Chinese e-commerce and retail buyers along with trade service providers have formed four trade alliances for the China International Import Expo, as they team up to improve their bargaining power ahead of the November event. Reporter Sun Siqi has more.  

E-commerce and retail companies like Bailian and TMall Global said forming an alliance helps them get more leverage in trade. And a group of trade service providers are pooling their resources to help overseas company deal with Chinese business procedures they are not familiar with.

WANG XINGDE, PRESIDENT CIIE EXEC. OFFICE OF ORIENT INTERNATIONAL CO. "The Import Expo is opposite to the Guangdong trade fair. We have foreign exhibitors coming in to sell, and buyers from China and a few neighboring countries are coming in to buy. And these overseas companies will need someone to complete the customs and quarantine procedures for them, and to help them set up business connections here. That's what our alliance does."

YOU YONGSHENG, HEAD FOREIGN TRADE DVPT. OF SHANGHAI COMMISSION OF COMMERCE "We helped form the four alliances because we wanted to increase synergy for the trade fair. After today's ceremony, the companies are going to meet with overseas exhibitors, set up some buying arrangements and meet head-to-head to buy their goods - that's not just going to happen at the fair, but will be an ongoing process starting now and last till after the import expo closes."

Currently, the member companies have expressed desires to purchase products worth about 4 billion yuan at the fair. Most of the companies are based or have branches in Shanghai, and that can provide extra benefits for these buyers and service providers as the city handles about 27 percent of the whole country's imports.