The 140th Canton Fair ran Oct 15 - Nov 4 in three phases at Pazhou, Guangzhou. Verified so far: 189,000 overseas buyers in Phase 1 (+13.3%), 278,000 through two phases (+13.4%) from 218 countries — both records. The certified exhibitor tier grew fastest, AI manufacturing went from pitch to demonstration, and green claims started shipping with certificates. Final session totals post here when confirmed.
The Session in Numbers
Final organizer figures — total overseas buyers, export intention transactions and session-level product indicators — will be posted here once the closing press release lands Nov 4. What is already locked in:
- Phase 1: a record 189,000 buyers from 214 countries (+13.3%). Guangzhou's trading delegation alone signed $1.37B in intended export deals — a record.
- Phase 2: running total 278,000 buyers from 218 countries (+13.4%), with 152 foreign trade associations and 384 head-buyer delegations. Hubei's delegation reported $190M in Phase 2 deals (+7.3%).
- The emerging-market engine: spring-session data showed Belt-and-Road buyer growth of 26%+ and emerging markets at ~50% of buyer traffic — this session's delegation list (and our own GSC country data, with Brazil #1) confirms the tilt continued.
- Benchmark: the 139th session closed at 314,000 buyers and $25.7B in on-site intended export deals. With this session tracking 360K+ buyers, the deal tally to beat is $25.7B — final figure posts here.
Phase by Phase: What Each Floor Showed
- Phase 1 (Oct 15-19) · Electronics & Appliances — The record opener: 189,000 buyers (+13.3%). 128,000 new products and 67,000 AI products across the phase set the technology tone for the whole session.
- Phase 2 (Oct 23-27) · Quality Home Life — 11,000 export exhibitors and 2.376 million products, with new products at 24.2%, green at 26.9% and own-IP at 25.0%. Fashion jewelry went certifiable, building materials arrived with EPA/CE paperwork, and scenario selling beat SKU selling.
- Phase 3 (Oct 31 - Nov 4) · Better Life — The textiles, apparel, medical and recreation phase, and the last order window before CNY 2027 capped the production calendar. Phase 3 floor observations post here.
Three Shifts That Defined the 140th
- The quality tier pulled away. In every phase, the certified exhibitor tier — national high-tech, "little giant," single-champion, green-factory credentials — grew fastest (Phase 2 alone: 3,600+ firms, +7.6%). The gap between verified and long-tail exhibitors is now the defining feature of the fair, and it changes the buyer's job: filtering matters more than discovering.
- AI moved from claim to demonstration. Phase 1 put AI products on stands; by Phase 2, AI vision QC was running on factory floors and smart systems were self-monitoring in live demos. Buyers should now treat "AI-enabled" as a verifiable process question, not a marketing word — ask what the model inspects and what the reject rate is.
- Green became paperwork. Bamboo tableware to E0/E1 boards to GOTS fibers — environmental claims increasingly ship with third-party certificate numbers. The practical standard at this session: ask for the cert number and the certificate holder's name, and check both match the PI.
The Post-Fair Playbook
Numbers fade; follow-up converts. The discipline that decides whether booth conversations become purchase orders:
- The 72-hour recap. Every shortlisted supplier gets a recap email restating spec, quantity and target within 72 hours of meeting them — the day-plan playbook has the cadence and templates.
- Verify before any deposit. The wider certified tier helps, but the verification checklist still applies: business license, export history, certificate-holder identity.
- Order against the CNY clock. With CNY 2027 on Feb 5-19, November deposits get January production; December orders mostly don't. Hold the 30/70 line with a PSI-gated balance.
- Sample like it's due diligence. The golden-sample discipline — one reference sample, signed and dated, retained by both sides — is what prevents the quality dispute in March.
The Next Session
The 141st Canton Fair returns in the usual spring window — Phase 1 mid-April, Phase 2 late April, Phase 3 early May 2026 (official dates TBA by the organizer). Between now and then, the Yiwu visit calendar covers the off-season market rhythm, and the combined Guangzhou-Yiwu trip planner carries over for spring planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many buyers attended the 140th Canton Fair?
The organizer reported record attendance across the session: 189,000 overseas buyers in Phase 1 (+13.3%) and 278,000 through the first two phases (+13.4%) from 218 countries and regions. Final session-total figures including Phase 3 post here when the organizer publishes them.
What was different about the 140th Canton Fair?
Three things: the certified-quality exhibitor tier grew fastest (national high-tech, "little giant" and green-factory credentials), AI-visible manufacturing moved from booth pitch to floor demonstration in every phase, and environmental claims increasingly shipped with third-party certificates instead of brochure language.
When is the next Canton Fair after the 140th session?
The 141st Canton Fair returns in April 2026's usual spring window — Phase 1 (electronics, appliances) mid-April, Phase 2 (home, gifts) late April, Phase 3 (textiles, medical) early May. The official dates will be confirmed by the organizer; this page updates when they are.
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