Last year in Autumn the first ever Chongjin Trade Fair took place. Pyongyang and the Rason SEZ both host bi-annual International Trade Fairs, but the expansion to Chongjin is unique, as it is a provincial capital, not a directly administered city. Its proximity to the Chinese border also puts it in a great location for a trade exhibition, so this looks to become a regular event as well.

Trade fairs in North Korea tend to feature a lot of on-the-spot purchases and are more focused on selling goods to attendees than they are on making business contacts for wholesale trade. Firsthand reports from contacts who attended the Autumn Trade Fair were that the trade fair was a huge success, with many exhibitors running out of stock. Many reported prices actually rose over the duration of the show as booth owners tried to make more from their dwindling inventories.

The first-ever Spring Chongjin Trade Fair will take place from April 20^th until April 24^th this year and YPT plan to be exhibiting!

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Troy Collings

Troy is YPT’s DPRK Managing Director and a University of Auckland Business School graduate. He has been regularly travelling to North Korea since 2008 and has visited pretty much every place a foreigner can.

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