China International Import Expo: Food producers in Hungary gear up for the huge market

World
Europe

03:05

China is opening up to more foreign goods, and its first expo aimed at those who are interested in exporting to China is set for a big debut this autumn. Food producers are among the thousands of companies from around the world who are gearing up for the event. CGTN's Aljosa Milenkovic visited one of those companies.

Hungary is a country with a rich history, and everywhere you go, you'll find interesting stories and breathtaking cities. And every one of these parts of Hungary has something unique to produce and offer to the outside world.

ALJOSA MILENKOVIC PECS "This is beautiful city of Pecs. It is in the south of Hungary, almost at the border with Croatia. It is proud of its medieval past, exquisite buildings that have stood here for hundreds of years, and also of its cheeses that are exported to 40 countries around the world."

Most of those cheeses come from Korostej, whose one factory is in the small village of Kacsota, just few kilometers from downtown Pecs. Now Korostej is eyeing China.

OMAR NABOULSI OPERATIONS DIRECTOR, KOROSTEJ "China in general as a market, as a people, as a culture, is something we've been interested in for a while. We've kept our eye on what's happening in terms of their market in terms of exporting there. We've registered two out of our four factories already for export to China. We're working on registering the other two."

Korostej is just one of Hungarian companies that are preparing to offer their products at the first China International Import Expo. All of them are seeking advice from this man.

Tamas Nadasi is the Head of China Department of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce, with extensive knowledge of the Chinese market.

TAMAS NADASI HUNGARIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE "Only with products of very high quality should our exporters go to China. Only the best quality is good enough for the China market. It is important that they have a variety of products. It is also necessary to team up with others, like in the case of wine makers."

These are the facts, that thousands of enterprises from around the world are beginning to discover. Hungarian companies are no different.

Among them are wine producers, which are gaining ever stronger foothold in China with their unique wines.

Water treatment, environmental projects, and many others are also on the table for expanding trade collaboration between the two countries.

TAMAS NADASI HUNGARIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE "I think it is very important that Hungarians and enterprises from central and eastern Europe, should prepare very seriously for the Chinese market, to the cultural and economic differences. They should plan for a long time ahead. They shouldn't aim at getting rich quickly, or get some product into the country quickly, because that won't work."

So apparently, at the first International Import Expo, China is seeking reliable and long term partners. Many Hungarian exporters are preparing for those rules of the game, because they are going to compete for the slice of the potentially most lucrative market with 1.3 billion customers. Aljosa Milenkovic, CGTN, Pecs.