U.S. firms are keen to participate in China's import expo despite trade frictions between the two countries, China's assistant commerce minister Ren Hongbin said on Friday.

The second China International Import Expo (CIIE), to be held on Nov. 5-10, will bring thousands of foreign firms together with Chinese buyers in a bid to demonstrate the importing potential of the world's second-biggest economy.

"For the United States, even through there are some bilateral trade frictions, it cannot stop U.S. firms from attaching importance to the Chinese market and their great enthusiasm for the Chinese market," Ren told a news conference.

China held its first import expo in Shanghai last year and signed $57.8 billion worth of deals. Ren said it is hard to predict the size of deals for the import expo this year.

The number of U.S. firms participating in this year's import fair will surpass last year's level of more than 170, Ren said.