Organizers of this fall's 104th Canton Fair hope a revamp of the way goods are displayed appeals to buyers and sellers. Zou Zhongpin

The 104th China Import and Export Fair, the largest of its kind in the country, will take place in Guangzhou's new Pazhou Complex from Oct 15 to Nov 6.

Also known as the Canton Fair, the exhibition serves as a showcase for China's exporters.

Wang Junwen, director general of the China Foreign Trade Center - one of the fair's two organizers - said this year's event is in a more user-friendly location. It also features larger display areas and more specialized categories, he said.

Gao Hucheng, China's vice minister of commerce, said that despite a first-half slowdown, the country's export outlook is positive for the rest of this year.

Export growth slowed to 21.9 percent in the first six months, compared with the 25.7 percent growth seen in all of 2007.

"Nevertheless, it is a healthy growth volume, and a big increase in imports has helped ease the trade surplus," Gao said at a press conference for the fair Friday.

The overall foreign trade during the period increased 25.7 percent, in part helped by a 12.3 percent year-on-year upsurge in imports.

The provincial government of Guangdong is a co-organizer of the Canton Fair, which has been held in the spring and autumn each year since the spring of 1957.

A big change in this fall's exhibit from the last one is that it will consist of three phases rather than one.

The first phase, from Oct 15-19, will feature products such as electronics; hardware and tools; large machinery; vehicles and spare parts.

Phase two will last from Oct 24-28, and the final phase will be from Nov 2-6.

The last two phases will feature general consumer products such as textiles, fashion accessories and personal-care products.

The new Pazhou Complex features 37 exhibition halls and 1.1 million sq m of floor space.

"The new venue is convenient for buyers and can provide a better exhibition environment for customer-oriented services," the China Foreign Trade Center said in a statement Friday.

The organizers estimate that 21,600 enterprises will participate in the fair - up 20 percent over the spring show.

The number of buyers from Hong Kong stands at 30,000, or 15 percent of the total 200,000 buyers from more than 210 countries and regions throughout the world.

Some exhibitors have expressed concern that the central government's strict visa policy will deter potential overseas buyers from attending.