The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) will lead a delegation of twenty-three local companies from the agro-processing sector to Shanghai, China to promote local products and services at the annual SIAL China International Trade Fair for Food that will take place from 16-18 May 2018. The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies says that the SIAL China International Trade Fair for Food is the largest Asian food fair and offers South African companies keen on promoting their products and services in foreign markets with the best platform to boosting their visibility in the region. “China ranks as the largest consumer of food and beverages with an estimated value of over one trillion Euros. It is projected to grow rapidly over the next two-decades. The rising levels of Chinese disposable income, increases in retail sales of consumer goods and remarkable growth for South African products such as wines puts us in a unique position to make inroads into this lucrative market,” says Davies. Davies further adds that companies showcasing at SIAL will be in a position to establish contact with food manufacturers, distributors, importers, wholesalers and retailers, as well as representatives of institutional and commercial catering companies. “SIAL China will offer our businesspeople with a unique opportunity to meeting market leaders of the food, beverage and hospitality industry in China, where they will establish new contacts and identify suppliers and business partners. The accompanying conference will also cover knowledge and information exchange between industry experts on current issues, trends and future prospects,” he said. SIAL China is a leading platform for international producers and manufacturers of food products, wines, spirits and food service equipment. Enquiries: Sidwell Medupe-Departmental Spokesperson Tel: (012) 394 1650 Mobile: 079 492 1774 E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za Issued by: The Department of Trade and Industry Follow us on Twitter: @the_dti