MADRID, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Spanish producers of olive oil, wine and Iberian ham are preparing to showcase their products at the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE), seeking new customers and closer ties with Chinese distributors.
The expo, scheduled for Nov. 5 to 10 in Shanghai, will bring together Spanish exhibitors from first-time participants to companies that have attended since its inaugural edition.
Spain, one of the theme countries for the 2026 "Export to China" initiative, will once again have a national pavilion managed by ICEX Spain Trade and Investment.
For Teresa Perez, manager of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization, its first appearance at the CIIE represents an opportunity to promote products to more areas in China.
According to Perez, the organization launched a campaign in China in May involving 200 supermarkets and 130 restaurants in eight major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. At the expo, it hopes to introduce more buyers and distributors to Spanish extra virgin olive oil and its culinary and health benefits.
"China is very large, so fairs like CIIE are an opportunity for potential buyers and distributors in the Chinese market to get to know you," Perez told Xinhua in an exclusive interview. "It brings together many visitors from other parts of China, which is an opportunity."
The organization has also planned workshops during the expo involving Spanish companies already operating in China and brands preparing to enter the market, she said.
For wine producer Bodegas Familia Martinez Zabala, which has participated in every edition of the CIIE, such encounters have already led to business partnerships.
Qiu Guangyu, the group's president for the Asia-Pacific region, told Xinhua that he has often seen first-time business visitors come to explore possible cooperation after tasting the wines and learning about the brands.
"The first contact and the first impression often happen at the CIIE," he said, adding that the expo had brought the group new customers and opportunities.
Qiu described the event as one of the best platforms to promote the group's wines as it brings together wine industry professionals and business leaders from other sectors. "We need to attend trade fairs and reach new customers," he said.
With a local team and an office in Shanghai, the group plans to expand sales through supermarkets and hypermarkets, offering quality wines at competitive prices to a broader range of Chinese consumers.
Getting to know Chinese customers is also a priority for Guillermo Carrasco, sales manager of Carrasco Ibericos, a family-owned Iberian ham producer preparing to attend the CIIE for the third time.
"There's a geographical separation of 10,000 km, so if you don't go there physically, it will affect how much you understand the Chinese market," he told Xinhua. "I think that if you aspire to do business in a country, then knowing your client is fundamental."
As the family business' fifth-generation representative, Carrasco said his presence at the expo helped support its distributors and introduce potential customers to the traditions behind its products.
"There is the public relations part, where people who want to know more associate our distributor's brand with a hundred-year-old Spanish producer, as is my family's case," he said.
Despite the long journey and demanding exhibition days, Carrasco said he looked forward to returning to the expo, as the CIIE experience is inspiring.
Some exhibitors are already looking beyond this year's event. Qiu said that while the wine group's participation this year would focus on traditional sales channels, it was developing new products for younger Chinese consumers targeting next year's CIIE.
