File photo of Peter Toms, director of sales and channel development of Canadian Diamond Estates Wines and Spirits Inc. (Photo credit: lakeviewwineco.com)
"I plan to be there in 2021 for the next year's CIIE, and continue to move forward and grow our business in China."
OTTAWA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- A well-known Canadian wine producer has said it will continue to participate in the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai in November.
"We're really excited that the CIIE is going to happen again this year," said Peter Toms, director of sales and channel development of Canadian Diamond Estates Wines and Spirits Inc.
The company, which is a producer of high-quality wines in Canada, participated in the second CIIE last year.
"We think China is a great wine market and we want to continue to grow our business there," Toms told Xinhua in an interview on Friday.
Photo taken on Nov. 9, 2019 shows the National Exhibition and Convention Center in east China's Shanghai, where the second China International Import Expo (CIIE) was held from Nov. 5 to Nov. 10. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)
Although he could not go to Shanghai in person to attend the 2020 CIIE because of COVID-19-related travel restrictions, Tom said, "Our representative in China will be there showcasing our wines and continuing to grow the business."
"I do wish I could be there. I plan to be there in 2021 for the next year's CIIE, and continue to move forward and grow our business in China," he added.
The CIIE is a trade fair held annually in Shanghai since 2018. The CIIE is the first dedicated import exhibition in the world and has seen fruitful outcomes in the past two expos.
The third CIIE is scheduled from Nov. 5 to 10 this year and more than 90 percent of the planned exhibition area has already been booked. ■
