The 140th Canton Fair is not one large shopping trip. The Autumn 2026 edition has three phases, and each phase covers a different product group. A buyer looking for smart appliances, furniture, children’s products, or textiles needs a different plan for each one.
This guide covers the official dates, product groups, preparation steps, and supplier follow-up process. It also explains how the fair fits into a wider China sourcing plan. The useful outcome is a set of comparable opportunities, not a pocket full of business cards.
Principais conclusões
– The 140th Canton Fair runs in three phases from October 15 to November 4, 2026, according to the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair).
– Phase 1 covers advanced manufacturing, Phase 2 focuses on quality home life, and Phase 3 covers fashion, family, health, food, and office products.
– A fair lead still needs quotation comparison, sample approval, supplier verification, pre-shipment quality control, and a landed-cost review.
When Is the 140th Canton Fair in 2026?
The 140th Canton Fair runs from October 15 to November 4, 2026, in three phases. The event takes place at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou.
The venue address listed on the official site is No. 382, Yuejiang Zhong Road, Guangzhou 510335, China. Buyers attending more than one phase should account for the three-day gaps when booking hotels, arranging local transport, and deciding how to handle samples.
Official 2026 phase dates
| Phase | Dates | Official theme | Best fit for |
| Fase 1 | October 15-19, 2026 | Advanced Manufacturing | Electronics, machinery, vehicles, energy, hardware |
| Fase 2 | October 23-27, 2026 | Quality Home Life | Homeware, furniture, ceramics, gifts, building products |
| Fase 3 | October 31-November 4, 2026 | Better Life | Fashion, textiles, toys, health, food, office products |
These are the dates shown on the official schedule at the time of writing. Check the site again before paying for flights, hotels, or local appointments. Registration services, badge instructions, and exhibition maps may change as the fair approaches.
Which Canton Fair Phase Matches Your Product Category?
Phase 1 is for advanced manufacturing, Phase 2 is for home and building products, and Phase 3 is for fashion, family, health, food, and office products. The official homepage presents 13 broad categories and 54 exhibition sections.
| If you source… | Start with… | Prepare to compare… |
| Appliances, electronics, machinery, vehicles, energy, tools | Fase 1 | Technical specifications, certifications, samples, warranty |
| Kitchenware, ceramics, furniture, gifts, garden, construction | Fase 2 | Materials, finish, packaging, breakage risk, customization |
| Clothing, shoes, toys, bags, textiles, healthcare, food | Fase 3 | Labels, testing, ingredients, shelf life, destination-market rules |
The choice is not always obvious. A smart home product may involve electronics in Phase 1 and homeware packaging in Phase 2. A branded travel product may overlap with bags in Phase 3 and hardware components in Phase 1. Check the official section map before planning your route.
Plan the itinerary around the product decision, then group suppliers by specification, MOQ, and target price. This keeps an impressive booth from receiving more attention than a supplier that fits the order.
For buyers who need broader market comparison, our guide to China wholesale electronics markets e China wholesale clothing markets can provide useful background before the fair.
What Can Buyers Source in Phase 1: Advanced Manufacturing?
Phase 1 is the right starting point for technical sourcing. The official Phase 1 map lists household electrical appliances, consumer electronics, machinery, industrial automation, service robots, new energy, vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, lighting, hardware, tools, and vehicle spare parts.
The question is whether a supplier can reproduce the required specification at your expected volume and destination-market standard. Ask for the model number, material, performance data, voltage and plug options, certifications, test reports, warranty, packaging, MOQ, tooling, and lead time.
Technical buyers should also clarify the supplier’s role. Is the contact a manufacturer, an export trading company, or an intermediary? Each can be useful, but the quotation, customization control, and after-sales process may differ.
Phase 1 meeting checklist
- Product model and technical specification
- Material, dimensions, performance, and tolerances
- Voltage, plug, frequency, and destination-market requirements
- Certifications, testing reports, and product documentation
- MOQ, sample fee, tooling cost, and production lead time
- Warranty, spare parts, packaging, and after-sales support
- Factory or trading-company role and main export markets
Editorial category grouping for Phase 1: electronics and appliances; machinery and automation; vehicles and mobility; new energy; hardware and tools.
A product demo is not a quality guarantee. It shows that one sample works under one condition. It does not establish production consistency, packaging strength, or compliance for your market.
What Can Buyers Source in Phase 2: Quality Home Life?
Phase 2 is the best fit for home, lifestyle, gift, furniture, ceramic, garden, and building-product sourcing. The official Phase 2 map includes kitchenware and tableware, general and art ceramics, gardening products, home decorations, gifts, glass artware, household items, furniture, sanitary products, building materials, and prefabricated houses.
For home products, check materials and delivery risk together. A tableware quotation needs more than a unit price. Ask about food-contact materials, glaze or coating, dimensions, color consistency, carton design, drop-test expectations, and breakage protection. Furniture buyers should also ask about assembly instructions, hardware, loading efficiency, and replacement parts.
