They are showcasing Vietnam’s traditional products including farm produce, handicrafts, foodstuff, and footwear products at 250 stalls of the event.

Le Thi Ha, Deputy General Director of ADPEX Joint Stock Company, said the increasing number of Vietnamese enterprises taking part in the annual fair reflects the effectiveness of their participation.

Yunnan now receives more favourable conditions to become a leading economic zone in China, offering better chances for Vietnamese businesses, thanks to geographic proximity, Ha said, adding she hopes local enterprises will take the initiative to exploit such a potential market.

On the first day of the fair, Vietnamese businesses signed various contracts worth millions of US$ with their partners from Guizhou, Chongqing, Sichuan, Yunnan, Taiwan and Hongkong.

First held in 1993, the Kunming Import and Export Fair has become a prestigious international trade fair, with total transaction value increasing from US$1.7 billion in 1993 to US$7 billion in 2011.

This year’s fair has attracted as many as 12,000 businesses and 23,000 importers from 30 countries around the globe.