China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, is the window, epitome and symbol of China's opening up and an important platform for international trade cooperation. It plays a key role in advancing the development of China’s foreign trade and the economic and trade exchanges between China and the rest of the world. It is renowned as China’s No. 1 Fair, and the propeller and barometer of China’s foreign trade.

The Canton Fair is co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of PRC and the People’s Government of Guangdong Province and organized by China Foreign Trade Centre. Since its establishment in 1957, the Canton Fair has been held every spring and autumn in Guangzhou, China, for 139 sessions. It is a comprehensive international trading event with the longest history, the largest scale, the most complete exhibit variety, the largest buyer attendance, the most diverse buyer origin, the greatest business turnover and best reputation in China.

The 139th Canton Fair attracted 314,000 overseas buyers from 220 countries and regions to attend the Fair onsite.

The 140th Canton Fair is scheduled to open on October 15, with a total exhibition area of 1.55 million square meters. The coming session will continue to pursue innovative, sustainable and intelligent development, and provide global buyers with a one-stop trading platform featuring complete exhibit variety, quality products with competitive price, and convenient, efficient and reliable services. Highlights of the 140th session are as follows.

First, excellent exhibition structure. Phase 1 focuses on “advanced manufacturing”. In addition to conventional industries such as Machinery, Hardware, Tools, and Light & Electrical, a large number of cutting-edge technologies and intelligent products will be showcased in sections such as Electronics & Appliance, New Energy Vehicles and Smart Mobility, Industrial Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing, and New Energy Resources. The Service Robots Zone will be maintained at the 140th Canton Fair to display the latest development achievements of China's artificial intelligence. Phase 2 is marked by “quality home life”. Building and Furniture, Housewares, and Gifts & Decorations categories register an exhibition area of over 130,000 square meters respectively, which can fully meet the diversified demands of global buyers seeking exquisite home products. Phase 2 will continue to feature the Fashion Jewelry Zone to showcase the innovative integration of Chinese aesthetics with China's new materials and craftsmanship. Under the theme of “better life”, Phase 3 will exhibit products from sectors of Health and Recreation, Toys & Children Baby and Maternity, and Fashion to meet the sourcing demand for new consumption. Phase 3 also continues to feature the Intelligent Healthcare Zone, highlighting innovative solutions in diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation care, and health management.

Second, high quality exhibitors. Over 30,000 enterprises are expected to participate in the Fair, including about 2,800 Canton Fair brand exhibitors that have stood out through rigorous evaluation and demonstrated remarkable innovation capabilities. Around one third of all exhibitors are high-quality companies that are national high-tech enterprises, single champions, and specialized and sophisticated small and medium enterprises. There are also a large number of featured enterprises recommended by provinces and municipalities. These enterprises, with their strength and credibility, represent the benchmark of "Made in China" and offer global buyers a one-stop, high-quality, and diversified choice of suppliers.

Third, abundant innovative products. Various innovative products will be unveiled. Products in Phase 1 will highlight new quality productive forces. The latest achievements in fields such as new energy resources, intelligent connected vehicles, intelligent manufacturing and drones will be presented. Humanoid robots, robotic dogs, robotic dexterous hands, companion robots, coffee robots, inspection robots, exoskeletons, delivery robots, cleaning robots, etc. will be exhibited at the Service Robots Zone. Smart watches, VR glasses, AI translation devices and other high-end and intelligent products will be showcased in the Smart Wearables Zone. Products in Phase 2 and 3 will feature innovative design, green and low-carbon products, as well as personalization and customization. The Fashion Jewelry Zone will display 3 types of products: natural jewelry and jade ornaments, artificial / synthetic jewelry, precious metal ornaments. Six types of products will be showcased at the Intelligent Healthcare Zone: intelligent diagnostic and medical equipment, medical robots, smart monitoring, smart wearables, intelligent physical therapy, and smart rehabilitation. Buyers can watch and experience products closely onsite, and also attend the Fair virtually on the official website and the Canton Fair APP at any time to feel the innovative vitality of “Intelligent Manufacturing in China” from multiple dimensions.

