifth from the same phase of the last fair.

Foreign buyer numbers also dipped about five and a half percent to around 82,000. Organizers say many buyers have replaced previous long-term contacts with short-term deals and smaller orders. They expect a decline in demand from developed regions and that China's export volume will stay low in the short run.