As the curtains rose on the 135th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou on April 15, Ningbo in Zhejiang province stood out among the record-breaking attendance with its formidable delegation: 1,454 companies, over 4,000 booths, and a bustling crowd exceeding 10,000.

The Canton Fair has long served as a pivotal platform for Ningbo enterprises to secure orders and expand their market reach. This year's fair also showcased Ningbo's evolving export landscape. Within the Ningbo contingent, 192 "little giant" companies at the provincial-level and above, which are basically innovative SMEs that own proprietary core technologies in niche sectors and exhibit great market potential, underscored the city's entrepreneurial vigor.

The Ningbo Hidroteck Co Ltd, a national-level "little giant", showcased its groundbreaking product - a fusion of a water purifier and coffee machine. Chen Dehuan, the company's brand manager, doubled as a barista at the booth.

"You can simply put a coffee capsule in the machine, and it will generate an authentic Americano. Many visitors are attracted by the aroma of our booth," Chen said, "We hope to explore new markets and strive to become a world-class manufacturer of healthy beverage equipment."

According to Chen, the company's exports increased by over 30 percent last year, with products such as water dispensers, coffee machines, and juicers selling well. Its export volume in the first quarter of this year still grew by a strong 20.89 percent.

Aux, with the most booths in the Ningbo delegation at 38, showcased its energy storage sector at the fair. Lyu Meng, a manager at the company, said that with the booming export of the "new three" products, namely EVs, lithium batteries and solar cells, Aux plans to extend its existing business on the largest foreign trade stage.