Canton Fair 2027 Guide: Dates, Phases, Registration and Visa

Canton Fair 2027 dates: what is confirmed and what is expected

The China Import and Export Fair, known as the Canton Fair, is the Guangzhou trade fair held every spring and autumn since 1957. It is organized by the China Foreign Trade Centre and co-hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Guangdong provincial government. The spring 2026 session drew more than 314,000 overseas buyers from 220 countries and regions, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The last two spring sessions used exactly the same dates, so the 2027 line below is an expectation based on that pattern, not an announcement. The table also gives the Canton Fair 2026 dates (139th and 140th sessions). For the 139th session, the organizer published its pre-registration notice on 14 February 2026, 60 days before the opening.

137th, spring 2025

Phase 115-19 April

Phase 223-27 April

Phase 31-5 May

StatusHeld

139th, spring 2026

Phase 115-19 April

Phase 223-27 April

Phase 31-5 May

StatusHeld

140th, autumn 2026

Phase 115-19 October

Phase 223-27 October

Phase 331 October to 4 November

StatusHeld

141st, spring 2027

Phase 115-19 April

Phase 223-27 April

Phase 31-5 May

StatusExpected, not yet announced

The 140th session dates come from the organizer's website, the 139th from its 2026 guide for overseas buyers and the 137th from its spring 2025 buyer guide. Halls open from 9:30 to 18:00 on each day of a phase, according to the official buyer guides. The days between phases are changeover days with no exhibition: 20-22 and 28-30 October for the autumn 2026 session.

What are the three phases of the Canton Fair?

Each phase covers different product families, so most buyers attend only one. The organizer named them Advanced Manufacturing, Quality Home Life and Better Life in 2026, and can move sections between phases from one session to the next: check the 2027 list once it is published.

Phase 1

Official theme (2026)Advanced Manufacturing

Main exhibition sectionsHousehold appliances, consumer electronics, industrial automation, processing, power, construction and agricultural machinery, new materials and chemicals, new energy vehicles, vehicles and spare parts, motorcycles, bicycles, lighting, electrical products, new energy, hardware, tools

Expected spring 2027 dates15-19 April

Phase 2

Official theme (2026)Quality Home Life

Main exhibition sectionsCeramics, kitchenware and tableware, household items, glassware, home decoration, gardening, festival products, gifts, clocks and watches, building and decorative materials, sanitary and bathroom equipment, furniture, prefabricated houses

Expected spring 2027 dates23-27 April

Phase 3

Official theme (2026)Better Life

Main exhibition sectionsToys, baby and maternity products, clothing, underwear, sportswear, leather and furs, fashion accessories, textiles and fabrics, shoes, bags, home textiles, carpets, office supplies, medicines and medical devices, food, sports and leisure goods, personal care, pet products

Expected spring 2027 dates1-5 May

If your range spans two phases, for example small kitchen appliances (phase 1) and tableware (phase 2), stay through the changeover days or send two people.

How to register for the Canton Fair as a foreign buyer

Registration happens on the Buyer Service System or in the Canton Fair app. For the 140th session, new badges, replacements and renewals were all free of charge. The steps for a first visit:

1. 1.Create an account with a business email address. The official guide asks applicants not to use a Yahoo address, as confirmation emails may not arrive.
2. 2.Select the foreign passport option, fill in your sourcing intent, then upload a scan of your passport and a photo (no hat, headscarf or tinted glasses).
3. 3.Search for your company or create it, then confirm your email through the verification link.
4. 4.Submit the badge application. First-time buyers can tick the box that generates the invitation letter at the same time.
5. 5.Keep the QR code receipt: the physical badge is collected in person.

To collect the badge, bring your original passport, a business card and the QR code receipt. A badge issued at a previous session stays valid and opens the gates without reactivation, except badges issued on the basis of a work visa up to the 134th session.

Where to collect your buyer badge

For the autumn 2026 session, foreign passport holders could collect their badge before reaching the venue: at Guangzhou Baiyun airport (international arrivals, terminals 2 and 3), Guangzhou South Railway Station, Pazhou ferry terminal, 60 designated hotels and the Canton Fair office in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Counters also operated at the Complex, in Areas B, C and D. Airport counters opened three days before phase 1: check the 2027 locations and hours in the session notices.

