When is the Canton Fair 2026 autumn session?

The 140th session runs 15 October to 4 November 2026, in three 5-day phases: 15–19 October (electronics and machinery), 23–27 October (home and gifts), and 31 October–4 November (textiles, health and food). Halls are open 09:30–18:00 daily within each phase.

Do I need a visa to attend the Canton Fair?

It depends on your passport. Citizens of the 50 unilateral visa-free countries can enter for business meetings without a visa, and 240-hour transit covers those continuing onward. Buyers from the US or other non-listed nationalities generally apply for a business visa using an invitation letter generated through the fair's buyer system.

How do I register as a buyer for the Canton Fair?

Pre-register free on the official buyer service system with your passport and company details, selecting your phases. On arrival, collect the buyer badge at the express channel with your physical passport. Registration is free for overseas buyers.

Which phase of the Canton Fair should I attend?

The one carrying your product category: electronics, machinery and vehicles are Phase 1 (15–19 Oct); home goods, kitchenware, gifts and furniture are Phase 2 (23–27 Oct); textiles, apparel, toys, health products and food are Phase 3 (31 Oct–4 Nov). Check the official section list before booking flights — the phases share almost no exhibitors.

When should I book a hotel for the Canton Fair?

30–45 days before your phase at the latest. Pazhou-adjacent hotels sell out or triple in price; metro lines 8 and 11 make a slightly farther hotel practical and much cheaper.

Can I use Alipay and cash at the Canton Fair?

Yes to both. The complex and its vendors run on QR payments, so set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before arrival; cash is accepted but slower. For large sample orders, cards and bank transfers are handled by exhibitors directly — confirm terms in writing before leaving the booth.

Canton Fair 2026 Autumn Session: Dates, Phases and Buyer Survival Guide

Short answer

The 140th Canton Fair (autumn session) runs 15 October – 4 November 2026 at the Canton Fair Complex in Guangzhou, in three 5-day phases: Phase 1 (15–19 Oct) electronics and machinery, Phase 2 (23–27 Oct) home and gifts, Phase 3 (31 Oct–4 Nov) textiles, health and food. Overseas buyers pre-register free with a passport and business details, then collect a buyer badge on site. Match your travel dates to your product category before booking anything — halls are product-specific, and hotels around Pazhou fill weeks ahead.

Phase dates and what's on show

All phases run 09:30–18:00 daily, including weekends, at the China Import and Export Fair Complex on Pazhou Island, Guangzhou. The fair is enormous — over 25,000 exhibitors across roughly 1.5 million square metres — so walking into the wrong phase's halls for your category is the classic first-timer mistake. Pick the phase, then plan meetings against the hall map in the official app.

Phase	Dates (2026)	Main categories
Phase 1 — Advanced Manufacturing	15–19 October	Electronics & appliances, machinery, vehicles & parts, hardware & tools, new energy, lighting, chemicals & materials
Phase 2 — Quality Home Life	23–27 October	Kitchenware & tableware, home decor, gifts & premiums, glass & ceramics, building & furniture, gardening
Phase 3 — Better Life	31 October – 4 November	Textiles & garments, shoes & bags, toys & baby products, office supplies, medicine & health, food, pet products, sports & travel goods

Registration: what buyers actually need

Pre-register free on the official Canton Fair buyer system before travel: passport details plus company information, selecting the phases you will attend.
Collect your buyer badge on arrival using the pre-registered express channel — bring the physical passport you registered with. The badge is your entry pass for the phases selected; re-entry across days uses the same badge.
Your passport situation matters before you even land: many buyer nationalities now enter China visa-free for business — the 50-country unilateral list and 240-hour transit route both cover business meetings. Check your passport's route before booking.
An invitation letter is only needed for nationalities applying for a business visa; pre-registered buyers can generate one through the buyer system if required.

The survival part: payment, transit, hotels

Hotels near Pazhou triple in price and sell out 30–45 days ahead of each phase — this is the booking with real money at stake, more than flights. Staying along the metro lines 8 or 11 (both serve the complex) a few stops out cuts cost sharply.
Payment: set up Alipay and WeChat Pay with your foreign card before flying — the fair complex, hotels and restaurants are overwhelmingly QR-payment; cash still works but lines move slower. Big transactions (hotel deposits, sample orders) may hit foreign-card limits, so carry a second card and cash buffer.
Transit: Guangzhou is one of the four cities where foreigners can tap a foreign bank card directly at metro gates. Taxis are cheap but queue terribly at phase closing time (18:00); the metro over the river beats them most evenings.
Tax refund: purchases above the departure tax-refund threshold can be refunded at Guangzhou airport on departure — keep receipts and carry goods in hand luggage-eligible condition.
Timing tip: phase-change days (20–22 Oct, 28–30 Oct) are when exhibitors rotate — the complex is closed for build-up. Do not plan meetings on transition days; use them for factory visits in the Pearl River Delta instead.

Related guides

Where these matter

Guangzhou

Official sources

Policies and booking channels change — check the official channel before you rely on it.