ISL Expo gathers China’s ocean, port, rail and air cargo capacity in one hall and puts it in front of the export cargo owners who book the freight. Liner operators, port groups, air cargo terminals, block-train operators, express networks and freight forwarders all exhibit, together with the logistics technology, handling equipment and professional services that surround them.

Its draw is the cargo owners themselves. Buyers arrive from manufacturing, international trading and cross-border e-commerce, and the programme is built around their product categories — solar, appliances and consumer electronics, automotive parts, furniture, cold chain, chemicals and batteries among them — with a forum and a round of introductions for each. A carrier or forwarder can meet the shippers behind a specific trade lane instead of a general audience.