The biannual China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, is renowned as “China’s No. 1 Fair” and a symbol of China’s embrace of globalization. In practical terms, it is an important platform for international trade and plays a key role in advancing China’s foreign trade and economic and trade exchanges with the world. 

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 is held every spring and autumn in Guangzhou, China. It has the longest history, largest scale, the most complete range of products, the largest buyer attendance, the most diverse buyer origin and the greatest business turnover of any trade and commercial exhibition in China.

The 137th Canton Fair, which was held from April 15 to May 5, 2025, attracted overseas buyers from 229 countries and regions. Among them, 289,000 attended the Fair in person, reaching a record high. 527,000 overseas buyers attended the Fair online. 

With a total exhibition scale of 1.55 million square meters, the 138th Canton Fair is scheduled to open on October 15, 2025. The coming session will provide global buyers with a one-stop trading platform featuring a wide variety of high-quality products at competitive prices, and convenient, efficient and reliable services. 

Highlights of the 138th session:

Advanced manufacturing and quality of life

• Phase 1 focuses on “Advanced Manufacturing”. In addition to conventional industries such as Machinery, Hardware, Tools, and Lights & Electrical, Phase 1 will showcase cutting-edge technologies and intelligent products including Electronics & Appliances, New Energy Vehicles and Smart Mobility, Industrial Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing, and New Energy Resources. A Service Robots Zone will display China’s latest achievements in Artificial Intelligence (AI). 
• Phase 2 is all about “Quality Home Life”. With an exhibition area of over 130,000 square meters, exhibits of Building and Furniture, Housewares, and Gifts & Decorations categories will meet the wide-ranging demand of global buyers seeking high-quality home products. 
• Phase 3 will exhibit products under the theme “Better Life”, including Health and Recreation products, Toys & Children, Baby and Maternity products, and Fashion to meet the demand for a better quality of life. 

High-quality exhibitors

Among the approximately 30,000 enterprises participating in the Fair, over 2,600 exhibitors have undergone rigorous evaluation and demonstrated their capability for innovation and are able to use our Canton Fair-branded booths, sited in premium locations throughout the exhibition space. Exhibitors include 9,000 national high-tech enterprises, flagship manufacturing champions, specialized, high-quality companies and sophisticated small and medium enterprises. 

Distinctive products

Innovative products will be showcased in all three phases of the Fair. Products in Phase 1 will highlight “new quality productive forces” and present the latest achievements in fields including new energy resources, intelligent connected vehicles and intelligent manufacturing. The Service Robots Zone will feature humanoid robots, robotic dogs, robotic manipulators, companion robots, coffee robots, inspection robots, medical robots, delivery robots, cleaning robots, and more. In the Smart Life Zone, buyers and other participants will find smart home appliances, Virtual Reality (VR) glasses, smart wearable devices and other high-end and intelligent products. Phases 2 and 3 will emphasize products reflecting design innovation, green and low-carbon features, as well as personalization and customization. Buyers can observe and experience interactive products onsite.  The online platform of the Fair and the Canton Fair APP will give participants an opportunity to discover the wide range of innovation of “Intelligent Manufacturing in China” from multiple perspectives.

Matchmaking events

“Trade Bridge” matchmaking events will demonstrate some of the new features of the 138th Canton Fair. These events will take place in a variety of forms, from “screen to screen”, “face to face”, “face to screen” and “screen + face”, delivering matching services for exhibitors and buyers, framed around the needs of overseas buyers and the key exhibition sections. 

Improved convenience

To make attendance easier for global buyers, the Fair provides pre-registration and badge applications at alternative registration offices prior to the Fair. New overseas buyers can apply for badges at the airport, railway station, ferry terminal and designated hotels, or scan the pre-registration code to get the badge application form in advance and collect the badge in Canton Fair Complex onsite. Functions of the Canton Fair official website on PC and mobile devices, and Canton Fair APP will be optimized to make it easier to search online for exhibitors and products online, and to enable instant communication with exhibitors. 

The International Pavilion was inaugurated at the 101^st session of the Fair in April 2007 to promote balanced growth of imports and exports and to help international exporters explore China’s domestic market. Over 18,000 overseas enterprises from more than 110 countries and regions have participated in the International Pavilion with national and regional pavilions and world-renowned companies. Application for booths at the 138th Canton Fair has started. The Fair welcomes participation from high-quality international enterprises.

The Canton Fair Product Design and Trade Promotion Center (PDC) was established at the 109th session of the Fair in April 2011. It serves as a bridge between “Made in China” and “Designed by World” for mutually beneficial cooperation. At the 138th Canton Fair, PDC will serve as a platform for global design and innovation by domestic and overseas designers, exhibitors and buyers.

The Canton Fair promotes the development of China’s foreign trade as well as the strides it has made in protecting intellectual property rights (IPR). Intellectual property protection measures cover pre-exhibition screening, in-exhibition handling, and post-exhibition follow-up, aligning with the Fair’s online-offline integration. During the Fair, an onsite “foreign-related legal consulting service hub” will provide participants with 24/7 legal consulting services as well as online services in the fields of international trade, cross-border investment, intellectual property, and more. The legal service offers a first-class international and market-oriented business environment based on rule of law.

Exhibition Schedule: 

• Phase 1: October 15-19, 2025;
• Phase 2: October 23-27, 2025;
• Phase 3: October 31-November 4, 2025;

Off-times when the exhibitions are transitioning are October 20-22 and October 28-30, 2025.

The Canton Fair Online Platform

The Canton Fair Online Platform operates 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Its structure and design follow the same sections as the onsite exhibition. It is available on personal computers (PC), H5 web tools (mobile web pages used for marketing and promotion in the WeChat ecosystem), and the Canton Fair APP. 

Features

• Features that mirror the Fair itself: The online platform of Canton Fair offers a variety of functions and services, including products, trade matchmaking, new collections, live exhibitors, trade assistants, a VR exhibition hall, news & events, services & support, a guide for onsite attendance, what our friends say, a cross border E-commerce zone, and a rural vitalization zone. It provides support for both online and onsite attendance.
• Search functions: Buyers can filter products based on industry categories, countries and regions, product and enterprise types. The search function is professional, precise, and efficient, helping buyers quickly identify exhibitors and products of interest.
• Matchmaking: Buyers can contact exhibitors by posting sourcing requests, instant messaging, scheduling appointments, and sending business cards. Or, after buyers add an exhibitor or a product to their favorites, exhibitors can start instant messaging for more convenient communication.
• Cloud services: The online platform is deployed on a public cloud, which offers operational efficiency and can respond quickly to changes in user needs, providing a smoother experience for users.
• The Canton Fair APP: As an extension of the online platform, the Canton Fair APP includes a vast amount of exhibit information and has a quick search function for exhibitors. It helps buyers plan exhibition routes in advance, and short videos provide the latest updates on products and exhibitors. Instant Messaging and Trade Matching functions enable buyers to engage in matchmaking with exhibitors and exchange business cards. The APP also provides practical functions for buyers such as pre-registration, buyer badge applications, points and vouchers, and onsite guidance.

(scan the QR code to download the app)