The National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai is one of the world's largest single-block buildings. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 8th China International Import Expo will be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai from Nov 5 to 10.

So far, more than 13,000 professional purchasing enterprises and 47,000 buyers from Zhejiang province have registered for the event.

On Nov 5, Zhejiang will hold a centralized signing ceremony for import procurement. Twenty-one overseas suppliers from 13 countries and regions, including Germany, the United States, Brazil, and Switzerland, will sign agreements with 19 Zhejiang-based import companies on 23 projects. The procurement covers advanced equipment, energy resources, and agricultural products.

Since the CIIE's debut in 2018, Zhejiang has been a regular participant, contributor, and beneficiary. The province has also hosted a cultural exchange exhibition area for six consecutive years.

This year, Zhejiang's exhibition area will cover 612 square meters, focusing on the province's historical industries such as tea, silk, rice wine, traditional Chinese medicine, wood carving, stone sculpture, stationery, and celadon.

Sixty time-honored brands and intangible cultural heritage projects will be showcased under the theme of Zhejiang's traditional craftsmanship and culture.