SHANGHAI (Xinhua): Shanghai mayor Ying Yong said on Sunday that the second China International Import Expo (CIIE) scheduled for November  this year will be better than last year's session with China's further opening-up measures. While delivering the government work report at the annual session of the municipal people's congress, Ying said the city will normalize the expo's pilot mode of bonded display and trade, having it occur on a regular basis. As the world's first import-themed national-level expo, the first CIIE was held in Shanghai from  November 5 to 10 in 2018, and concluded with deals worth about 57.83 billion U.S. dollars. The expo  attracted 3,617 foreign exhibitors, and more than 400,000 buyers from home and abroad. Ying said the city plans to open wider for foreign investment and foreign firms, amplifying the  expo's spillover effects. Shanghai will put into practice 100 measures in support of further opening  up this year.

According to the CIIE bureau, more than 500 companies from more than 40 countries and regions  have confirmed participation in the 2019 CIIE. Among them, there are over 70 Fortune Global 500  firms and leading enterprises in various industries.