The Beginner's Guide to Canton Fair and China Trade Shows (2026)
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The short answer: The Canton Fair runs twice a year (April/May and October/November) in Guangzhou. It has 3 phases, each covering different product categories. Phase 1 is electronics and machinery, Phase 2 is consumer goods and gifts, Phase 3 is apparel and textiles. Register online before you go. Entry is free for international buyers but requires pre-registration and badge pickup on-site. Plan 2-3 days per phase you're attending.
The Canton Fair is still the largest trade show in China, drawing suppliers from across the country to one complex. But it's most valuable when you combine it with visits to Guangzhou's permanent wholesale markets and nearby factory towns.
The 3 Phases: Which One Should You Attend?
| Phase | Typical Dates | Categories |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Apr 15-19 / Oct 15-19 | Electronics, lighting, machinery, hardware, tools, vehicles, building materials |
| Phase 2 | Apr 23-27 / Oct 23-27 | Consumer goods, gifts, home decor, toys, ceramics, kitchenware |
| Phase 3 | May 1-5 / Oct 31-Nov 4 | Apparel, textiles, footwear, bags, food, medical products |
If you source electronics or hardware, Phase 1 is your show. Consumer goods and toys are Phase 2. Apparel, bags, and shoes are Phase 3.
Between phases, the fair closes for 3-4 days. Use this time to visit Guangzhou's permanent wholesale markets — they're open year-round and many suppliers you met at the fair will have booths there too.
Before You Go
Register online. Go to the Canton Fair website, fill out the international buyer registration, and bring the confirmation to pick up your badge at the venue. Registration is free. Do this at least a week before you travel — on-site registration is slow and sometimes unavailable.
Book hotels early. The fair draws 200,000+ visitors. Hotels near the Pazhou Complex fill up months in advance. The Garden Hotel and China Hotel are established choices; budget hotels near the railway station are also viable if you don't mind a 30-minute metro ride to the venue each morning.
Bring business cards. Hundreds of suppliers will ask for your card. Bring at least 200. Having the Chinese translation on the reverse side helps suppliers remember who you are.
Download WeChat. Every supplier you meet will ask to add you on WeChat. Set it up before you arrive — it's how 90% of follow-up communication happens after the fair.
How to Work the Fair Efficiently
The Canton Fair complex is enormous — 1.18 million square meters of exhibition space. Walking the entire thing takes days. Instead:
Plan by booth number. Before you go, browse the online exhibitor list and mark the booths you want to visit. The fair publishes a searchable directory with booth numbers and product categories. Create a hit list, not a random walk.
Visit during weekdays. Weekends are packed with local visitors. Tuesday through Thursday mornings are the quietest times for serious buyer conversations.
Collect catalogs, not samples. Suppliers bring printed catalogs and business cards. Take photos of products you're interested in with your phone, note the booth number, and follow up after the fair. Carrying samples around the complex is exhausting.
Negotiate later. The fair is for discovery, not closing deals. Get pricing ranges, collect contact information, and follow up by WeChat or email after the fair when suppliers are back at their factories and can give you accurate quotes.
For a complete schedule of China trade shows beyond Canton Fair — including industry-specific shows for electronics, toys, furniture, and beauty — plus nearby markets to visit between fair days, the Physical Sourcing Bases Manual has the full calendar. Get the guide →
Combine the Fair With Market Visits
The smartest use of a Canton Fair trip is combining it with Guangzhou's wholesale markets:
- Between Phase 1 and 2: Visit the Huaqiangbei electronics market in Shenzhen (1 hour by high-speed train). Many suppliers you met in Phase 1 have permanent booths there.
- Between Phase 2 and 3: Hit Guangzhou's apparel and leather markets — Shisanhang, Baima, Zhanxi, and Sanyuanli. These are 20-40 minutes from the fair complex by metro.
- After Phase 3: If you source shoes or bags, take a day trip to nearby Foshan or Dongguan for factory visits.
Tools for Your Trip
Before you fly to Guangzhou, do your prep: look up HS codes for the products you're sourcing with the HS Code Lookup, and run landed cost estimates with the Landed Cost Calculator. Knowing your numbers before negotiating puts you in a much stronger position.
The China Sourcing Suite covers all of this — the complete Canton Fair strategy, 44+ permanent wholesale markets, and the tools to calculate your margins before you commit to an order. Get the bundle →
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