On September 18th, the 2026 China International Concrete Expo and the 2026 Concrete & Cement-based Products Industry Convention opened in grand fashion at the Canton Fair Complex in Guangzhou. As the flagship annual gathering of the concrete and cement-based products industry, this year’s Expo and Industry Convention carry a distinctly international character, drawing organized delegations of professional buyers from more than thirty countries — including Brazil, Russia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, South Korea, the United States, Germany, Mexico, Kazakhstan, and South Africa. From product displays to technical exchange, and from standards alignment to procurement negotiations, Guangzhou — a global trade and commerce hub — once again serves as the central stage for dialogue across the world’s concrete industry.

As one of the key activities of this year’s gathering, the 5th International Development Forum for the Concrete and Cement-based Products Industry was held concurrently. The Forum brought together industry association leaders, experts, and entrepreneurs from China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Brazil, and other countries and regions for in-depth exchange on topics including standards integration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Southeast Asian precast component market, policy on PPVC (Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction) industrialized building, development trends in ready-mixed concrete, globalization pathways for equipment manufacturers, and applications in overseas infrastructure. Xu Yongmo, former President of the China Concrete & Cement-based Products Association (CCPA), delivered the opening address and presented a report titled “The Current State and Future Outlook of China’s Concrete and Cement-based Products Industry,” sharing China’s industry trends with global peers. During the Forum’s presentation sessions, experts from multiple countries addressed topics ranging from regional standards coordination to global market opportunities, and from technological innovation to the building of industrial ecosystems — illustrating the multidimensional scope of the industry’s international development.

During the Forum, CCPA signed strategic memoranda of understanding with the Korea Ready Mixed Concrete Industrial Cooperative Federation and the Malaysia Concrete Society, further expanding its network of international collaboration. Also released at the event were the Recommended Catalogue of Key Products, Equipment and Technical Services for the Belt and Road Initiative (2026 Edition) — featuring 22 products, equipment items, and technical services from 22 enterprises — and the English edition of Typical Cases of ESG Excellence in China’s Concrete and Cement-based Products Industry (2025), offering Chinese solutions for the green transition of the global industry.

In the afternoon, the China-International Supply and Demand Matchmaking Conference for Concrete and Cement-based Products Industry Cooperation was held in the conference area of Hall 19, focusing on more than twenty countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Brazil, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Türkiye, and Croatia. At the concurrent dedicated procurement matchmaking session hosted by the National Association of Concrete Producers of Russia, a delegation of approximately 40 members representing 20 Russian enterprises held one-on-one, in-depth discussions with leading Chinese companies. Their procurement interests spanned more than ten categories, including complete concrete batching plant equipment, all-electric concrete mixer trucks, automated precast component production lines, and technologies for the resource utilization of solid waste.

Buyers from many countries arrived in Guangzhou with orders already in hand. A Brazilian procurement delegation of more than 30 members, accompanied by MRV&CO — Latin America’s largest homebuilder — sourced precast component production lines and urban furniture on site. The National Association of Concrete Producers of Russia organized a delegation of nearly 40 members focused on procuring complete concrete batching plant equipment, all-electric concrete mixer trucks, and solid-waste resource utilization technologies. Malaysian universities and construction firms concentrated on UHPC urban furniture, 3D-printed architectural decorative components, and AI-enabled intelligent production systems. Mexican infrastructure contractors sought precast component connection systems and double-tee slab molds, and set explicit requirements for AASHTO North American standards certification. Throughout their visits, overseas buyers spoke highly of China’s new concrete technologies and products, pausing to examine samples closely, inquiring in detail about technical parameters and engineering applications, with many entering into cooperation discussions on the spot.

Over the course of the event, CCPA leadership held separate meetings with delegations from the Vietnam Concrete Association, the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Singapore Chapter, the Malaysia Concrete Society, the National Association of Concrete Producers of Russia, and the Korea Ready Mixed Concrete Industrial Cooperative Federation, holding practical discussions on deepening bilateral cooperation.

This year’s Expo and Industry Convention feature a program of one main forum, twenty-one sub-forums, and three competitions, covering frontier topics such as digital and intelligent innovation, green and low-carbon development, UHPC applications, and 3D-printed construction. From a focus on Belt and Road markets to a comprehensive global footprint, and from product trade to deep integration of technical standards and industrial ecosystems, China’s concrete and cement-based products industry is integrating into the global value chain with greater openness — contributing the industry’s strength to the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.