by Xinhua writer Zhu Sheng

BERLIN, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The second China International Import Expo (CIIE) creates an efficient and comprehensive international procurement platform for players engaged in the Chinese consumer market and the cross-border trade in China, a senior executive of German exhibitor Metro told Xinhua.

In a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua, Philippe Palazzi, chief operating officer (COO) and management board member of Metro AG, said: "Companies benefit from not only the enhanced access to the Chinese consumers whose demands for high quality imported products are growing, but also closer collaboration with business partners specialized in this field. "

In the first CIIE, Metro China achieved a range of fruitful results, not only in acquiring potential customers but also in finding new imported products and new suppliers, Palazzi noted.

Metro China signed purchasing contracts worth 2 billion RMB (about 284 million U.S. dollars) with importers at the CIIE 2018, he said, adding that the contracts have already been completely fulfilled.

As a leading international company in wholesale and food retail, Metro exhibited 110 imported products including its own brands in 14 categories at CIIE 2018.

This year, Metro plans to present up to 200 imported items covering 20 categories, with a booth 50 percent bigger than the one of last year.

Palazzi emphasized that Metro was among the first batch of companies to confirm the participation in CIIE 2019 during last year's exhibition.

"Our global sourcing team has been working closely with the local Chinese team to leverage Metro's international sourcing competence to prepare for this event since April this year. Meanwhile, we will send about 100 buyers from METRO China to CIIE 2019 to look for new business opportunities with potential suppliers of imports," Palazzi said.

Palazzi hopes that the second CIIE, after last year's inaugural success, is going to be more established and will continue to serve as a solid platform for boosting import trade and to be a link that promotes trade and economic interaction between China and the rest of the world.

Besides, he said that Metro will continue to participate in this process with its international sourcing and food safety expertise.

"We will strive to further expand the assortment of our global sourcing into China and bring more high quality imported products to the Chinese consumers to meet their growing demands," Palazzi continued.

"On the other hand, we will explore business opportunities at CIIE and seek partnership with even more competent import suppliers to further enrich our assortment," he concluded.