The short version: The 140th Canton Fair — the China Import and Export Fair, the largest trade exhibition on earth — runs in Guangzhou from October 15 to November 4, 2026, in three phases separated by two switch-over breaks. It is free to attend as a verified overseas buyer, pre-registration is now open year-round, and holders of passports from the 50 unilateral visa-free countries can very likely attend on a 30-day visa-free entry rather than a business visa. This guide covers the dates, which phase to pick, the badge process, the visa question, transport to the Pazhou complex, where to stay, and how to source well on a first visit.
The Canton Fair — formally the China Import and Export Fair — has been held twice a year in Guangzhou since 1957, and is the largest sourcing event in the world. The spring 2026 session (the 139th) alone drew 314,000 overseas buyers from 220 countries and regions, with roughly 32,000 exhibitors across 13 product categories and about 1.55 million square metres of exhibition space. If you import from China, it is the one place where you can walk the supply chain in person, compare factories face to face, and negotiate factory-direct pricing instead of paying a trading-company markup.
The autumn session — the milestone 140th — is the one most buyers target: it lands after the summer, so factories have refreshed their catalogues for the coming retail season, and it sits right before the year-end ordering cycle, when availability and pricing are more negotiable.
Who this guide is for: first-time and returning overseas buyers, small importers, e-commerce sellers, and business travellers using the fair as an anchor for a wider Guangzhou trip. If you are a leisure traveller simply curious about the city, our Guangzhou Travel Guide 2026 is the better starting point.
The fair splits into three five-day phases, with two short switch-over breaks when the halls are closed for re-arrangement. The phase you pick matters more than any other planning decision.
| Phase | Dates | Theme & main categories |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Oct 15–19, 2026 | Advanced Manufacturing — consumer electronics, home appliances, industrial automation, machinery, vehicles & two-wheelers, new energy, lighting, hardware and tools. |
| Phase 2 | Oct 23–27, 2026 | Quality Home Life — kitchenware, daily-use ceramics, home decorations, gifts and premiums, festival products, garden products, furniture, building and sanitary materials. |
| Phase 3 | Oct 31 – Nov 4, 2026 | Better Life — toys, baby and maternity, apparel, footwear, bags, home textiles, office supplies, food, personal care, healthcare and medical devices, pet products. |
| Switch-over breaks (halls closed): October 20–22 and October 28–30, 2026. Daily trading hours: 9:30–18:00. | ||
Venue: the China Import and Export Fair Complex (the Pazhou complex), 380–382 Yuejiang Middle Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou — one of the largest exhibition centres in Asia, split into four areas:
A permanent online platform runs 24/7 alongside the physical fair, with year-round exhibitor search and live chat — useful for following up after you fly home.
Buyers frequently book a flight before checking the product calendar, then discover their category exhibits in a different window. Match your sourcing list to this rule of thumb:
If you source across two phases, note that you cannot move between them instantly: the halls close for two or three days while booths are rebuilt. Buyers attending two phases typically use that gap productively — the switch-over breaks are exactly when factory visits make sense.
There are no day tickets. Entry requires the official Overseas Buyer Badge (IC card), free for verified international buyers. The pre-registration channel is now open year-round — you no longer have to wait for a session countdown, so register as soon as you know you are coming.
What to prepare first: a passport valid for at least six months; a digital headshot on a light background; and a scan of your business card, with the name matching your passport exactly.
The three-step flow (new buyers):
Returning buyers simply log in, confirm their details, and select the phase they plan to attend. The badge is issued once and remains valid for future sessions — keep it.
Pre-registering pays off three ways: fast-track badge collection (about 30 seconds at a self-service kiosk), a free welcome pack while supplies last, and pre-travel email updates on exhibitors, products and matchmaking events. Walking up unregistered costs a small processing fee and, at peak morning entry, over an hour of queueing.
Beware of badge "agents". The Canton Fair has never authorised any third party to handle badge business, and apart from its official published fees it charges nothing extra. Anyone offering to "guarantee" your badge for a fee — or a paid visa package built around it — should be treated as a scam. Register only through cantonfair.org.cn, the official App, or the official overseas-buyer portal.
Two separate things are involved: the invitation letter and the buyer badge. The badge is your admission credential; the invitation letter exists only to support an M (business) visa application. So the decision is simple:
Check your own nationality before assuming either way. Visa-free lists have been expanding and adjusting through 2025 and 2026. A 30-day visa-free stay comfortably covers the fair plus a factory trip, but it cannot be converted into work. If your passport is not on a visa-free list, build your M-visa timeline backwards from your intended badge-collection date, not from your flight date.
