An opportunity to forge win-win ties

An opportunity to forge win-win ties

From Algeria to Dubai, from Dubai to Guangzhou, Ali Djelmami Hani finally arrived in the event’s host city on April 16, the second day of the 135th Canton Fair.

Despite an exhausting journey, this buyer from Algeria immediately headed for the fair’s venue upon his arrival.

In addition to a schedule to select and buy his targeted commodities, an important mission for this Canton Fair trip was to renew a general dealership agreement with his Chinese partner Guangzhou Aoking Leather Co Ltd for the sales of its products in Algeria.

Over the past year, Hani had fulfilled all the annual sales targets set by Aoking Leather, and according to their agreement, he will sign a renewed contract with the company on the site of Canton Fair, to become its general dealer for the following year.

China and Algeria had maintained long-term good relations in multiple fields like politics, economy and people-to-people exchanges. In this context, Hani has developed an understanding of China since his childhood. But he didn’t expect to have such a close contact with the Oriental country someday.

As Canton Fair was frequently mentioned by his business partners, he realized this event should mean huge business opportunities. Therefore, he embarked on his China journey in 2012.

“Before that I was engaged in the business of printing and selling books. This was something you couldn’t expect to generate a big fortune,” Hani said. “So I decided to attend this No 1 trade show in China, as it was referred to by my friends, to find new business opportunities.”

“The first time I came to the fair, I was amazed with the event for its wide range of commodity varieties on display,” he went on to say. “The high-quality, stylish and cost-effective goods like suitcases, schoolbags and other things in the category of stationery immediately became a focus of my attention. I recognized these things might help me with a successful business transformation, as they could fit in my existing sales channels and could help me expand to the office goods market.”

He said he reached partnership agreements with several Chinese suppliers the first time he attended the fair. He added that he was extremely satisfied with his Canton Fair journey, as it helped him make new friends in China, and extend sales channels and expand business scope in Algeria.

From a business point of view, Hani said Canton Fair is the leading trade show in the world in terms of the range of exhibits and the potential for cooperation.

“The modern ambience of exhibition venues, the considerate services and friendliness of exhibitors had all added to a pleasant experience of participation,” Hani said. “Since my first attendance, I didn’t miss a single session of the event.”

Algeria is the largest country in Africa in terms of land area and also one of the largest economies on the continent. It has maintained a rapid growth momentum over recent years.

Facing such a market with rapidly changing dynamics, Hani said his company needs to continuously adjust its operational strategies, offering updated products and services to consumers.

Despite the complexity of the market, Hani said he didn’t feel there is much pressure, as he has got crucial support from Canton Fair and his partners he met at the fair, which has helped him solve problems and grow stronger.

In a media interview, Hani told his story about his collaboration with Aoking.

It was during the COVID-19 pandemic that he got acquainted with Aoking’s suitcase products through the online platform of Canton Fair, and he tried to keep in touch with the company.

In 2023, when the 133rd Canton Fair fully resumed offline operations, Hani arrived in Guangzhou to attend the event. He met Aoking’s representatives at the fair’s venue and held face-to-face communications, which got him informed about Aoking’s products, design concept and quality. He recognized that was something he wanted to bring back to his home market and he offered to become the general dealer for Aoking in Algeria.

Back in Algeria, Hani organized rounds of promotional campaigns for the products and got positive feedback and recognition.

“While the products were sought after in Algeria, there was also challenging feedback from some demanding consumers. Those consumers sometimes offered their own suggestion for modification,” Hani said.

Hani tried to communicate with Aoking on the feedback and suggestions. “To my delight, Aoking made rapid response and worked out optimized solutions immediately,” Hani said.

He added that Aoking has now developed into a brand of repute in Algeria and garnered a large number of fans.

“Canton Fair has offered me an opportunity to forge mutually beneficial ties with our partners,” Hani said. “I’d like to work with our Chinese partners for a better future of win-win cooperation.”