Canton Fair Autumn 2026 Recap: 352,000 Overseas Buyers at the 140th Session

October 15 to November 4, 2026 | Guangzhou, China | Three phases | Organizer: China Foreign Trade Centre | Figures from the organizer's closing release of November 5, 2026, checked on cantonfair.org.cn on November 6, 2026

The 140th China Import and Export Fair, known as the Canton Fair, concluded in Guangzhou on November 4, 2026. The organizer's closing release reports 352,000 overseas buyers from 219 countries and regions, a new record, and more than 32,000 exhibiting companies showing 4.88 million exhibits. This recap covers the phase structure, what each phase showed and the results the organizer published. Every result figure below is the organizer's own, and where we compare against an earlier session, the text says so.

Quick answer: The autumn 2026 Canton Fair ran in three phases: Phase 1 (advanced manufacturing, October 15-19), Phase 2 (quality home life, October 23-27) and Phase 3 (better life, October 31 to November 4). The organizer reports 352,000 overseas buyers, up 12.2%, and USD 26.75 billion in on-site intended export transactions.

Canton Fair Autumn 2026 at a Glance

Sources: Canton Fair general information and the organizer's closing release, The 140th Canton Fair Concludes with Resounding Success, dated November 5, 2026.

The Results the Organizer Reported

Buyers. The organizer says 352,000 overseas buyers from 219 countries and regions attended, an increase of 12.2% and a new record. The 139th session (spring 2026) listed 314,000 overseas buyers from 220 countries and regions, so the autumn figure is higher, from slightly fewer countries and regions. Buyers from the EU, the United States and Belt and Road partner countries grew by 38.2%, 22.2% and 16.6% respectively. Professional buyers accounted for over 75%. Top sourcing enterprises and Canton Fair global partners increased to 502 and 240.

Exhibitors and exhibits. More than 32,000 companies showed 4.88 million exhibits. The organizer says nearly 20% of these enterprises are engaged in outbound investment and 36.5% offered "product + service" solutions. The Trade Service Zone recorded over 130,000 visits.

Business done. On-site intended export transactions reached USD 26.75 billion. "Intended" means buyers and exhibitors signaled deals; the organizer does not report them as completed contracts.

Trade promotion. The first Buyers Alliance was established, and the organizer says 160,000 buyers took part in its membership activities. More than 700 new product launch events and 7 thematic forums drew 615,000 online and offline participants.

Technology and sustainability. New products and AI-powered products increased by 8% and 14.1%. Scenario-based zones for new product launches, smart health and design innovation were set up for the first time. The Canton Fair App was used by 577,000 people. On the sustainability side, 43.1% of exhibitors adopted green production methods, green exhibits made up 26% of the total, and the organizer says the entire venue ran on 100% green electricity.

Visitor operations. The organizer reports 2.589 million visits and 46,000 vehicles handled, with a single-day peak of 139,000 meals served.

Media. A total of 2,377 journalists from 303 media outlets covered the event, according to the organizer.

What Each Phase Covered

The organizer groups products by phase. These are its category lists.

• Phase 1 (October 15-19), Advanced Manufacturing. Household electrical appliances, consumer electronics and information products, industrial automation and intelligent manufacturing, processing machinery, power machinery and electric power, general machinery and mechanical basic parts, construction machinery, agricultural machinery, new materials and chemical products, new energy vehicles and smart mobility, vehicles and spare parts, motorcycles, bicycles, lighting, electronic and electrical products, new energy resources, hardware and tools.
• Phase 2 (October 23-27), Quality Home Life. General ceramics, kitchenware and tableware, household items, glass artware, home decorations, gardening products, festival products, gifts and premiums, clocks, watches and optical instruments, art ceramics, weaving, rattan and iron products, building and decorative materials, sanitary and bathroom equipment, furniture, prefabricated housing and courtyard facilities, and the International Pavilion.
• Phase 3 (October 31 to November 4), Better Life. Toys, children, baby and maternity products, kids' wear, men's and women's clothing, underwear, sports and casual wear, furs, leather and down products, fashion accessories, textile raw materials and fabrics, shoes, cases and bags, home textiles, carpets and tapestries, office supplies, medicines, health products and medical devices, food, sports, travel and recreation products, personal care products, toiletries, pet products and food, traditional Chinese specialties, and the International Pavilion.

The organizer's closing release gives session-wide totals only. It does not publish buyer or exhibitor counts for each phase, so this recap does not either.

What the Results Mean for Buyers

• Plan by category, not by headline. A session-wide total of 352,000 buyers says little about how busy your category's phase was. Use the category lists above to find your phase before you plan the next session.
• Sourcing across categories means more than one phase. A buyer sourcing machinery (Phase 1) and home products (Phase 2) or apparel (Phase 3) has to cover more than one phase. Each phase runs five days.
• Use the organizer's digital tools. The organizer says 577,000 people used the Canton Fair App, and it offers pre-registration, badge applications and booth navigation there.
• Opening hours were fixed. The organizer lists 9:30-18:00, so build meetings around that window.

What the Results Mean for Exhibitors

Because the organizer assigns product categories to phases, an exhibitor's phase follows from their category: household appliances and industrial automation sit in Phase 1, ceramics, furniture and building materials in Phase 2, and toys, apparel, food and medical devices in Phase 3. The International Pavilion is listed in both Phase 2 and Phase 3, so confirm your own category in the organizer's lists.

To decide whether exhibiting fits next time, work through three questions:

• Buyer alignment. Do the buyers you want to reach source in your category, and would they be at the fair during your category's phase?
• Product-line fit. If your lines span several category groups, would you exhibit in one phase or more than one, and does that match how you sell?
• Timing. A phase is five days and the fair runs in spring and autumn, so work backward from the session you are targeting.

For application terms, deadlines and costs, contact the organizer; this recap does not cover them.

Planning Next Steps

The next session is the 141st Canton Fair. The organizer lists Phase 1 for April 15-19, Phase 2 for April 23-27 and Phase 3 for May 1-5, 2027, at the same Guangzhou complex; check the organizer's site for updates. For the full phase-by-phase planning guide to the autumn 2026 session, including badges, visas and getting there, see our Canton Fair Autumn 2026 guide. For other shows in the same season, see the December 2026 trade shows calendar. Use the ROI calculator to estimate the return on a multi-phase trip for your team.