The 139th session of the China Import and Export Fair will introduce nine dedicated exhibition zones for the first time, covering smart wearables, display technologies, consumer drones, modular housing and garden solutions, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Speaking at a news conference in Beijing on Friday, Wang Zhihua, director of the ministry's department of foreign trade, said the upcoming trade fair will also expand exhibition space for consumer electronics, new materials and industrial automation to bolster high-quality foreign trade growth.

The event, commonly known as the Canton Fair, is regarded as the barometer of China's foreign trade, and is scheduled to take place in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, from April 15 to May 5.

It will span a total exhibition area of 1.55 million square meters, with 75,700 booths and more than 32,000 participating companies — all exceeding previous editions. Among them, about 3,900 exhibitors will be making their debut.