Iranian businessman brought over 3000 buyers to Canton Fair

Iranian businessman brought over 3000 buyers to Canton Fair

It was 4 o’clock in the afternoon on May 1, the first day of the Canton Fair phase 3. Kazem Khoshnavaz, general manager of Chinestan Directory and Service Center of China, was assisting Babazadeh, an Iranian buyer who was feeling upset because the function of his WeChat had been restricted after a full day of exploring and networking with potential Chinese suppliers.

Babazadeh is one of the 70 Iranian buyers whom Khoshnavaz organized to attend the 135th Canton Fair. “I have attended more than 60 sessions of the Canton Fair, during which I organized trade tours to bring Iranian businessmen to China while sharing my experiences and information about the Fair through my website Chinestan.com,” said Khoshnavaz.

“I started my business because of Canton Fair”

More than 30 years have passed since Khoshnavaz came to Guangzhou City and attended the Canton Fair for the first time. “Walking around the Fair, I felt like a small fish in a vast ocean,” he told the reporter. He found that more Iranian businessmen should attend the Canton Fair as it provides opportunities to connect with the “direct sources”.

“We lack direct product sources in Iran as well as true information and consultation. Many items had to be purchased through middlemen, which led to higher prices and made them easily affected by various factors.” Therefore, I came to the Canton Fair to find sources and visit the factories door-to-door,” said Khoshnavaz. However, he mentioned encountering numerous challenges as an Iranian participant in a foreign country in the 1990s. This experience inspired him to start his own business immediately upon returning to Iran.

“I started my business because of the Canton Fair. Navigating a large-scale trade fair presents challenges for foreign buyers, including locating products in each phase, engaging with suppliers, and arranging transportation. I wanted to solve these problems,” Khoshnavaz shared.

Since then, he launched the website Chinestan.com where he shared information in Persian about the Canton Fair, and gradually expanded to cover all aspects related to China. He also started operating a tour agency to encourage Iranian businessmen to attend the Canton Fair and later many of Chinese major exhibitions.

Khoshnavaz has brought more than 3000 businessmen to the Canton Fair over the past three decades. Throughout this time, there have been numerous moments that have made him proud.

“I brought an Iranian businessman to the Canton Fair twelve years ago. He lacked experience and could not speak a word in Chinese or English,” he said, pointing to the corridor outside the VIP room. He added, “He was walking around this area, but now he is one of the top ten businessmen in Iran. Recently, he was featured on television as a billionaire!”

As of today, Khoshnavaz continues to bring newcomers to the Canton Fair. He discusses all the necessary steps for participation with his tour members in advance and provides them with the necessary assistance during the process.

“Today, I also assisted two businessmen who were visiting for the first time and had forgotten to bring their entry passes. It’s always a source of great pride for me to bring Iranian businessmen here and help them make connections, whether they are from large companies or startups.”

“My business grows with Canton Fair”

Khoshnavaz witnessed drastic changes in the Canton Fair and Guangzhou City as he has been visiting Guangzhou almost twice a year for the spring and autumn sessions over the past 30 years, staying for all three phases of each session.

“At that time, I saw thousands of people riding bicycles on the street, and the Canton Fair building was relatively small, located near the China Hotel. Now, people are driving electric cars in the city, and the Canton Fair complex has been relocated to Pazhou, expanding from Area A to Area D. It’s very busy now!” said Khoshnavaz. Every year he came to Guangzhou, he noticed changes in the infrastructure and VIP services.

Khoshnavaz’s business has also been slowly growing over time with the Canton Fair. “In the beginning, we didn’t have many tour members, only 1 to 2 people for each session. But now I have 60 to 70 businessmen accompanying me to the Fair every year. In the past, most of the participants were from small companies, but now we have members from very large companies,” he explained.

When asked which types of products attract Iranian businessmen the most at the Fair, Khoshnavaz said, “We are excited about everything because I have 70 tour members and 70 different minds. Their business scopes involve products displayed in three different phases. In recent years, we have noticed an increase in demand for high-quality and high-tech products. We are also interested in the new technologies used in the energy sector developed by Chinese companies.”

In addition, the website operated by Khoshnavaz has developed into one of the largest Persian-language webpages about China. The website now attracts users not only in Iran but also in other Persian-speaking countries, such as Afghanistan, Tajikestan, and Uzbekistan.

As for future plans, Khoshnavaz feels confident and will continue his business, even in an adverse scenario, by assisting and supporting Chinese entrepreneurs in doing business in Iran. They also have plans to provide trading and exhibition services to traders from both countries.

“The business ties between China and Iran date back to ancient times. There are cultural relics being displayed in the Palace Museum proving our relations,” said Khoshnavaz. He believes the ties will continue, so he will allow his son, Amin, to carry on the business even after he retires in the future.

At 5 o’clock in the afternoon, Khoshnavaz and Babazadeh successfully solved the WeChat problems, making Babazadeh feel relieved and happy. They left the VIP room immediately, rushing to the next meeting to move forward with their tight Canton Fair schedule.