The 29th East China Fair， the largest regional trade fair in China， closed in Shanghai on March 5 with a trading volume of $2.3 billion.
　　More than 3，500 Chinese companies and over 450 overseas companies took part in the four-day event， which is regarded as an important barometer of China’s foreign trade. The fair boasted an exhibition area of 126，500 square meters， 2，900 square meters more than the previous event.
　　Participants brought upgraded products to the fair， aiming to tap more market potential in both traditional markets of developed economies and new markets under the Belt and Road Initiative.
　　Many export-oriented Chinese manufacturers brought their innovative products to this year’s fair， hoping new technology and novel ideas can help them gain a competitive edge in the global market.
　　One business from east China’s Zhejiang Province showcased a new umbrella that can resist typhoon-level winds and features a highdensity water repellent fabric.
　　The umbrella has received patents for its design and fabric in the United States， Italy， the UK and Japan， according to Jia Yong， head of the Zhejiang Tianhe Umbrella Design Co. Ltd.
　　“Because of fi erce competition in the market， we have switched our focus to developing innovative products in recent years，” Jia said.“Now our customer base is very stable， and orders are growing.”
　　A smart vegetable planter called V-garden found favor with many global buyers at the fair.
　　“We produce a smart planter using hydroponics that allows people to grow pollution-free vegetables at home，” said Liu Fei， general manager of the company that developed V-garden.
　　The white dice-like planter is equipped with LED lights that mimic sunlight， and has a space at the bottom for nutrient solutions.
　　It takes only about 30 days to turn seeds into vegetables， according to Liu， who added that the smart planter is also more energy-effi -cient and eco-friendly than traditional planting methods.
　　“We received indents from Italy and the United States and inquiries from British clients at the fair，” said Liu， who is upbeat about his product’s popularity in the overseas market.
　　Zhang Wen， who runs a company in east China’s Jiangsu Province， has developed a number of smart devices for pets.
　　A wearable device the company developed can record pets’ exercise time and the number of steps they take. The ping pong ball-sized device is also embedded with customized LED lights that can keep pets safe while walking in the dark. 　　At the fair， Zhang showcased a remotecontrol pet feeder that can feed fi sh according to the weather and time， and dog bowls that can calculate a pet’s food consumption.
　　“We hope our products can enter the Japanese market since demand for smart pet products is stronger there，” Zhang said.
　　Another company from Jiangsu developed products aimed at easing people’s housework burden.
　　At the fair， the company showcased a smart ceiling-mounted clothesline that can automatically adjust its height according to the angle of the sunlight， allowing laundry to dry quicker with more time in the sun.
　　Zhao Xiangrong， a manager with the company’s trade department， said the clothesline has already been exported to Southeast Asia and has gained popularity among young people living in high-rise apartments.
　　Zhao has confidence in tapping overseas regions where new apartments are being built.“We see great potential for smart home appliances like our clothesline in southern Africa，” he said.
　　Focused on the import and export of textiles， household appliances and furnishings， the fair is seen as a key indicator of foreign trade， particularly in light industries.
　　The event held a special matchmaking session for companies in Belt and Road countries in addition to the existing three sessions for companies in Europe， the United States and Japan.
　　To better explore resources across borders， an increasing number of Chinese companies have established production bases in emerging markets. A factory in Bangladesh set up by the Shanghai Knitwear Import & Export Co. Ltd. manufactured 1.2 million sweaters.
　　General Manager Zhao Xiaodong said production is expected to reach 1.5 million this year. Similar factories have also been set up in Ethiopia.
　　Labor costs are rising in China， but many Chinese firms have rich resources in research and development， and they can cooperate with overseas partners to better cater to the market demand， said Chen Zheng， General Manager of the Shanghai New Union Textra Import and Export Co. Ltd.