Stronger Asian participation at Alimentaria 2016

ALIMENTARIA, Spain’s largest food and drink fair, will see larger attendance from China, Japan and ASEAN countries this year. The event which takes place from 25-28 April in Fira de Barcelona expects participation from 280 companies as well as 6,000 trade visitors who are hoping to connect with the Spanish and EU markets.

About 123 exhibitors will represent China, among them are Cino Coffee Machine MFG, CIEC Overseas Exhibition, Xiamen Kenjo Foods Company, National Agriculture Exhibition Center (NAEC) and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).

Alimentaria will also feature companies from South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

A growing number of Asian companies are trying to network with the market. In the 2016 edition, there will be 5 percent more visitors compared to 2014. The mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan are leading markets for Spanish food and drinks.

Mainland China and Hong Kong are potential markets for meat products, while Southeast Asia has increased exports of Spanish wine, spirits, fish and meat by 25 percent in recent years. Meanwhile, Japan continues to increase its imports of meat, wine and oils from Spain.

To attract key buyers, Alimentaria is sending direct invitations to over 100 key Asian importers and distributors who will be holding business meetings with exhibitors at the show. The biggest delegations are from mainland China, with 62 guest buyers, Thailand (18), Taiwan (12), Philippines (11) and Malaysia (11), amongst others.

Alimentaria will expect over 140,000 visitors, 30 percent of them international, and will host 4,000 companies from 70 different countries.