Phase 2 also suits private-label projects. Bring packaging references, artwork, dimensions, color standards, and expected annual volume. Ask whether the supplier needs new tooling, how customization changes the MOQ, and what it does to lead time.
When buyers compare homeware suppliers, the useful questions often come after the price discussion. Ask how the supplier packs mixed-SKU cartons, handles replacement units, and loads fragile goods. Those answers reveal more about execution than a low first quotation.
Use a simple comparison table during the visit:
| Fornecedor | Material | MOQ | Sample result | Embalagem | Target landed cost |
| A | Confirmed specification | ||||
| B | Confirmed specification | ||||
| C | Confirmed specification |
The sample column should record measurable observations, not just “good” or “bad.” For example, note dimensions, finish defects, odor, function, color, packaging condition, and any difference from the approved reference.
What Can Buyers Source in Phase 3: Better Life?
Phase 3 covers fashion and textiles plus toys, bags, baby and maternity products, healthcare, personal care, food, pet products, sports products, and office supplies. The official Phase 3 map includes men’s and women’s clothing, kids’ wear, shoes, home textiles, textile fabrics, intelligent healthcare, medical devices, toiletries, food, and office supplies.
Many Phase 3 products need destination-market documentation. For clothing and textiles, ask for fiber composition, measurements, colorfastness information, labels, and packaging. For toys and children’s products, ask about age grading, safety tests, materials, and warnings. For food, personal care, and medical products, discuss ingredients, shelf life, claims, product registration, and required documentation before comparing prices.
The correct authority depends on where you will sell. For example, EU-bound products may require checks against the European Commission’s product-safety information, U.S. consumer products may fall under the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and U.S. food, cosmetics, or medical products may require review of FDA requirements. These are starting points, not universal approvals. Confirm the exact SKU, model, material, label, test method, and destination-market rule with the relevant regulator or accredited certification body.
Higher-compliance product questions
- What testing reports are available for the exact model or material?
- Which labels and warnings can the supplier provide for the destination market?
- Are ingredients, fiber content, or shelf-life details documented?
- Has the supplier exported the same product to the buyer’s destination market?
- Which regulator, certification body, or testing laboratory should verify the requirement?
- Who owns the artwork, mold, formula, or product registration?
Do not assume that a supplier’s general certificate covers every SKU. Confirm the product, model, material, factory, issuing body, test standard, market, and validity period. Missing documentation can delay a shipment or make a profitable-looking product impossible to sell. When the rule is unclear, ask the destination-market regulator or an accredited certification body before placing a production order.
How Should Overseas Buyers Prepare Before Visiting?
Start with a narrow product brief, a supplier scorecard, and a planned hall route. The official homepage provides overseas-buyer service entries for pre-registration, invitation applications, and buyer badge applications. Confirm the current requirements and deadlines before making travel arrangements.
Build the buyer brief
Write down the product, target customer, destination market, acceptable price range, MOQ, customization needs, packaging, compliance requirements, and expected order volume. Reference photos help, but measurable specifications are better. Include dimensions, materials, colors, functions, and tolerances wherever possible.
Build the supplier scorecard
Record the supplier name, booth, product, contact, factory or trading-company role, MOQ, sample cost, lead time, certifications, target price, Incoterm, and follow-up status. Add one field for “reason to shortlist” and one for “risk or open question.” Those two fields make later comparison much faster.
Plan the visit
Pre-book meetings where possible. Group halls by area and leave time for translation, sample review, unexpected leads, and end-of-day notes. Bring your company profile, product references, business cards, charger or power bank, comfortable shoes, and a clear plan for carrying or shipping samples.
If you need help coordinating meetings or evaluating suppliers locally, a China sourcing agent support team can help turn a broad fair visit into a focused sourcing schedule.
How Do You Qualify Canton Fair Suppliers After the Meeting?
A Canton Fair conversation produces a lead, not an approved supplier. Before shipment, qualify it through comparable quotations, business verification, samples, documentation, written specifications, and inspection. This keeps presentation quality and a low first price from deciding the order on their own.
A practical post-fair workflow
- Enter every meaningful contact into the scorecard within 24 hours.
- Request the same quotation fields from each shortlisted supplier.
- Confirm whether the contact represents a factory, trading company, or export intermediary.
- Verify business identity, product ownership, certifications, export experience, and target-market capability.
- Request samples and define acceptance criteria before paying a deposit.
- Approve a written product specification and packaging standard.
- Arrange pre-shipment quality control for material, function, quantity, workmanship, labeling, and packaging.
Compare like with like. The quotation should state the product specification, MOQ, tooling, packaging, payment terms, lead time, Incoterm, and shipping assumptions. If one supplier quotes EXW and another quotes FOB, the numbers are not directly comparable until origin handling and export costs are added.
Sellers Union could add further evidence by publishing an anonymized post-fair lead study covering suppliers shortlisted, sample approval rate, follow-up time, and QC issues. Until that first-party dataset exists, treat this section as a recommended process, not a performance benchmark.
