An expat hosts a livestream to promote his products at the Yiwu International Trade Market on Aug 10. [Photo/Yiwu Media Convergence Center]

A trade show focusing on small commodities went online in Yiwu, East China's Zhejiang province, on Aug 10. 

The commodities include clothing, bags, cosmetics, and art. Alibaba.com offered exhibitors tech support for livestreaming, video editing, and driving referral traffic.

"The pandemic slowed down international trade, but sales on Alibaba.com have grown by 40 percent since the outbreak," said Frank, general manager of Yiwu Zhenpai Network Technology Co, who participated in the event.

"Selling through livestreams is quite popular in China, but is a new phenomenon in international business. The trade show gave us a chance to familiarize ourselves with this new trend," he said.

The event was organized and sponsored by Alibaba.com and the commerce bureau of Yiwu. The bureau invested 5 million yuan ($704,800) into the event, reimbursing participants for many expenses, according to local authorities.

Located in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang, Yiwu is home to over 2 million micro, small, and medium-sized firms. It sells commodities to about 200 countries and regions every year.

Alibaba.com, launched in 1999, is a leading global cross-border B2B platform owned by China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Group. Alibaba.com is expected to host around 5 million international wholesalers for Yiwu this year.

According to a strategic agreement signed on June 5, the two sides will work together to develop the digitalization industry and improve logistics.

"Yiwu's small commodity market serves both China and the world," according to Zhang Kuo, manager of Alibaba's outbound wholesale site. He said online trade shows will help Yiwu's global partners and become a crucial aspect of foreign trade.