China is opening up for 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. The first China International Import Expo will be held in Shanghai from November 5, and thousands of companies interested from around the world are gearing up for it. 

Food producers from Hungary are among them.

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. We’ve visited the 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 a few kilometers from downtown Pecs. 

The factory employs 250 people, many more than the entire population of Kacsota. That’s why most workers come from the neighboring villages. And all of them are proud that their products are on the dining tables of millions around the world. Now Korostej is eyeing China, as it was said to us by the Korostej’s Operations Director Omar Naboulsi.

“China in general as a market, as a people, as a culture, is something we’ve been interested in for a while,” Omar says. “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, so we’ve been quite aware of what’s happening there in terms of this expo and these opportunities that are arising in China.”

FIRST TO OPEN THE CHINA MARKET DOORS

Korostej has four dairy factories in Hungary, employing more than 1,000 people. They are just one of a number of Hungarian companies that are preparing to offer their products at the first China International Import Expo. And all of them are seeking advice from Tamas Nadasi. He is the Head of China Department of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce, with extensive knowledge of the Chinese market. His message to the potential Hungarian exporters to China is very direct.

“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 winemakers. They should work together with as many other wineries as possible because one bigger city there generally has like 10 millions of people and they are a huge market on their own.” Nadasi said.

These are the facts, thousands of companies from around the world are beginning to discover. For many of them, the China International Import Expo will be the first step in that market with 1.3 billion potential customers.