Buyers from 158 countries pre-registered to attend April China Sourcing Fairs in Shanghai

23 Fortune and Global 500 companies to participate
 
Electronics & Components, Gifts & Home Products and DIY & Home Improvement export fairs sold out, offer buyers 2,300 booths displaying latest household goods, consumer electronics and components.

Global Sources Ltd. (Nasdaq NM: GSOL) said many of the biggest names in global retailing and OEM electronics, including buyers from Fortune 500 companies such as Carrefour, Target, Costco, Best Buy, Toshiba, IBM and LG Electronics, are registered to attend the China Sourcing Fairs. The Electronics & Components show will be held April 13-15 at Shanghai Mart, while the Gifts & Home Products and DIY & Home Improvement shows are scheduled for April 20-22 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre.

Merle A. Hinrichs, Global Sources chairman and chief executive officer, said, "The China Sourcing Fairs have placed Shanghai squarely on the map as a key sourcing center for the world's volume buyers. Building on the success of last year's Fair, we see many familiar members from Global Sources' buyer and supplier community, as well as tens of thousands of new companies, intent on participating in the spring shows.

"The Fairs are now sold out and have attracted some of Greater China's leading suppliers, such as BBK Electronics, Ningbo Ship, Sinomax, Brico Industry and Jiangsu Holly Corp., as well as up-and-coming companies with substantial export experience. We are pleased with the high level of interest by suppliers as it ensures buyers who visit the Fairs of the broadest selection of new products direct from China exporters. The Fairs will greatly help trade partners to meet and do business more efficiently in the fast-paced general merchandise and electronics industries.
The China business opportunity for both buyers and suppliers is immense. In the consumer electronics sector, for example, eight of ten DVD players shipped worldwide are made in China, and industry experts forecast that one out of five mobile phones sold in 2004 will carry the 'Made in China' label.

In the general merchandise category, China manufacturers are supplying a growing amount of global demand. Last year alone, China shipped around US$1.5 billion worth of stuffed plush toys to world markets, while exports of electric and gas-powered scooters rose by around 200 percent between the first and second halves of 2003.
China Sourcing Fairs Opening Speakers and Vendor Summits Announced

The WorldWide Retail Exchange (WWRE), which represents 64 large retailers with annual sales of US$900 billion, will again participate in the Fairs. Robert Heaton, chief financial officer of the WWRE, will present opening remarks at the Gifts & Home Products and DIY & Home Improvement opening ceremony. WWRE member companies will send buyers to the Fairs, and MARKANT, AEON, Kmart and El Corte Ingles will hold by-invitation only Vendor Summits with suppliers during the show.

Vendor Summits allow buyers to introduce their companies and outline their sourcing requirements to a group of pre-selected suppliers, thereby saving time and giving buyers privileged access to manufacturers of the specific products they need.

Jim Hamilton, RadioShack's vice president of global sourcing, will speak at the Electronics & Components opening ceremony. RadioShack will host a Vendor Summit, as will Canadian Tire, Brookstone and Metro.
Speakers Confirmed for Robust Conference Program

A value-added conference program will round out the China Sourcing Fair offering. Topics will cover the trade process from identifying suppliers for specific products, reducing risks when purchasing products, logistics and intellectual property rights (IPR) issues.

Bruce Humes, a business journalist and China market analyst with 20 years' experience, will host the Product Sourcing Forums. Humes will offer insight into supplier capabilities in China for some of today's hottest products, including LCD monitors and TVs, DVD players, mobile phones, electric and gas-powered scooters, and stuffed plush toys.

Speakers from SGS, a world's leading verification, testing and certification company, will outline ways to reduce risks when sourcing from China. Graham Powell, senior technical manager of the Consumer Testing Services Division, has over 30 years' consulting and evaluating experience in household products and tools. Powell will address buyers at the Gifts & Home Products and DIY & Home Improvement fairs. Steven Du will speak at the Electronics & Components show. He is an expert in electric and electronics testing and has consulted for hundreds of China high-tech manufacturers.

Philippe Maezelle, DHL China's global solutions manager, will help buyers navigate successfully through the ever-changing China logistics landscape. Dolby Laboratories International Services' managing director, Hui See Tan, will provide an overview of IPR in China.

The China Sourcing Fairs, Conference Programs and Vendor Summits are integral components of Global Sources' export marketing services. This worldwide marketing package includes print advertising, online marketing on Global Sources Online (www.globalsources.com), offline electronic promotion on CD-ROM, and in-person selling at the China Sourcing Fairs. These tools work together to create trade opportunities by strengthening the level of engagement amongst Global Sources' community of over 400,000 buyers and more than 130,000 suppliers.

For information about the China Sourcing Fairs, please visit www.chinasourcingfair.com