Guangdong-specific convenience: during the fair, provincial immigration authorities add measures for foreign exhibitors — temporary visa desks at the Pazhou and Nansha port terminals, dedicated fair lanes at the airport and passenger ports, simplified visa extensions on presentation of a fair invitation or buyer badge, and a 12367 multilingual hotline. A lost passport is not a lost trip: on-site service points at the complex issue passport-loss certificates. Measures are refreshed each fair — ask at the venue information desk.
Guangzhou's metro is the most reliable way to reach the complex, and it drops you straight into the halls.
| From | Route | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Baiyun Airport (CAN) | Metro Line 3 (north extension) → Tiyu Xilu → Line 3 south to Kecun → Line 8 to Xingangdong or Pazhou | ~60 minutes end to end. Taxis and ride-hailing take 45–60 minutes depending on traffic. |
| Guangzhou South Railway Station | Metro to Line 8, then to the complex | The arrival point if you come by high-speed rail from Hong Kong or elsewhere. |
| Hong Kong | High-speed rail to Guangzhou South, or ferry to Pazhou | The Pazhou ferry terminal connects directly to the fair district. |
Line 8 stops: Xingangdong for Area A, and Pazhou for Areas B and C. Exits connect underground straight to the halls, which matters when it is raining or 33°C.
Hotel shuttles are the quiet luxury of fair season: most 4- and 5-star hotels in Haizhu, Tianhe and Yuexiu run free morning and evening shuttles, and many host a badge-printing desk in the lobby. Before you book, ask two questions — "do you run a fair shuttle?" and "does the return shuttle run on the phase's last day?" On each phase's final day, several hotels run a morning trip only.
Avoid unmetered taxis outside the complex during the 17:00–19:00 exit peak. Use DiDi (available as a mini-program inside Alipay, with English support) or the metro — the taxi-rank queue on a busy fair evening is not worth it.
The badge-collection network has expanded sharply: at the spring 2026 session there were roughly 70 collection points and more than 600 counters across the city, including at Baiyun Airport, Guangzhou South Railway Station, the Pazhou ferry terminal and about 60 designated hotels, plus counters inside the complex. Self-service kiosks print your badge in around 30 seconds once your pre-registration is verified.
Bring to collection: your original passport (not a photocopy), the pre-registration confirmation QR code, and your physical business card. Collect before you reach the complex if you can — the on-site counters at Areas A–D are the busiest, and peak-morning waits can exceed an hour. Badges are free to issue or replace, though a lost badge may carry a nominal reissue charge.
Three zones, three trade-offs:
Set this up before you fly. A foreign card that will not bind to a wallet on day one is the most avoidable fair-week frustration.
A power bank belongs on your packing list: you will scan QR codes, photograph booths and run translation all day, and fair halls are not kind to a weak battery.
The complex spans 1.55 million square metres. Without a plan, day one is pure overwhelm. Five habits separate a productive first fair from an expensive wander:
Bring more business cards than you think you need — a few hundred — and keep a structured notes system (per supplier: booth, contact, product, quoted price, MOQ, follow-up date). The fair generates more leads in five days than most buyers can process in five weeks; the note-takers win.
Build in at least one half-day that is not about sourcing. Guangzhou is the home of Cantonese cuisine and dim sum, and a fair trip that never leaves Pazhou misses it entirely.
When exactly is the 140th Canton Fair?
Phase 1: October 15–19, 2026. Phase 2: October 23–27, 2026. Phase 3: October 31 – November 4, 2026. Halls are closed for re-arrangement from October 20–22 and October 28–30. Daily hours are 9:30–18:00 at the Pazhou complex, Guangzhou.
Do I need to pay to attend?
No. Entry is free for verified overseas buyers, and pre-registering online also avoids the small on-site processing fee.
Do I need an invitation letter?
Only if you need a Chinese business (M) visa. If you qualify for visa-free entry, you do not need the invitation — go straight to the buyer badge.
Can I enter visa-free to attend the fair?
Very possibly. China offers 30-day unilateral visa-free entry for ordinary passport holders of 50 countries, and a 240-hour transit exemption covering 57 countries for onward travellers. Check your own passport's current status before booking.
Which phase should a first-timer attend?
The phase that matches your product category: electronics/machinery in Phase 1, housewares/gifts/furniture in Phase 2, textiles/toys/food/medical in Phase 3. Attending the wrong phase is the most common costly mistake.
Is the buyer badge good for future sessions?
Yes. The Overseas Buyer Badge is issued once and remains valid for subsequent sessions, so returning buyers only log in to confirm their details.
How do I get from Baiyun Airport to the fair?
Metro Line 3 to Tiyu Xilu, then Line 3 south to Kecun, then Line 8 to Xingangdong (Area A) or Pazhou (Areas B/C) — about 60 minutes. Or take a taxi or DiDi, or a hotel shuttle if your hotel offers one.