A staff member chooses products to showcase online during the ongoing Canton Fair in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, Oct 17, 2022. [Photo/VCG]

BEIJING -- The 133rd Canton Fair will resume all on-site activities in Guangzhou from April 15 to May 5, after being held largely online since 2020 due to COVID-19 prevention measures, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

It will continue to provide online service for participants, ministry spokesperson Shu Jueting said at a press conference.

The event, also known as the China Import and Export Fair, has been held twice annually since 1957.

As China has dynamically optimized and adjusted its COVID-19 prevention measures, Chinese and overseas enterprises are now eligible to participate in the fair offline, so it will fully resume offline activities in the spring of this year, she said.

The exhibition area will be expanded from 1.18 million square meters to 1.5 million square meters this year, she said.

It is estimated that more than 30,000 Chinese and overseas enterprises will take part in the trade fair, and participating Chinese enterprises include more than 5,000 leading manufacturing and high-tech enterprises, she said.