Fourth, diverse trade services. Focusing on the entire lifecycle of business, the Trade Service Zone is established to provide services such as R&D and design, international logistics, and financial insurance. “Trade Bridge-China Industrial Sourcing Trip” events will be staged to bring buyers to industrial bases and key industrial parks for direct buyer-manufacturer matchmaking. Targeting the needs of overseas buyers and the key exhibition sections, livestreamed exhibition tours and industry roundtables will be hosted and aired on the Fair’s official website and social media pages. High-quality themed forums will address industry highlights, providing insights into frontier trends and market risk prevention. Diverse design activities will be held with the newly renovated Canton Fair Design Award (CF Award) showroom, while the Product Design & Trade Promotion Center (PDC) will showcase design services and business practices, helping buyers gather innovative resources and grasp market opportunities. New Collection events will be broadcast simultaneously on the Canton Fair official website and APP, providing diverse and convenient product selection for efficient and hassle-free sourcing.

Fifth, improved convenience of attending the Canton Fair. To facilitate the attendance of global buyers, the Fair has opened year-round pre-registration and will continue to provide badge application at alternative registration offices prior to the Fair. New overseas buyers can finish pre-registration on Canton Fair official website and apply for badges for free at alternative buyer registration offices such as Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Guangzhou South Railway Station, Pazhou Ferry Terminal, designated hotels in Guangzhou and Canton Fair Hong Kong Representative Office. The Fair also advances the application of real-time navigation technology, deploying positioning systems throughout the complex to improve the navigation experience for exhibitors and buyers. To provide convenient and efficient online services, the functions of the Canton Fair official website and Canton Fair APP will be optimized, and the ASKME AI Agent will be enhanced to facilitate buyers in searching for exhibitors and products online, and to enable instant communication with exhibitors.

The Canton Fair not only promotes the development of China’s foreign trade, but also witnesses the growth of China’s IPR protection, and demonstrates the Chinese government’s determination of respecting and protecting IPR. A comprehensive chain of intellectual property protection measures, which covers proactive pre-exhibition screening, rapid in-exhibition handling, and post-exhibition follow-up, has been established. It also encourages exhibitors to showcase new products and technologies, providing special support for the debut of exhibits for whose patents or trademarks have not yet been applied for in China, which will help buyers gain priority access to cutting-edge original scientific and technological achievements and seize market opportunities.

The schedule of the onsite exhibition of the 140th Canton Fair:

Phase 1: October 15-19, 2026;

Phase 2: October 23-27, 2026;

Phase 3: October 31-November 4, 2026;

The intervals: October 20-22 and October 28-30, 2026.

The Canton Fair official website and App operate 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, and display the same sections as the onsite exhibition. The main features are as follows.

First, comprehensive functions and services. The Canton Fair official website offers a variety of functions and services, including exhibitors and products, trade matching, news & events, new collection, exhibition layout, VR exhibition hall, themed forum, Canton Fair Live Tour, short video, services & support, Trade Bridge event, what our friends say, cross border E-commerce zone, and rural vitalization zone.

Second, precise and professional search. To identify suppliers and products quickly, buyers can filter products based on industry, product category, specifications, enterprise types and trade model.

Third, convenient matchmaking. Buyers can contact suppliers through various means such as posting a sourcing request, instant messaging, scheduling an appointment, and sending business cards. Suppliers may also start instant messaging with previously contacted buyers for more convenient communication.

Fourth, stable and smooth operation. The official website is deployed on a public cloud with industry-leading acceleration technology, providing a smoother experience for users.

Fifth, practical and convenient APP. Built around online-onsite integrated scenarios, the Canton Fair App offers a comprehensive suite of functions which enhances the attendance experience. Functions include exhibitors and products, E-catalogs, short videos, instant messaging, business card exchange, trade matching, itinerary, navigation, the ASKEME agent, AI notes, catering, badge application and more. Buyers can quickly log in with facial recognition, use AI-powered smart search to find suitable suppliers and add them to itineraries, follow booth-level navigation to reach booths, and leverage AI notes to automatically summarize key discussion points, enjoying comprehensive convenience for them to visit and source at the fair.

Scan the QR code below and download the Canton Fair APP now!

Attendance Guide for Overseas Buyers

https://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en-US/pages/598494791797825536

The 140th Canton Fair Exhibition Sectors