- Session
- 140th China Import and Export Fair (autumn 2026)
- Phase 1
- Thursday 15 to Monday 19 October 2026
- Phase 2
- Friday 23 to Tuesday 27 October 2026
- Phase 3
- Saturday 31 October to Wednesday 4 November 2026
- Halls closed
- 20 to 22 October and 28 to 30 October (change-over days)
- Hours
- 9:30 to 18:00 daily
- Venue
- China Import and Export Fair Complex, 382 Yuejiang Zhong Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou
- Entry
- Free for overseas buyers who pre-register online
The three phases at a glance
The organisers give each phase a theme. The themes are marketing; the product lists underneath them are what matter, and they have been stable for several sessions now.
| Phase | Dates | What is on the floor |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 15 to 19 Oct | Consumer electronics, IT products, household appliances, lighting, machinery and industrial automation, construction and agricultural machinery, hardware and tools, vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and spare parts, new energy (solar and storage), chemical products. |
| Phase 2 | 23 to 27 Oct | Building and decorative materials, sanitary and bathroom, furniture, kitchenware and tableware, ceramics, glassware, household items, home decor, gardening, gifts and premiums, festival products, clocks, watches and optical instruments. |
| Phase 3 | 31 Oct to 4 Nov | Toys, baby and maternity, children’s wear, men’s and women’s clothing, sportswear, underwear, shoes, cases and bags, fashion accessories, textiles and fabrics, home textiles, carpets, stationery and office supplies, medicines and medical devices, health products, personal care, sports and recreation, pet products, food. |
Each phase has its own guide with the hall layout and the categories in our catalogue that match it. If you want to browse first: electronics and appliances, housewares and toys, children, baby and maternity are the three sections that draw the most first-time buyers.
Why the dates never change
Since the fair moved to a three-phase format in 2008, the calendar dates have been the same every year: 15 to 19, 23 to 27 and 31 to 4 in the autumn; 15 to 19, 23 to 27 and 1 to 5 May in the spring. The only exceptions were the online-only sessions of 2020 to 2022. That is why you can book flights for October 2027 today and be right.
The fixed dates also explain why hotel prices behave the way they do. Every hotel within a 30-minute metro ride knows exactly when demand arrives, and prices for the fair weeks are set months ahead. See where to stay for the numbers.
What the break days are for
New buyers often fly out the day a phase ends. That wastes the best part of the trip. The three days between phases are when factories in the Pearl River Delta are happy to receive you, because their sales staff are back from the booth and the samples you asked about are on someone’s desk.
- Foshan (45 minutes by metro or car): furniture, ceramics and sanitary ware, small appliances, lighting in Shunde and Nanhai.
- Dongguan (about an hour): electronics, toys, furniture, bags.
- Zhongshan (about 90 minutes): lighting in Guzhen, small appliances, locks and hardware.
- Shenzhen (35 to 50 minutes by high-speed rail from Guangzhou South): consumer electronics, batteries, e-bikes.
- Chaozhou and Shantou (2 to 3 hours): ceramics, toys, underwear, packaging. A long day, worth it only if you have three or more factories to see.
If you do not have factories to visit, use the days to write up your notes and send follow-up messages while the booth staff still remember your face. Quotes requested during the fair have a way of arriving two weeks later, after everyone has recovered; a message on the first break day moves you to the front of the queue.
Opening hours and the shape of a day
The halls open at 9:30 and close at 18:00. In practice:
- On the first morning of each phase there is a queue at the badge offices from about 8:30. If you pre-registered and collected your badge at the airport or your hotel, walk past it.
- Between 12:00 and 13:30 the food courts and the cafes near the atriums are full. Eat at 11:30 or after 14:00 and you get a table and a rep with time to talk.
- By mid-afternoon on the last day of a phase, plenty of booths are boxing up samples. It is a poor time to see a product for the first time and a good time to go back for a second conversation, and sample stock often gets sold off cheaply rather than shipped home.
Which phase you need
If you sell in one category the choice is obvious. If you sell across categories, this is where most people land:
| You buy | Go to |
|---|---|
| Amazon Home & Kitchen, homeware stores, hospitality supply | Phase 2, with Phase 3 for textiles and bedding |
| Consumer electronics, e-mobility, tools, power equipment | Phase 1 |
| Gifts, promotional products, seasonal and Christmas lines | Phase 2 (gifts and festival products), Phase 3 for apparel and bags |
| Toys, nursery, children’s clothing, school supplies | Phase 3 |
| Apparel, footwear, luggage | Phase 3 |
| Building products, bathroom, furniture, lighting | Phase 2, but lighting is in Phase 1 |
| Machinery, industrial components, packaging machinery | Phase 1 |
Two phases means a minimum of nine days in Guangzhou including the break. If that is not practical, pick the phase for your main category and have someone cover the other. That is a service we run from our desk; see what it costs.
Spring 2027: the 141st session
The 141st Canton Fair runs 15 April to 5 May 2027. Phase 1 is 15 to 19 April, Phase 2 is 23 to 27 April and Phase 3 is 1 to 5 May, with the same product split as above. Spring is when most Christmas and back-to-school orders are placed, so the gift, toy and stationery halls are busier than in October. Book hotels by February; the good ones near Pazhou are gone by March.
How big the last one was
Official figures for the 139th session (spring 2026): about 32,000 exhibitors on 75,700 booths across 1.55 million square metres, and a record 314,000 overseas buyers from 220 countries and regions over the fifteen days. Roughly 3,900 exhibitors were showing for the first time. The spring and autumn sessions are similar in size; each of the last three has set a new record for overseas attendance.
What those numbers mean for you: no one sees more than a fraction of a phase. The buyers who do well arrive with a booth list, not a hall list. Our guide to finding suppliers covers how to build one.
Questions we get asked
Is the Canton Fair open at the weekend?
Yes. The dates are fixed to the calendar, not the weekday, so every phase includes whichever weekend days fall inside it. In October 2026, Phase 1 runs Thursday to Monday, Phase 2 Friday to Tuesday, and Phase 3 Saturday to Wednesday. Weekend days are not noticeably busier with overseas buyers.
Can I visit more than one phase on the same badge?
Yes. An overseas buyer badge is valid for all three phases of the session and for future sessions too. Keep it; a replacement has cost RMB 200.
Are the exhibitors the same in every phase?
No. The halls are completely cleared between phases and a different set of exhibitors moves in. A lighting factory you saw in Phase 1 will not be there in Phase 2. If you buy across categories, plan for two phases and the break days in between.
What happens if I arrive on a break day?
Nothing is open to buyers. Exhibitors are dismantling and building booths. Use the days for factory visits in the Pearl River Delta, for sample follow-up, or for the 45-minute train to Shenzhen or Hong Kong.
Is there an online version of the fair?
Canton Fair Online runs all year with exhibitor pages and video meetings, and the official app lists exhibitors and booth numbers before each session. Our own catalogue indexes about 20,000 of the exhibitors with prices and landed-cost estimates, so you can shortlist before you fly.