The 140th China Import and Export Fair, known as the Canton Fair, takes place at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou in three phases: 15 to 19 October, 23 to 27 October and 31 October to 4 November 2026. The fair is organised by the China Foreign Trade Centre under the Ministry of Commerce and is the largest trade fair in the world by exhibitor numbers and floor space.
Each phase concentrates on a group of product categories. The first phase covers electronics, household appliances, lighting, vehicles, machinery, hardware and tools, and building materials; the second covers consumer goods, gifts and home decoration; and the third covers textiles and garments, footwear, office supplies, medical products and food. An import exhibition runs alongside, and the fair also operates an online platform for buyers who do not travel.
The Canton Fair is followed as a barometer of Chinese export demand and of the health of the manufacturing regions of Guangdong and the wider Pearl River Delta. Buyer attendance from the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and South Asia has grown as Chinese exporters have reoriented toward those markets, and Gulf importers and distributors are among the largest buyer groups.
For executives in trading, retail, distribution, logistics and manufacturing, the autumn fair is the year's principal sourcing venue for Chinese goods and a reading of pricing and order trends ahead of the following year. Chief procurement officers and heads of sourcing use the three phases to cover their categories, while leaders of logistics and trade finance companies serving the China trade lane treat the fair as a fixed point. The phase dates follow the fair's established autumn pattern and are consistent across published listings; readers should confirm hall and category details on the official site.
