SHANGHAI, July 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Over 300 enterprises from nearly 20 countries participated in the sixth China International Trade Fair for Bakery & Confectionery on Thursday, which was the first international trade fair held in the metropolis of Shanghai after the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic.

　　Fresh breads, cakes and mooncakes as well as bakery molds, ovens and cutting machines were displayed at the Guangda Exhibition Hall.

　　Jochen Mittler, a service engineer of the Germany-based bakery firm Wachtel GmbH & Co., exhibited a small oven. After a busy day receiving visitors, he said he felt more pressure of competition.

　　The Chinese machines could not compete with those of Germany last year, but now they had improved a lot and were cheaper, Mittler said.

　　The production value of China's bakery industry exceeded four billion euros last year, according to official figures.

　　Because of the outbreak of SARS, the municipal government postponed or canceled many trade fairs. But now almost all exhibition halls in Shanghai had been reserved for the second halfof the year, said Zou Yongfei, head of the Exhibition Trade Association of Shanghai Municipality. Enditem