Orders climb at Canton fair

The Canton Fair in Guangdong province finished with stronger than expected orders last week, although China is still experiencing a tepid recovery in its exports market, the South China Morning Post reported. The spring session of the import-export fair finished with deals worth US$35.4 billion (RMB217.43 billion), an 8.8% increase over its fall session. It was a decrease of 1.4% from the session a year ago. According to the fair spokesman Liu Jianjun, buyers at the fair were wary about placing long-term orders beyond six months due to fluctuating currency values and surging commodity prices. The Canton fair is China’s oldest trade fair, and is considered by many analysts to be a barometer of China’s economic health.