The practical rule is straightforward: a business card or QR-code scan is not proof of supplier reliability. It is the starting point for verification.
What Should Buyers Budget for Payment, Shipping, and Follow-Up?
The booth quotation is only one part of the buying decision. Landed cost includes the product, customization, packaging, inspection, origin charges, freight, duties, taxes, destination delivery, and payment fees. Compare the total delivered cost and execution risk, not only the lowest unit price.
Landed-cost checklist
- Product price and approved specification
- Customization, artwork, molds, or tooling
- Packaging, labeling, inserts, and carton changes
- Samples and domestic transport
- Inspection and quality control
- Origin handling and export charges
- Freight, insurance, duties, taxes, and destination delivery
- Currency conversion and payment fees
EXW means the buyer takes responsibility for much of the movement from the supplier’s premises. FOB generally includes the supplier’s responsibility to deliver the goods on board at the named port, subject to the agreed term. The exact allocation depends on the contract, so ask suppliers to state the Incoterm and named place clearly. The ICC explains that the rules clarify buyer and seller responsibilities, costs, and risk in global trade. Use the official ICC rules or qualified trade counsel for contract interpretation.
Illustrative landed-cost waterfall: product price + customization + packaging + inspection + origin charges + freight + duties/taxes. Example only; actual costs vary by product, route, volume, and destination.Before payment, confirm the approved sample, written specifications, payment milestones, balance-payment trigger, shipment documents, and claims process. Then arrange China freight and logistics coordination early enough to compare consolidation and delivery options.
Is the 140th Canton Fair Right for Your Sourcing Project?
The fair works best when a buyer has a defined category, enough potential order value to justify comparison, and a follow-up plan. It is less suitable for pure retail shopping, very small one-off orders, or regulated products without compliance preparation.
Attend when you need to compare multiple suppliers, explore customization, inspect product ranges, or find alternatives to an existing supply base. Consider remote sourcing when travel is difficult, your category is narrow, or your team cannot follow up after the event. Official online product and exhibitor tools, samples, supplier verification, and a local sourcing partner can support that model.
The fair should be treated as one stage in a sourcing process. Sellers Union can help with product research, supplier matching, samples, quality control, consolidation, and freight coordination. When your shortlist is ready, prepare your product brief and target-market requirements for the final consultation step.
Perguntas frequentes
When is the 140th Canton Fair?
The 140th Canton Fair takes place in Guangzhou across three phases: October 15-19, October 23-27, and October 31-November 4, 2026. The official website identifies the venue as the China Import and Export Fair Complex at No. 382 Yuejiang Zhong Road, Guangzhou. Recheck the official site before travel.
What is the difference between Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3?
Phase 1 focuses on advanced manufacturing, including electronics, machinery, vehicles, energy, hardware, and tools. Phase 2 focuses on quality home life, including ceramics, furniture, gifts, homeware, and building products. Phase 3 covers fashion, textiles, toys, health, food, baby products, and office supplies.
How can overseas buyers register for the Canton Fair?
The official Canton Fair homepage provides overseas-buyer service entries for pre-registration, invitation applications, and buyer badge applications. Requirements and deadlines may change, so use the current official registration flow rather than relying on an old guide. The website currently displays the overseas call centre as (8620)28-888-999.
Can I source private-label products at the Canton Fair?
Yes, many suppliers discuss private-label customization, but the conditions differ by product. Confirm MOQ, artwork ownership, tooling, packaging, testing, lead time, and sample approval. For regulated goods, also confirm destination-market documentation. A supplier’s willingness to customize does not guarantee a commercially workable cost.
How do I verify a supplier I meet at the fair?
Use a sequence of identity verification, like-for-like quotation comparison, documentation review, sample approval, written specification, and pre-shipment QC. Confirm the supplier’s factory or trading-company role and export experience. Do not place a deposit because a product looks good at the booth or because the supplier has a professional catalog.
Conclusão
The 140th Canton Fair gives overseas buyers a broad pool of products and suppliers. Preparation determines how much of that pool becomes useful. Choose the phase by product category, bring a measurable buyer brief, and record every serious lead in a comparison scorecard.
After the fair, validate the supplier, approve a sample, compare landed cost, and arrange quality control before shipment. Sellers Union Agente helps overseas buyers turn Canton Fair leads into reliable sourcing opportunities through professional supplier matching, product development, quality control, and logistics support. Recheck the official Canton Fair website for dates, registration instructions, and exhibition maps before you travel.
Ready to turn your Canton Fair sourcing plan into actual orders? Entre em contato conosco and let our China sourcing team help you take the next step.
Ivy is a Sourcing Specialist at Sellers Union. She shares hands-on experience in supplier selection, quality control, and market trends to help global wholesalers make informed decisions. Her goal is to simplify the sourcing process and help brands build efficient supply chains in the industry.
N*******
U*****
Q*****
L******
P*****
Q***
T*******
F******
J*******
H******
N****