The exposition kicked off Friday with companies showing off sexy products aimed at China's growing middle class. Sex Toys The adult industry is looking to tap mainland China and Asian markets amid the downturn in the U. The adult industry is looking to tap mainland China and Asian markets amid the downturn in the U. The expo's organizers said they plan to launch similar fairs later this year in other parts of China, which also churns out nearly three quarters of the world's Sex Toys. But the state-run China Daily newspaper said in a report last year that China produces 70 percent of the world's Sex toys, making it the world's biggest producer. The industry, with more than 1,000 manufacturers, is worth about $2 billion annually, it said. It was his first visit to the annual show, attended by 80 companies from 13 countries. Many Chinese manufacturers realized they could tweak their product lines to make adult goods with minimal investment to reap bigger profits. It's not such a big step for underwear makers to make sexy lingerie and it's easy for companies making regular toys to switch to sex toys, he said. But slumping economies there are curtailing growth while competition and low profit margins are also making life hard for companies, said Lo. Adult product manufacturers have told him that in America and Europe, "it's a very tough time right now but in mainland China and Asia, it's good. It will be followed by shows in Fuzhou on China's eastern coast and Qingdao in the northeast. Renata Bertacini came all the way from Sao Paulo, Brazil, to source items for her boutique and online shop Mimosexy. Many of the products were items she already stocks but at half the price that her middlemen back home charge, she can save money by buying them directly. One company was selling coffee tables made of erotic statues. Several decades ago, men and women were strictly segregated in many parts of life and most people wore drab clothing that revealed little. Nowadays, shops selling sexual aids are common in many cities, and pornography, while officially banned, is commonly found on the Internet. Before when it was old money, it was shameful to show it," said Zach Goode, a sales manager at Electric Eel, which holds the global license to Hustler lingerie. They're not as repressed as the last generation was. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Quotes and other information supplied by independent providers identified on the Yahoo. All information provided "as is" for informational purposes only, not intended for trading purposes or advice. International historical chart data, daily updates, fundAnalyst estimates data provided by Thomson Financial Network. All data povided by Thomson Financial Network is based solely upon research information provided by third party analysts.