Serbian companies are gearing up for a major debut at this year's China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai - the world's largest import-themed trade fair. The event, which will host exhibitors from around 150 countries, offers a unique opportunity for Serbia's exporters to showcase their natural and non-GMO food products to Chinese consumers increasingly seeking premium goods.

We went to the central Serbian town of Valjevo, where workers at Agranela food producer company were busy preparing shipments of dried plums bound for international markets. 

The company processes around two thousand tonnes of plums annually, transforming them into export-quality prunes. Inside its modern facility, production lines are equipped with high-performance machinery - much of it made in China - ensuring consistent quality and high efficiency.

"We are using Chinese-made equipment for making our products, mainly prunes," said Aleksandra Mihajlović, co-owner of Agranela. "It would be interesting for us to establish some kind of exchange so that we would send our products to China. We'd be thrilled to see them on the Chinese supermarket shelves."

This year will mark Agranela's first appearance at the Shanghai Import Expo - a significant step for the company and for Serbia's broader ambitions to expand exports to Asia. For many participants, the event represents a direct link between modern production technology and China's growing number of high-income consumers.

"More than 370 million people from China will move to the middle class, which is going to make it a bigger market, especially for food producers," said Jovana Majstorović from the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia. "And we know that the habits of Chinese consumers are changing, and they are very interested in organic production and traditional food products."

About 200 kilometers north of Valjevo, in the small village of Selenča, the company Zdravo Organic is preparing for its own debut in Shanghai. Known for its natural juices, jams, and spreads made from locally sourced ingredients, the company already exports across Europe but hopes to capture the attention of Chinese consumers.

"Based on our survey of the Chinese market and our latest experiences from other fairs, we realised that they are more interested in juices than in our pickled program," said Terezija Gašparovski from Zdravo Organic. "So we put our focus on juices."

Trade between Serbia and China has expanded rapidly, increasing fourfold over the past decade, with Serbian exports up 182 percent. Many Serbian producers see this as a pivotal moment to strengthen their presence in the Chinese market.

For Serbia's small and medium-sized food producers, the Shanghai expo is more than just a trade fair - it's a chance to connect tradition with innovation and deepen economic ties with China's vast consumer base.