If you want to source in China then the Canton Fair is a trade event not to be missed. It is the opportunity to meet suppliers and discuss your future projects with them.
The Canton International Fair (officially called the China Import and Export Fair) is one of the largest trade fairs in the world. It is the number one choice for all international buyers looking to export from China to their own country.
The Cantonale Fair features a complete diversity of exhibits, a wide distribution of foreign buyers and the highest turnover in Guangzhou. The Fair will display 16 product categories in 51 sections and will be held in 2 sessions twice a year.
What is the Canton Fair?
The China Import and Export Trade Fair, which was launched in the spring of 1957, is held twice a year (spring and autumn) in Guangzhou. The Canton Fair is located at the Pazhou Exhibition Park at No.380, Yuejiang Zhong Road, Guangzhou, China (广交会展馆).
47 delegations will join to gather thousands of reliable and efficient exhibitors. International trading companies, factories, research institutes, overseas affiliates, overseas affiliates, private companies, etc.
Products exhibited at the Canton Fair
More than 25,000 companies, mainly Chinese, come to Guangzhou to exhibit their products and services twice a year, for the spring session in April and for the fall session in October. About 190,000 visitors attend each session to find or meet their Chinese partners. Each session is divided into 3 phases so that all major industries and more than 150,000 different types of products are showcased:
- Canton Fair phase 1: Electronic and household appliances, lighting equipment, vehicles and spare parts, machinery, hardware tools, building materials, chemicals, energy resources, international pavilion.
- Canton Fair phase 2: Consumer goods, gifts and toys, decorations.
- Canton Fair phase 3: Textiles and clothing, footwear, office supplies/cases and bags and leisure products, medicines/medical devices and health products, food and indigenous products, international pavilion.
Calendar of the Canton Fair 2022
Fall and spring
Fall phase 1
Fall phase 2
Fall phase 3
Spring phase 1
Spring phase 2
Spring phase 3
What's in it for the buyers?
Meet the best suppliers and discuss your requirements and product quality.
This fair in Canton is interesting for you if you have found suppliers on Alibaba and you want to meet them to concretize your project. It is also an opportunity for you to visit your current suppliers if they are exhibitors. Meeting your suppliers in person will create a link with them and will facilitate your communication in the future.
The visitors are mainly Chinese representatives of foreign organizations and companies and domestic buyers.
How to participate in the international import-export fair?
Before Covid, it was quite easy to participate in the Canton Fair but nowadays it is more difficult to travel to China, so we will provide you with an alternative solution since you can not go to China.
Send an agent to the fair
Due to distance and China’s Zero Covid policy, it is difficult to travel to China to attend fairs. However, you don’t have to miss out on the benefits of the Canton fair, as sourcing agents based in China can attend the fair for you.
Why send an agent?
- China is still closed: a lockdown on arrival in China is still imposed
- The price of a one-way ticket in economy class is still expensive so it is preferable to limit your travel
If you still manage to get to China, here is everything you need to know.
Going to China (complicated if not impossible at the moment)
If you want to participate in the Canton Fair, you need a Chinese visa and a buyer identification registration. Invitations to the fair will help you obtain both.
- Invitation
- Visa
- Registration
- Make sure your passport is valid for 6 months after the date of your visit to China,
- Get an invitation letter from the official website or from an accredited local company (like ours),
- Book your hotel through the leading internet companies (booking, Expedia, etc.),
- Apply for a visa at the nearest Chinese embassy/consulate or a reliable online visa company,
- Get on the plane and rest,
- When you check in at the hotel, ask them to make you a badge for the Canton Fair,
- Enjoy the city and the Canton Fair!
Request an invitation letter
You can start by contacting your Chinese partner or supplier.
If you are visiting Canton Fair for the first time and you don’t have a partner network yet, you can find the invitations offered by Canton Fair here. Download the form and send this information by e-mail when you are done. The invitation will be sent to you by mail. Therefore, this procedure may take several weeks.
By invitation, foreign buyers can: apply for Chinese visa (the invitation to Canton Fair will help you to get a visa, but it depends on the Chinese embassy in your country).
Buyers' card: IC card
If you have already been to the fair, you can benefit from the IC buyers’ card which can be used in several sessions to enter the complex directly. You can get a permanent access badge for the Canton Fair in China.
- Apply online: application on the official website, free access badge to be picked up at the fair reception
- On site when you arrive: bring the following documents: Passport, business card, 2 passport photos
Transportation to the Canton Fair
By subway
From Guangzhou East Station, take line 3 to Kecun Station. Then take Line 2 to Xingangdong Station
From Guangzhou Station, take Line 2 and get off at Xingangdong Station. From the airport, take Line 3 to Airport South Station (towards Panyu Square) and take Line 8 to Kecun Station (towards Wanshengwei)
By cab
From Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, you will find many cabs that are relatively cheap. It will take you 45 minutes to get to the fair.
Assistance at the Canton Fair
If you go to the international fair
- We organize for you a series of meetings with Chinese suppliers that match your needs.
- We provide a translator to facilitate communication with Chinese suppliers.
- We offer the assistance of our experts to get all the essential information from Chinese suppliers.
If you can't come to the exhibition
ASIACTION goes to the Canton Fair on your behalf.
- We collect the catalogs and business cards of all suppliers corresponding to your needs.
- We analyze the feasibility of the product development with the selected suppliers
- We negotiate the purchase conditions with the suppliers before you place the order.
Further services at the Canton Fair:
Conclusion
The most effective way to meet many suppliers in the shortest time is to visit a thematic fair. The Canton Fair is a must-attend Chinese trade event for all buyers who want to source from China.
Even if you can find suppliers on Alibaba, being present at the Canton Fair – or sending an agent on your behalf – is an opportunity to meet and exchange with them. If one of the suppliers you meet does not suit you, you can go directly to another one as there are several suppliers for a product. If you want to buy in China, the Canton Fair is an event you must not miss!
