The 32nd East China Fair (ECF) will start its four-day exhibition on March 1 in Shanghai, expected to have a significant expansion in exhibition scale, according to its organizer.

The event is the largest trade fair in China focusing on textiles, garments and light industry. This year, it will occupy an exhibition area of 126,500 sq m and hold 5,720 standard booths, said Shen Weihua, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce during a news conference earlier on Feb 27.

Some 3,422 exhibitors will take part in this year's ECF, including 326 from 13 countries and regions beyond the Chinese borders.

The ECF, initiated in 1991, has grown into a major trade fair in China only second to the Canton Fair in terms of international influence, Shen added.