Canton Fair invitation letter and visa

Returning buyers request the invitation letter from the Invitation Letter menu of the same system. You can request it up to five times per session, and each new request cancels the previous letter, so check names and passport numbers before submitting. Applicants under 18 cannot obtain one. For the autumn 2025 session, requests were open from 12 August to 4 November.

As of 3 November 2026, holders of ordinary passports from 50 countries, including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Japan, can enter China without a visa for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, exchanges or transit. For France and most of the list, this policy runs until 31 December 2026, and China had not yet announced an extension covering spring 2027. It has been extended before, in May 2024 and in November 2025, so check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notices before booking.

US citizens are not on that list. They, like any traveller without an exemption, need a visa, and the M (business) visa is the one for a trade fair. Chinese embassies ask for an invitation from a trade partner or a trade fair, but the wording varies: the US embassy's September 2025 requirements list what the invitation letter must contain, so confirm with the consulate where you apply. Nationals of countries covered by the 240-hour visa-free transit, including the US, can also stay up to 10 days when travelling on to a third country or region; check the eligible entry ports with the National Immigration Administration.

Working in China follows different rules: see our guide to the China work permit and Z visa.

Getting to the Canton Fair Complex in Pazhou

The Canton Fair Complex is at No. 382 Yuejiang Zhong Road, on Pazhou island in Guangzhou's Haizhu district. It has four areas: A (halls 1 to 8), B (halls 9 to 13), C (halls 14 to 16) and D (halls 17 to 20). The metro is the simplest way in:

• Xingangdong station (line 8), exit A: Areas A and D.
• Pazhou station (lines 8 and 11), exits A, B, E and F: Area B.
• Pazhou station, exit C: Area C.
• From Baiyun airport terminal 2: line 3 (north extension) to Tiyu Xilu, change for line 3 to Kecun, then line 8 to Xingangdong or Pazhou.

Food deliveries are not allowed into the Complex. Every area has restaurants and ATMs, and Areas A, B and D also have currency exchange and translation service desks. Hotel demand peaks during the phases: book early with free cancellation, or go through the fair's official travel agency at booking.cantonfair.org.cn.

Alipay and WeChat Pay accept cards issued abroad, including Visa and Mastercard. On WeChat Pay, international cards pay no fee on payments up to 200 RMB and 3% on any payment above 200 RMB, according to its help centre. The Complex also has a payment information desk for foreign visitors.

How to prepare your supplier meetings

More than 30,000 companies were expected to exhibit at the autumn 2026 session. A shortlist built before the trip saves days on site:

• Search exhibitors and products in the Canton Fair app or website, and send meeting requests before you fly.
• Write a one-page brief per product: specification, target price, yearly volume and the certifications your market requires.
• Bring business cards: the badge counter asks for one.
• Group meetings by area and hall.

You can also screen suppliers who do not exhibit. CINA, Vyrion's platform, lists 41,132 Chinese suppliers, 500 freight forwarders and 2,000 warehouses.

If you bring a Chinese assistant or interpreter, they need an accompanying badge that only you can request. For the spring 2026 session: at least two days ahead, one interpreter and one assistant per phase at most, RMB 300 per day plus a RMB 50 fee, and interpreters must show a CATTI or NAETI certificate or a foreign-language degree from a university in mainland China.

After the fair: verify the factory, samples and quality control

A booth shows what a company sells, not where or how the goods are made. Before paying a deposit:

1. 1.Check the company on the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System (gsxt.gov.cn), using its Chinese name or Unified Social Credit Code.
2. 2.Visit the production site, ideally in the days after your phase while you are still in Guangdong.
3. 3.Order pre-production samples and approve one in writing as the reference for the order.
4. 4.Book a pre-shipment inspection against that reference before paying the balance.
5. 5.Check import duties and product rules in your market before you sign.

The organizer also runs Trade Bridge trips to Chinese industrial bases, with one-to-one meetings and workshop tours, which overseas buyers can sign up for.

How Vyrion helps around the Canton Fair

Vyrion is based in Guangzhou, the city of the fair. Our team can build a supplier shortlist from CINA before you travel, organize factory visits after your phase, arrange quality inspections and coordinate freight and customs. See our sourcing services, read how import and export rights work in China if you plan to trade through a local entity, or contact us with your products and the phase you plan to attend.