Canton Fair records decline in trade deals

Transactions and the number of buyers at the 116th China Import and Export Fair, the country's largest event, fell due to weak demand from traditional and emerging markets, according to the organizers.

The export transaction was down by 6.1 percent from the previous session to $179.2 billion yuan ($29.16 billion), according to Liu Jianjun, the fair's spokesman.

The twice-a-year fair, or Canton Fair, which is seen as a barometer of China's trade development, concluded on Tuesday in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province.

Meanwhile, the fair reported 186,104 international buyers from 211 countries and regions, down by 1.07 percent from the previous session, according to Liu.

"The traditional market is still on a harsh road of recovery for Chinese goods and demand in the emerging market is weak," Liu said.

Due to the Ebola virus, the number of buyers from Africa dropped by almost 20 percent from the previous session, according to Liu.