The Canton Fair 2026 runs twice at the China Import and Export Fair Complex (Pazhou Complex) in Guangzhou: the 139th session (Spring) from April 15 to May 5, and the 140th session (Autumn) from October 15 to November 4. Each session is split into three five-day phases separated by break days, and each phase covers different product categories. Picking the right phase is the first decision of your trip — here is the exact schedule, the entry logistics, and a method that keeps you from coming home with 800 unusable photos.
The exact Canton Fair 2026 schedule
The fair (officially the China Import and Export Fair) is the largest sourcing trade show in the world: roughly 1.55 million m² of exhibition space and tens of thousands of exhibitors. It does not run as one block — the exhibitors of one phase pack up before the next arrive. Target the wrong phase and your category simply is not physically there.
| Session | Phase | 2026 dates | Main categories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 139th — Spring | Phase 1 | Apr 15–19 | Electronics & home appliances, lighting, machinery, hardware & tools, vehicles & spare parts, building materials, new energy |
| Phase 2 | Apr 23–27 | Consumer goods, gifts, home decor, ceramics & glassware, furniture, kitchenware | |
| Phase 3 | May 1–5 | Textiles & garments, shoes, cases & bags, toys & children's items, health & medical products, food | |
| 140th — Autumn | Phase 1 | Oct 15–19 | Electronics, machinery, vehicles & new energy, hardware |
| Phase 2 | Oct 23–27 | Home & construction: gifts, decor, furniture, building materials | |
| Phase 3 | Oct 31–Nov 4 | Fashion & textiles, health, food, leisure, toys & children's items |
Break days (no exhibition) are April 20–22 and 28–30 in Spring, and October 20–22 and 28–30 in Autumn. Halls open daily 09:30–18:00. Sources: Yucheng IP Law, China Travel and the Chinese embassy for Spring; Wego and Zhujianger for Autumn. The 140th session marks the fair's 70th anniversary.
Split your target categories by phase before booking flights. A buyer chasing electronics and furniture must either come twice (Phase 1, then Phase 2) or cut a category. This is the constraint that shapes the whole trip.
Registration, visa and badge
None of this can be improvised on arrival.
Pre-register (free)
Overseas buyer pre-registration opens February 14, 2026 via the official site cantonfair.org.cn or the Canton Fair app. It is free for qualified buyers; allow 3–5 working days for processing, after which you receive an electronic invitation letter and a confirmation slip (Cathay Pacific, Zhang & Partners). On-site registration costs about RMB 200 plus ~RMB 30 for the badge — pre-register, it is faster and cheaper.
Visa
Two options depending on your nationality: the 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit, open to 50+ countries provided you hold a confirmed onward ticket to a third country, or a business M visa obtained with the fair's invitation letter (Cathay Pacific). Confirm your 240-hour eligibility before relying on it.
Collect your badge
With your confirmation and original passport, collect the badge at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, a partner hotel, or the on-site buyer service centres. The Pazhou complex is served directly by metro (Line 8, Xingangdong / Pazhou stations).
What to bring
- Bilingual business cards (English/Chinese) — you will hand out dozens a day.
- WeChat installed and verified: it is the standard supplier re-contact channel. Without WeChat you lose the thread back home.
- A reference currency and FX rate decided in advance, so you can compare prices quoted in USD, RMB or EUR without doing bad mental math.
- Walking shoes: the halls stretch over a kilometre; a full day is 10–15 km.
- Power bank, plug adapter, VPN installed before you leave (Google/WhatsApp are blocked in China).
- A structured capture tool: photo + price + MOQ + supplier in one place. The MOQ (minimum order quantity) and the quoted Incoterm (FOB, EXW…) must be captured the instant the vendor speaks.
Working the halls efficiently
The complex has several zones (A, B, C) linked by skybridges. Density is the real trap: the same product will be seen 3 to 6 times at different prices. Three floor rules:
- Sweep first, dig second. Do a fast first pass through a whole hall to flag the booths worth stopping at, then go back. Otherwise you burn your energy on the first aisle.
- Capture structure, not just the photo. The moment the vendor quotes a price, the data exists. Three seconds later it is gone if the photo lands in your gallery without the price, the MOQ and the contact. The rule: under 15 seconds per product — photo, quoted price, MOQ, attached supplier (card or WeChat QR).
- Record the Incoterm. A price of "$4.20" means nothing until you know whether it is FOB (Free On Board, loaded at the Chinese port) or EXW (Ex Works, at the factory gate). Two prices only compare on the same Incoterm.
In the evening, at the hotel, memory fresh: clean the database. Delete captures with no price, no supplier, and duplicates. That is where the quality of the trip is decided — not on the floor.
A first-timer plan
- Day −60: pick the session and phases for your categories; book flights + hotel (Pazhou fills up fast).
- Day −45: pre-register online, apply for a visa or confirm 240-hour eligibility.
- Day −15: print cards, install WeChat + VPN, set your reference currency.
- Day 1 (morning): collect badge, study the hall map, do your first sweep.
- Every evening: triage captures, flag the top 10 suppliers to re-contact.
- Back home: compare offers for the same product, compute container fill (CBM) — CBM, cubic meter, measures volume and decides what fits in a container — then landed cost before issuing a purchase order.
FAQ
What are the Canton Fair 2026 dates?
The 139th session (Spring) runs April 15 to May 5, 2026; the 140th session (Autumn) runs October 15 to November 4, 2026, at the Pazhou complex in Guangzhou. Each session has three five-day phases: April 15–19, 23–27 and May 1–5 in Spring; October 15–19, 23–27 and October 31–November 4 in Autumn.
Which Canton Fair phase should I attend?
By category: Phase 1 for electronics, machinery and vehicles; Phase 2 for home, gifts, decor and furniture; Phase 3 for textiles, fashion, toys, health and food. Exhibitors from one phase leave before the next begins, so targeting the wrong phase means your category will not be on the floor.
Do I need a visa for the Canton Fair?
It depends on your nationality. Over 50 countries qualify for the 240-hour visa-free transit (an onward ticket to a third country is required). Otherwise, the invitation letter from pre-registration lets you apply for a business M visa. Check your eligibility several weeks before departure.
Is entry to the Canton Fair free?
Online pre-registration is free for qualified buyers. On-site registration costs about RMB 200 plus ~RMB 30 for the badge. Pre-register via cantonfair.org.cn or the app: it is faster, cheaper, and it gives you the invitation letter needed for a visa.
How long should I stay?
Plan for at least one full phase (5 days) plus an arrival day. For two categories in two different phases, budget to cover the break (3 days) or fly out between them. Beyond 5 hall-days without a capture method, fatigue degrades your data quality far more than the number of booths seen ever helps.
Going further
Fairloop was built for exactly this flow: capture in under 15 seconds, a multi-supplier offer comparator, container-fill and landed-cost calculation — all offline, because there isn't always 4G in the halls. See pricing.
Read also: our beginner's guide to China sourcing, how to capture a product in 15 seconds and how to calculate landed cost.